Mstrust: Just Doing What I Do

Hi, I'm Jennifer in Phoenix. I've been LT since 2008 and my 17th Thingaversary is in March. I can be found at the 75 Challenge and ROOTs group too.
I live with husband Mike and Boxer, Coral. I have collections of books about punk/metal/bubblegum pop, the sea and shipwrecks, travel and horror. I'm in Vegas to see my family several times a year, and we go to tiki bars and the annual Tiki Oasis.
I also write a Substack, Autumn Lives Here, that is all horror, true crime and Halloween. It isn't as scary as it sounds. Every other Tuesday is free, so drop by. https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/
And now, the categories.

Mystery, Thriller, Noir

1. Confections, Clues and Chocolate-3
2. The Tasting Menu-4
3. Murder in the Bookshop-3
4. Marshmallows, Mystery & Mischief-4
5. Jellybeans, Jack-O'-Lanterns, and Jitters-1
6. The Book of Cold Cases-4.5
7. Sinfully Delicious- 3.5

Fiction

1. I Have A Bad Feeling About This- 4.2
2. The Murderess: A Novel- 3.5
3. Slewfoot- 3.5
4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower-4
5. The Indigo Room-2.5

Non-Fiction

1. Make Your Backyard Bloom- 4
2. Psychiatry: A Very Short Introduction-5
3. Autumn Gardens-4
4. Maid-3
5. I Slept With Joey Ramone- 4.5
6. Family Man-3.5
7. The $64 Tomato-4

Horror/Halloween

1. Tales from the Gas Station: Volume Two-4
2. The Dead Children's Playground- 4.2
3. The Haunted Forest Tour-5
4. The Eyes Are the Best Part-5
5. Horror Movie-4.5
6. Jackknife-4
7. Eat The Rich-4

True Crime

1. The Cases That Haunt Us-4
2. Murder By the Book-4

ROOTs

1. Mud Season-3
2. Seeds of Murder-3.5
3. The Philosophy of Punk-1

Cookbooks, Travel & Other Stuff

1. Food To Die For-4
2. Foods That Made History-4
3. Vintage Recipes of the 1960s-3
4. Best Housekeeping Best-Loved Recipes-4
5. Japanese Farm Food-3.5
6. Hershey's Chocolate Lovers Cookbook-4
7. Luby's Cafeteria 50th Anniversary Recipe Collection-3.5
8. 2025 Vancouver Travel Guide-2.5

Favorite Authors

1. Murder Road- 3.5
2. The Halloween Store-5
3. The Blanks-4.2
4. Night and Day in Misery-4
5. Criminal Macabre-3.5

Discoveries
1. Sipsworth-4
2. The Beatles Lyrics-4
3. Cacti & Succulents for Modern Living- 4.5
4. Sour Cherry-4.5

I'll spend some time tinkering with my toppers, but next ones yours.
Welcome!

Wow, those cakes are quite elaborate and some quite crrreeepppyyy! Welcome to 2025.

Good to see you are back for 2025, Jennifer! Your cakes might be delicious, but I'll control myself :)

Oh my, the cakes are amazing! The bee one - wow.
Just an aside question, have you ever been to the clown motel and museum in Tonopah, Nevada? There is an online shop here in Australia called Hallozween where I get my candles and such and they did an article on it. It looks fantastic, in a creepy clown way.
Enjoy your reading in 2025.

Beautiful cakes! Good luck with your 2025 reading!

>12 LadyoftheLodge: Thanks! I know, I had to find cakes that fit the topic and I think I nailed it. Happy reading in 2025!

>13 VivienneR: Thank you! Someday we will be able to reach through the screen and grab a bite...

>14 JayneCM: Isn't that bee cake incredible? That's why it represents "fiction", because they look so real.
I do know of the clown motel and did a piece about it about a year and a half ago on my creepy Substack. Here's the link if you want to have a look: https://substack.com/@jennifermorrow/p-108381665
Happy reading to you in 2025!

>15 Tess_W: Thank you, Tess! Glad to see you here!

Wow those cakes look amazing.

oh my. those cakes... Wishing you a great year with wonderful reading.

>16 mstrust: I thought you might have been there. I like creepy but I could not actually sleep in a room with Pennywise's face on the wall! Love your article - and I did not know that about Keith Moon either. What a horrific thing to happen.

Dropping my star and ready to follow along for another year.

>17 lowelibrary: Yes they do!

>18 majkia: Thank you! I'd offer you a slice, but...

>19 JayneCM: I've never visited, but I would. I just don't think Mike would be willing. He isn't into horror at all :-D
Thanks for reading! Yep, the Keith Moon accident wasn't as big a story back then as you'd expect, possibly because he was so devastated by his part.

>20 DeltaQueen50: Hooray! Good to see you, Judy!

I didn't know about the Keith Moon story either. I'll have to run this by my Pop Culture encyclopedia of a daughter-in-law. She continues to surprise me with her knowledge. Bet this one will be a test.

That's quite a collection of off-putting cakes. >8 mstrust: and >9 mstrust: look normal, but are they really? Happy reading.

>22 VivienneR: It's a deep dive, for sure!
>23 pamelad: Off-putting? Why, I'd massacre every one of them, even the clown who looks like he'd put up a fight. But put the word "cake" with about anything and I'll have a look. I even enjoy cold fish cakes.

>24 mstrust: I’d definitely eat that noir cake! But killer clown? I’d have to slice his face off first, I think. And the bee cake—have you read Plain Bad Heroines?

I haven't read that one and I suspect there's a horrible bee-centric death. Do you recommend it?

>26 mstrust: No, I can’t really recommend it myself. There was some fantastic spooky gothic buildup, but I thought it failed to deliver. But the yellow jackets (not actually bees) were plenty creepy!

Awww. Thanks for letting us know.

That carrot cake made me smile, thank you for that! Happy reading and eating!

I usually ignore carrot cake, but that one is beautiful and I really like those realistic carrots!

Those are some great cakes. I'm feeling stuffed just looking at them. Hope your reading year is great.

Thanks, Betty, and I wish you the same!

What a collection of cakes. These are very creative.

It's pretty much a list of cakes that have m saying, "no, couldn't do that, couldn't do that..."

What a great cake collection, Jennifer! I particularly like the very top one, with the cactus :-) Happy reading when we get there!

I really like the trend of succulent cakes, particularly as my front yard and porch are covered in cactus and succulents.
Happy reading in 2025 to you!

Happy new year! Those cakes look amazing. I'm looking forward to seeing what you read for ScaredyKIT next year. I already have some books picked out, so I'm hoping I'll actually participate more in 2025.

Hi, Shannon! I hope you're able to participate a lot in the ScaredyKits. Sometimes I have to scout to find something that fits.
I know, those cakes look dee-licious!

Wishing you all a Happy 2025!

Happy new year to you too!

I was looking at your cake pictures and thinking how delicious they looked, and then I got to >6 mstrust:. Urgh! :D

>39 mstrust: Thank you! Happy New Year to you as well. I like the graphic!

>40 Jackie_K: Happy New Year, Jackie! And I bet that scary clown tastes good once you cut him.
>41 LadyoftheLodge: Happy New Year! Keep shoving your glass into the champagne fountain!

1. Murder Road by Simone St. James

Newlyweds April and Eddie get lost as they're trying to find the cabin they've booked for their honeymoon. Instead, they find a woman who's been stabbed on a backroad and rush her to the hospital, where she dies and they become the suspects in a string of murders on that road that go back decades. Since they can't leave town, they begin their own investigation into the history of the victims.

This book felt different from the others I've read from St. James, a little less polished. It took some time for me to fully get interested in April's headful of secrets, but about halfway through, the story really took off and became all action. You get small-town murder and the paranormal, all set in the mid-90s. 3.5

So we attempted to get through a gifted magnum of champagne last night but didn't quite make it. But we (I) really, really tried.
I received a Kindle Paperwhite from Aunt Kath for Christmas and have spent the last two days loading it up with lots of Kindle Unlimited books, since I get that free for three months. I already have a Kindle Fire that's completely full, so I'm thrilled to have another source of e-book hoarding.
And Mike is going to help me hang some growing baskets in the backyard.
I hope everyone had a good New Year's. I couldn't stay up til midnight, but I knew exactly when it happened because my neighbors and their impressive amount of fireworks woke me up.

Happy New Year and good luck with your reading.

>44 mstrust: We also enjoyed champagne with dinner on New Year's Eve, and likewise were awakened by the fireworks and bangs to herald in 2025.

Hope you have a great year of reading!

>44 mstrust: I was too tired to drink more than a glass of sparkling wine, and we heard what I thought at first were fireworks, but turned out to be thunder and lightning!

Best wishes for the new year!

>45 lowelibrary: Thanks, and Happy New Year to you!
>46 LadyoftheLodge: Matchy-matchy! Happy New Year!
>47 thornton37814: Thank you, and to you too!
>48 sturlington: I saw that some parts back East were expecting rain last night. I enjoy fireworks, but the lightning is a better show. Happy New Year!

Following along as usual. I look forward to your choices this year.
Find me here
https://www.librarything.com/topic/367017#8712413

Happy reading, Barb!

The cakes! They are full of fabulous, Jennifer. I always look forward to seeing what you come up with for your threads and you have yet to disappoint. Happy New Year to you!

Why, thank you so much, Mamie! I had actually planned a different theme entirely, but by the time the challenge was up, I was off it and just made up something on the spot. Who doesn't love cake?
Happy New Year, and visit often!

And here's another sudden decision: How 'bout a cake of the month?
January

White Chocolate Cranberry
Oooh, it's so wintery!

2. Food To Die For: Recipes & Stories From America's Most Legendary Haunted Places by Amy Bruni

A beautiful hardcover with brooding food pics of dishes and cocktails. You get Lizzie Borden's meatloaf recipe, "Villisca Cornbread", "Odd Fellows Apple Pie" " "Mary Todd Lincoln's White Almond Cake" and "Nutraloaf", a meal served to inmates at the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia as punishment.
The recipes come with essays about the haunted establishments that they came from, which includes the White House and many old hotels.
This was a Christmas gift. I think I'll be making the Peanut Stew accredited to the Farnsworth House Inn in Gettysburg. 4 stars

>55 mstrust: My husband loves everything haunted and enjoyed Amy's memoir. I am putting this on my gift idea list for him.

>55 mstrust: That would be a great read full of history. I like reading cook books especially church ones because of the history of the areas they live.

January cake of the month looks wonderful! BTW...it would appear that "us old folks", meaning those that were in bed before midnight, had the same experiences!

Yes, please, to cake of the month.

>55 mstrust: Oh that's not fair, shooting book bullets this early in the year! :-)

>56 lowelibrary: Then this would be perfect for him. I'd never heard of the author because I don't watch any of those ghost hunting shows, but this book is really well done. And he might like another book called Recipes from the World of H.P. Lovecraft. As far as the spooky look goes, these two could be twins.

>57 mnleona: It does have lots of history. My mom used to collect those spiral-bound cookbooks put out by churches and leagues! She said the recipes were the best and she's hung on to her favorites through the years.

>58 Tess_W: Doesn't it look delicious?
Thank God for champagne or I'd be unbearable on New Year's.

>59 Crazymamie: Noted! I'll bet I can come up with some beauties.

>60 sturlington: Ha, gotcha! Pew pew pew!

3. Tales From the Gas Station: Volume Two by Jack Townsend

In the second book of the series, round-the-clock gas station employee Jack still remains (mostly) remarkably calm as he tries to ignore all the paranormal and outer spacey stuff that is drawn to his gas station on the edge of the forest. While he suffers from genetic insomnia and a broken leg, he becomes friends with O'Brien, the officer assigned to gas station duty, which means she and Jack deal with angry hillbillies, a serial killer who is completely focused on killing Jack, and the ancient evil god who has risen to kill customers at the gas pump. Jack also has to train a new hire.
A sci-fi horror comedy series where the reader can't possibly guess the next terrible thing that will happen. 4 stars

4. Confections, Clues, and Chocolate: A Pumpkin Hollow Candy Store Mystery by Kathleen Suzette

I believe this is the 12th or 13th in the series about Mia, the candy shop owner who can't stop conducting her own investigations into the many, many murders of this small town, even though she is now married to a detective. Pumpkin Hollow is a year round Halloween-themed town that relies on tourism, but the majority of the locals love living like Halloween is right around the corner.

In this volume, it really is late October and the locals gather at the Halloween Ball, where one of Mia's regular customers is stabbed to death. Mia, and her sister sidekick, is surprised to learn that she really didn't know the friendly customer at all. Turns out, she was the local liar who had a vindictive streak, and by jumping into the investigation Mia may have made herself the next target.
It's a light, fluffy series with lots of Halloween and pumpkin spice talk. No one in Pumpkin Hollow has diabetes despite the all-sugar diet. 3

Autumn Lives Here is ringing in the new year with teen murder and new book releases!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>63 mstrust: I love these really niche cozy murder mysteries - somehow the author always manages to pull it off :D

It's a cute series, although I wish the characters would stop chuckling. Oh, they ALL chuckle rather than laugh ;-D

5. Make Your Backyard Bloom by DK Publishing

I had to use a pic from the internet as nothing about this book came up for LT. It's a 550 page British book full of ideas for creating a better garden that includes tips for veg, fruit, herbs, trees and cacti. There are lots of good ideas for unusual containers, including starting seeds in the plastic cups used for iced drinks, and created trellises.
As it's a British book, some of the stuff doesn't apply to my area, but it's made me look at making the most of my space.
I do wish DK would credit an author for their publications. 4

6. Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

After living in Australia for sixty years, Helen has returned to the English town she grew up in. In her eighties and having grieved the loss of her family, Helen is just passing her days in a routine while she waits to die. When she sees a neighbor putting an old aquarium out with the trash, Helen she goes out and brings the tank home, where she finds a mouse living in it.
Her plan of just keeping the mouse comfortable until she can find someone to take it turns into having someone to care for, and this opens Helen up to new possibilities.
Both sad and hopeful, this is a quiet story that still provides some surprises, especially about Helen. 4

>63 mstrust: Well, I've just downloaded the box set of volumes 1 - 5 in this series, which is on KU :-) I need more hours in the day.

>68 mstrust: This one looks good too.

>69 susanj67: What she said!

Happy Sunday, Jennifer!

>69 susanj67: I believe that I've read the first four in the series, then somehow landed on this one really late in the series. Clearly I missed some life changes for Mia but it was still enjoyable.
I do recommend Sipsworth!
>70 Crazymamie: Susan put it very well! Happy Sunday to you!

This week, Autumn Lives Here delves into the Genovese murder. Yes, that one. It's intense.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

7. Foods That Made History by Rafael Agam

The stories behind Chateaubriand, Pavlovas, Lobster Newberg, Oysters Rockefeller, Daquiris, Victorian sponge and more classics. It also includes the stories of the chefs, usually French but sometimes Italian, who created the dishes, and the person they were named for, which was usually royalty or opera singers. Recipes for most are included.
Lots of interesting backstories to fancy concoctions that were on the menus of high end restaurants 50 years ago, but I love stuff like this. 4 stars

I'm hosting February's ScaredyKit and it's all haunted houses/haunted locations. Join us!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/367665

>73 mstrust: Sounds delightful!

If you like food history, it's a good one!

8. I Have A Bad Feeling About This by Jeff Strand

Best friends Henry and Randy are sent to a two week survival camp for boys to learn how to be tough. Henry has no interest in being tough, or in anything other than video games, which is why his parents have sent him. Joining three other teen boys and their instructor, a snarling, sarcastic ex-military guy who doesn't mind making someone an example. Max does impart a lot of survival training on the boys, and that comes in handy when three killers show up at camp.
A comedic survival story of boys who unexpectedly learn how to fight for their lives, with each chapter ending with a wilderness survival tip, like:
If you're caught in the coils of a boa constrictor, don't panic. Just think to yourself Awww, this snake is giving me a great big hug! This won't save your life, but it may stop you from panicking, and if you're going to get squished to death by a snake, you at least don't want your friends to see you being a big baby about it. 4.2

This week's Autumn Lives Here is a short story about January and her sheety attitude.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

9. The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride
The story of three long-time best friends- a recently retired police detective, a writer of gangster stories, and a small time criminal- who are gifted with a few days at an exclusive island hotel. The draw is the restaurant with its rare delicacies and high-end wine cellar. When the criminal disappears and the detective gets suspicious, they find out the lengths these foodies will go to in sources their ingredients.
This was the first I've read from the author. It's labeled as a Kindle short story, but at 127 pages, it's a novella. 4

10. Vintage Recipes of the 1960s by Steven Masters

I expected more historical information, backstories, just anything that shed some light on how popular these dishes were at the time, but this is just a quick read of food and drink associated with that era. I don't know if anyone needs a Chex Mix recipe since it's on the cereal box, and a banana split recipe seems unnecessary. The cocktails are very standard too, but I did take down the recipe for Black Forest Cake because as classic as it is, it isn't in a lot of cookbooks. 3

>67 mstrust: I love plant container ideas. I have several books similar.

>80 mstrust: I also like to read for the history.

>81 Tess_W: I do too. I love seeing healthy plants growing out of unusual containers, but I've seldom had luck at it myself. I've sown seeds in four plastic cups and a large plastic food tray. So far, nothing has sprouted but it's early yet.

>82 mnleona: I've just started a book with a similar premise and this one has the backstories.

Mike is coming home today from his week away on business. I'll make a pavlova topped with mixed berries, and I've got a prepared pan of sage chicken with onions, sweet potatoes, broccoli greens and dried cranberries ready to throw in the oven.
This week, I've finished three books and worked on several articles for Autumn Lives Here. I had fresh salads every day because my lettuce, kale and other greens are growing at an incredible pace. I watched Starter For 10, two episodes of Dalgliesh and the whole second season of Very British Problems, which is so fun.
I also got about five phone calls a day from Mike telling me everybody he met and everything he was eating, which included an all-you-can-eat lobster buffet. Brag much?

And just a reminder that February is coming up fast. Join us for the ScaredyKit haunted house month!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/367665#n8737742

>83 mstrust: - There's a place just down the road from us that has a lobster buffet. It's gotten quite expensive over the years. I think sometimes bus trips stop there.

I think the one Mike went to was $85 per person. But he ate a whole lobster and 10 tails. He's 6'4", but sort of regretted it 😄

11. The Beatles Lyrics by Hunter Davies

Journalist Davies was a friend to The Beatles from the beginning, was present in the studio for many recordings, helped out when lyrics were being discussed, vacationed with Paul and their families, and had countless conversations with the band. So he's in a unique position to talk about the backstories of the albums and individual songs, talking about what was going on in personal lives and discounting myths about what the lyrics mean.
I learned a lot, as I'd always assumed that "We Can Work It Out" was Paul talking to John, but actually it was written about Jane Asher. "Taxman" was written by Harrison (I'd always thought it was Lennon) because they were being taxed an astounding 95% on their earnings. This chunkster sat on my coffee table for nearly a year, but I finally buckled down and finished. 4

This week at Autumn Lives Here, resolutions and shrunken heads!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

12. Good Housekeeping Best-Loved Desserts
More than 250 recipes that cover cookies, ice cream, cake, tarts, pies, strudel, crepes and more. Each recipe has a photo and the recipes range from something as easy as Blueberry-Mango Compote to the more labor intensive Pumpkin Pie with Pecan-Caramel Topping. BH&G recipes are fantastic 99% of the time. 4

February's Cake of the Month is-

Black Forest Trifle
Chunks of dark chocolate cake, chocolate cream and cherry preserves. Perfect for Valentine's.

13. Psychiatry: A Very Short Introduction by Tom Burns

From the Very Short Introduction series, which runs into the hundreds, this volume was written by an Oxford Professor of Psychiatry. It includes types of mental illness, their history of treatments and the current treatments. There is a history of asylums and hospitals, and the types of treatments, including drugs, that have been tried and that are in current use.

Written with the layperson in mind, it's a clear and very interesting history of illness and treatments that brings us up to current methods. 5

This week at Autumn Lives Here, a short story about the horrors of being a romantic.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>83 mstrust: Dinner sounds wonderful!

Thanks, it was! I really love Pavlova/Eton Mess.
I'm making meatloaf tonight, using garlic from my garden. Also, mashed potatoes, and broccoli leaves, again from my garden, sauteed in butter with onion and tomatoes. Homemade espresso brownies for dessert.

14. The Dead Children's Playground by James Kaine

Nine year-old cancer survivor Kylie, her nineteen year old sister Kayla, and their parents, have just arrived at their new home in Huntsville when a friendly little girl invites Kylie to play. And that's all it takes for the two sisters to be thrown into a paranormal mystery. Who is the girl, and why is she so insistent on Kylie playing in the abandoned playground next to the old cemetery?
Can you guess?
This is a good one; lots of ghosts, family dysfunction, and hoodoo. And the ghosts don't play by the established rules of having to stay inside their perimeters. 4.2

15. Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu

The author is a Californian who married a Japanese farmer and has lived in Japan for 35 years, where she's part of the slow food movement. This book, at nearly 400 pages, seems written for either a Japanese cook or someone who is immersing themselves in the culture. The recipes are fairly simple, it's just a matter of getting the ingredients.
You'll find lists of ingredients that are a mystery even to someone with some familiarity with Japanese cuisine (me), but it's aimed at the more rural home cook. Vegetarian dishes are prevalent, and lots of pickled dishes. There's a substantial chapter on dipping sauces, and a dessert section that includes seasonal produce, like fig ice cream or granita made of shiso leaves, which are a common herb that I'd never heard of. So you'll likely learn something. 3.5

This week, Autumn Lives Here has a true crime glossary and the story of the most infamous executioner in British history.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

16. Murder in the Bookshop by Anita Davidson

Hanna has just taken over the running of her aunt's London bookshop. As WWI rages, Hanna needs to make the shop profitable, and she starts by sacking Monty, the shady store manager.
The next day, Hanna finds that her best friend has been murdered in the shop, which makes Hanna the prime suspect. She and her lively Aunt Violet begin investigating to clear Hanna's name and unravel the dark, secret lives of those nearest to them. 3

>90 mstrust: I've read two or three of the "Very short Introductions" and I think they are a very good summary and contain basic info. They give me an idea if I want to explore something deeper or not.

This is the second I've read from the series. They're written by some impressive authors and provide more information than expected for slim books.

17. Hershey's Chocolate Lover's Cookbook

This weirdly tall book contains both traditional recipes, like Chocolate Crinkles and chocolate chip cookies, along with lots that were probably developed just for this book. California Chocolate Bars, Creamy Chocolate Tarts and Streusel Apple Spice Cake (with mini chocolate chips) are all new to me. Of course, nearly everything looks good. 4

18. Autumn Gardens by Ethne Clarke

With Austin, Texas as a base, Clarke features gardens from around the world and plants that thrive in Autumn. The best varieties for the season are featured, along with advice for blending plants in a garden, so this book is part gardening, part design and some cooking. 4

I'd never seen the glossy seedheads of the clematis orientalis before:

This week at Autumn Lives Here, witches, Shakespeare, and more witches. Cackle cackle.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>100 mstrust: I think my mom has that same cookbook! The "Black Magic Cake" recipe is absolutely delicious if you like chocolate cake!

I love Black Magic cake! I have several Hershey cookbooks and have a couple of recipes from each in my regular rotation.

19. Luby's Cafeteria 50th Anniversary Recipe Collection

If you've lived in the South or Southwest, you might be familiar with Luby's, the cafeteria chain that's been around since the 1940s. They have specialized in dishes that you wouldn't expect from a cafeteria restaurant, liked squash casserole, Haddock Almondine, Spaghetti Salad, and Mississippi Mud Cake.
This cookbook has lots of the most requested recipes, and most of the recipes are Luby's unique take on things like Pina Colada pie or chicken enchiladas. It was disappointing that a recipe for their famous Mystery Pie isn't included. 3.5

20. Cacti & Succulents for Modern Living

Published in 1976, this is full of color pics of plants by family with the specifics for that particular variety. Soil, light, temperature and watering preference, along with pics of the other cacti or succulents that are related, make this a good guide. 4.5

>100 mstrust: I might have this book, or something like it.

>100 mstrust: I've had one for 30+ years and I love it.

>107 LadyoftheLodge: >108 Tess_W: Hershey's has quite a few cookbooks. I believe I have at least five, and I've used the Chocolatetown Chip recipe for at least 15 years, but I tried the Great American Chocolate Chip recipe in this one the other day and much prefer it.

>109 mstrust: Will have to try that one (Great American)....I have the one from the back of the Nestle chip bag memorized for last 20 years and use it regardless of what brand of chips I'm using. I need to maybe try something new!

I hope you like it too. I've also tried a small cake recipe from the book, I think it's called "Crunchy Topped Cocoa Cake" (something like that). It was okay but not that flavorful.

21. The Haunted Forest Tour by Jeff Strand and James A. Moore

The Haunted Forest sprung up across a barren New Mexico town in just an hour, destroying the town and killing the citizens. It was a horrifying massacre, but it didn't take long for an entrepreneur to start a company giving tram tours through the thick pine forest, and for a tourist town to grow on the outskirts.
In custom-built trams that are virtually indestructible, driver Eddie and guide Barbara start off as usual, but the tram breaks down deep in the forest, something that's never happened before. With no radio or phone communication, the crew and passengers are just a delicious meal waiting to happen unless they can make it out of the forest.
This is one wild story, horrifying and funny, with a battle between good and evil. 5

>112 mstrust: Sounds like a fun read - it's going on my wishlist!

I hope you like it too, Judy. I think you will.

This week, Autumn Lives Here has the tale of a forgotten shipwreck right along the banks of the Thames.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

I'm a few days late with our Cake of the Month, but hopefully, strawberry will make up for it. I had to wait for them to ripen?

>116 mstrust: I love strawberry cake. This looks so appetizing, that I am taking a slice for my birthday later this month.

Please do! I'm still pretty new to enjoying strawberries. I spent my life enjoying the scent but not the flavor, and the texture of a fresh strawberry used to make me cringe so much that I'd spit it out. I like them now, an unexplainable switch after having Covid in 2020. Don't ask me how such a random thing could happen.

edit: I sowed a bunch of White Soul strawberry seeds in my garden this morning!

22. The Murderess: A Novel by Laurie Notaro

In 1931, Winnie Ruth Judd killed her two best friends. She left their bodies in the small Phoenix house they shared and probably would have gotten away with a double murder if she had stayed away, but being the bizarre and temperamental woman she was, she returned and spent a lot of time curling one woman into a steamer trunk and dismembering the other to fit into smaller luggage. Then, for no good reason, she took this luggage on a train to L.A., where the contents were quickly discovered and the city hunted for Judd.
This is a novelized account. The author, who began her career in Phoenix, has dug into Judd's past, along with that of the victim's and her family, adding in dialogue. It adds up to a highly detailed life story of a woman who was unbalanced, constantly ill, and had spent her life barely scraping by. At nearly 400 pages, this book could have been much shorter. 3.5

This week, I've got an eerie new short story on Autumn Lives Here. Are you lost?
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

23. The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

When Ji-won's father abandons the family for another woman, her mother can barely hold it together. Just a few months later, it's a surprise to Ji-won and her younger sister when Umma is suddenly in love with a White man, George, who has brilliant blue eyes and an Asian fetish. Ji-won quickly learns that George sees women as interchangeable and nothing more than servants.
His arrival coincides with Ji-won's sudden taste for fish eyes, the luckiest part of the fish. Trying to deal with Umma's blind devotion to a horrible man, her sister's anger, her own danger of failing her freshman year of college, and a stalker classmate, Ji-won decides that the men who have made her life so miserable shouldn't have underestimated her.

Yes, this has some gruesome scenes. The book cover is accurate, but if you read gritty murder mysteries, this probably won't shock you. The majority of the story is about an immigrant family that has been through the wringer, financially and emotionally. The three women are left to fend for themselves, with the two American daughters expected to behave like their Korean mother. 5

>118 mstrust: I have always loved strawberries, especially served on top of warm Johnny Cake! Last summer I bought a pint of "pineapple" (white) strawberries, and they weren't bad, but couldn't hold a candle to a big red one!

I got the White Soul seeds from the mail order Baker Creek, which specializes in rare and heirloom seeds. They're supposed to be very flavorful. Living on the desert, nearly every fruit comes from very far away and is bred for travel rather than flavor. They've sprouted, but we had a full day of rain yesterday so we'll see if they survive.

This week at Autumn Lives Here, I've got poisons, toxins and The Lawnmower of Death!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

24. Maid by Stephanie Land
By now, everyone knows about this book and the Netflix series based on it, so I'm glad that Land was able to pull herself and her child out of poverty. This book is about the years Land spent as a housecleaner and landscaper, being paid so little that she couldn't provide a home or food for herself and her baby without government assistance of just about every kind.
While I understand the stress and unhappiness of her financial situation, having spent years myself working two and three jobs at a time to barely get by, halfway through this book I got really tired of her incessant "poor me" tone, and of telling the reader over and over how much she loved her kid and just wanted to be with her all the time. The facts that I couldn't forget were that Land kind of went out of her way to screw up her life, thereby making her daughter's life so much more chaotic than it should have been.
3

>125 mstrust: I get that! I worked two or three part time jobs at a time just to pay for my college books and have a little extra. I also recall living on saltine crackers and vending machine sandwiches that I grabbed between classes.

Sure, college is too expensive. That wasn't my situation, I couldn't afford to even consider college, which is why Land's decisions are so baffling. When you live hand-to-mouth, a smart person uses birth control. Anyway, she was able to turn her life into a success, which is what you would hope for.

25. Marshmallows, Mystery & Mischief by Kathleen Suzette

Sisters and Pumpkin Hollow candy shop owners Mia and Christy are a little freaked out when a woman dressed up as a witch stands around their shop staring daggers at them. It's the day of the Halloween parade, though, and nearly everyone is in costume, but this witch starts hissing at the customers and won't go away until she's threatened with the cops. Mia and Christy would swear she isn't a local because they don't know her.
The woman is a local though, and some citizens have always believed she's an actual witch, and that makes her murder all the more interesting to citizen detectives Mia and Christy.

The fourth volume in the Pumpkin Hollow series, it includes lots of talk about Halloween costumes, the parade, and candy making. Every business in town has a Halloween theme, so it's a light, fun little series.4

I'm hosting April's MysteryKIT: https://www.librarything.com/topic/369239

26. Jellybeans, Jack-O'-Lanterns, and Jitters by Kathleen Suzette

The fifth book in the Pumpkin Hollow series sees cousin Charlotte arriving and looking for family during her divorce. A mail carrier is murdered during the Halloween Walk event, leaving many suspects who had issues with his difficult personality.

I've enjoyed this series with all its Halloween costumes, events and candy-making. They go down easy and the murder victims are always someone the town loves to hate. I noticed some stiffness in the dialogue of the last book, but the stilted, repetitive dialogue really stood out in this one. I strongly suspect that this series is either AI-assisted, if not generated, so I'm done. 1

Autumn Lives Here has horror from around the world this week, plus the true story of Diana Bromley's crimes.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

27. Slewfoot by Brom

Abitha has arrived in Puritan America as a mail order bride, but she's lucky to have a kind husband in Edward. That kindness is a weakness when it comes to Edward's older brother, Wallace, who manipulates Edward into signing a contract that almost guarantees that Wallace will end up with Edward's farm. And then Edward is killed, deep underground, by the evil creatures of the forest.
Unable to work the farm alone, Abitha turns to the ways of her cunning mother, creating spells and charms for a little money. She believes that's all it is, but as her hate for Wallace grows, her powers become stronger, and she finds a great ally in a horned monster from the woods. While Abitha has to wonder if she really is a witch, she and her friend are also unsure about whether or not he's the devil. 3.5

>132 mstrust: Taking a BB for this one. It sounds like something I would enjoy.

Definitely a good choice for witchy themes, folk horror, or Puritans.

I have a new Eureka lemon tree that needs to get planted as it's covered in fragrant blooms. I've been gathering up all the things I need to make this my first attempt at a container tree instead of putting it in the terrible soil in my yard. All other attempts at fruit trees have only lasted a few months because the soil is so bad, so I'm putting this one in a huge container and I have good soil and citrus food. I just need Mike to lift.
My lettuce, kale and flower production is incredible. We're eating big salads every day. Last night we had a huge salad for dinner that included five types of lettuce/greens, a Black Nebula carrot, a Champion radish, wild mustard flowers, nasturtiums and King Henry violas.
And my Kindle Unlimited membership that came with my Paperwhite at Christmas is due to expire in a week, so I'm reading as fast as I can.

This week at Autumn Lives Here, the legend of La Llorona and the true story of the guy who tried to ruin Halloween. I also have an announcement for my readers who always said, "yeah, but how do I know the paywall isn't just hiding a blank screen?"
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

28. Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay

Now fifty years-old, without a career or family, an infamous actor with just one acting credit takes the reader back and forth, from present days as he's negotiating his appearance in a reboot of Horror Movie, the low-budget indie he made with some friends in 1993 in which he appeared as The Thin Kid. Though he hasn't acted before or since, making this movie, and the subsequent cult fame that came after the director posted the only competed scenes on the internet, have shaped the man's entire life. Sometimes it feels like he's done nothing other than waiting for this movie to finally be released.
An interesting take on the 90s outsider horror films. The abuse that The Thin Kid suffers in the film blurs into real life, making both the filmmaking, and the man's willingness to get sucked into his role, brutal at times. The author gets heavy-handed with philosophy and an omnipotent view of the moviegoer's thoughts, but this is Tremblay's best book in several years. 4.5

You may have noticed that I've been on a horror tear over the last few months. There's a reason, and it's that I had three months of Kindle Unlimited for free, which is going to expire in two days. So all these shiny new horror books were there, and I couldn't resist. I'll soon be back to my regular mix of physical and Kindle, horror and everything else.

29. The Halloween Store and Other Tales of All Hallows Eve by Ronald Kelly

A collection of short stories that all take place in the days leading up to Halloween, and the day itself. The title story has four friends who visit a pop-up Halloween store and have the vintage boxed monster costumes put away until they can raise the money, which they do, on Halloween. Now, what kind of costumes need a signed disclaimer? Another story has two boys who order a fearsome monster by mail, and unfortunately, get exactly what they pay for. Another has a young fan who learns that her rockabilly idol isn't so cool, and maybe the best story is about a small-town sheriff seeking the monster who is turning townspeople into jack o' lanterns.
Take the old Alfred Hitchcock Hour and add some blood and a little gore and you have something like these stories. They don't rely on the gore, instead being plot and character driven. I've discovered a new favorite author. 5

On Autumn Lives Here, I have a new short story about a Final Girl. Drop in, it's free and fun.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

30. Mud Season by Ellen Stimson

Stimson and her family moved from St. Louis to Dorset, Vermont because they had a vacation in Vermont and fell in love with the small town beauty and New England way of life. But Stimson, a very successful entrepreneur accustomed to steamrolling through her plans, encountered problems when she came to this small town. It started with her bringing a construction crew from St. Louis instead of hiring locals to renovate her family's new house. With all their money, they quickly bought a quaint grocery/supply store that had been owned by a local family for generations, and changed everything with the dreams of franchising. Ultimately, the locals stopped shopping there and Stimson had to sell.
This is a humorous memoir of an attempt to become a New Englander, a retail owner, and a farmer. It's also, unintentionally, a look at an outsider trying to buy a life that isn't authentic for them. Stimson sometimes shows that she sees how pushy she can be, but a lot of times the reader is questioning her odd choices when it comes to money, such as attempting to host a 4th of July celebration for the town when she's on the verge of bankruptcy. If she didn't keep referencing how well she'd done in previous business ventures the reader would wonder how this woman had a credit card in her name. She's clearly a risk-taker, and it might be brave to write a book about one's failure. 3

Vancouver Travel Guide 2025 by Aiden C. Brooks arrived.

31. 2025 Vancouver Travel Guide by Aiden C. Brooks

This turned out to be a print-on-demand that has just one single photo on the front page. The information it contains is very basic, pretty much what you'd get from Googling "Things to do in Vancouver". 2.5

This week at Autumn Lives Here: fungus and the Cul-de-Sac Killer. It's a messy week.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

32. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

A coming of age written in diary form, this is the story of socially awkward Charlie, who starts high school and finds good friends even though he didn't expect to. Siblings Patrick and Sam take Charlie under their wings, allowing him to be himself. Through them he goes to his first party, has a first kiss and his first girlfriend, and becomes someone his family can rely on, though all the while he longs for Samantha. 4

I'm hosting May's CultureCat. Join us!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/370089#n8815456

Read a new short story, "I Have A Feeling" at Autumn Lives Here. Come for the horror, stay for the excessive swearing.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

33. The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
This is the story of Shea, a woman who barely speaks to anyone and spends her nights working on her true crime blog, The Book of Cold Cases.
It's also the story of Beth, a wealthy woman who stood trial for the murder of two strangers 40 years before. She still lives in the mansion her father built, which is where he died and his spirit remains. Beth's mother also died decades ago and still roams the mansions halls. But there's another spirit too, and Beth is too conniving to have not known that inviting Shea over would bring out her investigative skills.
Jumping between decades, Shea and private investigator Michael have to unravel who shot the strangers, and did the same person have more victims. 4.5

This week, Autumn Lives Here goes horror shopping and ends up at some book stores. Of course.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

>149 mstrust: I am enjoying your graphic here! Makes me long for autumn, and we are not even into summer yet.

Ah, but Summerween is coming!

34. Seeds of Murder by Rosie Sandler

Steph is relieved to be hired as the private gardener on a gated estate of five mansions. She's been struggling to recover from a devastating divorce that took everything from her, and this job comes with a cottage for her and her dog, Mouse.
While some of the residents are friendly, some are standoffish, and some are too forthcoming with their problems. Steph quickly finds herself being used as a therapist, and then she begins receiving threatening notes. When the residents receive messages of blackmail, Steph is the suspect. She's given ten days to clear her name or be fired and leave with nothing.

Sure, it's contrived and the ultra wealthy residents sometimes spill their guts with deep, dark secrets in a way nobody would, but there's also a lot of gardening talk, and food talk, and the whole British locked door mystery of it. 3.5

35. The Blanks by Grady Hendrix

Part of the Kindle Shivers collection, this long-ish short story takes place on a small island in New York, a summer retreat for middle-class families. Rachel has been coming here since she was a kid, and now she brings her husband and their two children, Callum and Zee. It's a great place for friends to have barbecues and the children to be free, as long as you know not to make eye contact with some of the year-round residents.

Hendrix has created a great entry in the 'Vacation Horror' subgenre. 4.2

This week at Autumn Lives Here, is a short story that urges you not to make your dreams come true.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

36. Jackknife by Joe Hill
The reader meets a young professor who is losing everything- his marriage, career and reputation. Under considerable stress, he rents an ugly house on the edge of the woods, which at least allows him to go for walks between bouts of drinking. It's there that he comes across a huge fallen sycamore that has several mysterious messages carved into the trunk, along with a Boy Scout knife, which he takes for himself. He shouldn't have.
A story about someone who stupidly disgraces themselves is relatable. A murderous tree, not so much, but I enjoyed this anyway. 4

This week, Autumn Lives Here is all about those unsolved mysteries. If you went missing, I'd put up posters or something.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

37. The Philosophy of Punk: More Than Noise! by Craig O'Hara did something that I would have thought was impossible, in that it made punks sound boring. This thing is dry as dirt. Very little about the music itself, the author lifts large portions of essays about politics, vegetarianism and gender equality from other publications in a sort of puzzling together of his beliefs that he attempts to blanket the whole genre in.
The most interesting thing about the book, first published in 1992, was the dawning realization that the author's take on every social topic covered is a nearly exact representation for current liberal complaints, which means that either nothing has changed at all in over 30 years, or people are like broken records. 1

38. Sinfully Delicious by Amanda M. Lee

From the cover, I expected fluff involving murder and baked goods with a lot of Autumn stuff thrown in. It's actually a lot more meaty than that. It's a cozy murder with an annoying family that's too involved.

Stormy wrote a popular novel a few years ago that made her almost famous, but the second novel did so badly that her publisher dropped her. When the money ran out, she had no choice but to return to her small Michigan hometown and go back to waitressing at the family restaurant. That means dealing with her pushy grandfather, her perpetually horny cousin, and the high school boyfriend she dumped when she went to college. Now, she's back to having to deal with these people daily, and a week after her return, the local realtor is murdered behind the restaurant. And she may be a witch. 3.5

It's a new short story this week at Autumn Lives Here and you won't believe how ugly "A New Addition to the Family" is.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

39. Night and Day in Misery by Catriona Ward

A woman checks into a rundown hotel, having booked a certain room. As her night unfolds, the reader learns that her husband and two year old son spent their last night in this room, before the accident.
A story about grief and ghosts, this is one of the Kindle Shivers collection. 4

>158 mstrust: I found this book delightful when I read it.

I did too, though Grandpa was intrusive, ha! I think the cover was wrong for it though. It didn't have much of a Halloween aspect, and the story was better than I expected.

Come join June's ScaredyKit Graphic Novel month!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/370848

This week's Autumn Lives Here is just one disaster after another.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

40. I Slept With Joey Ramone by Mickey Leigh and Legs McNeil
Written by Spin regular McNeil and Ramone's brother Leigh, who was also a rock musician, this is a memoir of growing up with Jeff Hyman (Joey Ramone), who had physical problems from birth, was picked on for his strange appearance in childhood and developed OCD and other behavioral issues. Then, when he had nothing else going for him, he got together with three other neighborhood guys and formed the band that invented American punk.
Leigh was present for many of the early recordings and sang backing on the first album. He then spent two years as the band's only roadie, so he was an eyewitness for a lot that happened in the first decade, though he still worked with Joey in the songwriting on occasion even years later.
It's also Leigh's own memoir of being in the same industry as a very famous sibling but having much less success. In fact, a Bud Light commercial that ran in 1991 created a rift between the brothers, as Leigh, broke and hearing his vocals in a national ad, decided he should finally get paid for his work.
Even with the author's many, many passages praising himself at the expense of his brother, or Johnny Ramone in particular, this book is hard to put down. Every chapter is filled with what was going on behind the scenes, which is catnip for a Ramones fan. 4.5

This week, Autumn Lives Here has quick scares and the real story of Vampira.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

41. Criminal Macabre by Steve Niles and Szymon Kudranski
A beaten man is interrogated by the police, who arrived at a church in time to see the man kill a priest. He's a detective of the supernatural, and he tells them a story about a portal to Hell in the church that drew in one of their own detectives.
Niles is one of the creators of 30 Days of Night, so of course I had to grab this one. 3.5

42. Eat The Rich by Sarah Gailey and Pius Bak
Joey is going to her boyfriend's island home for the summer, and she's anxious about meeting his family. Astor's family is super wealthy and seem to only mix with the super wealthy, which Joey is not. The big surprise is how kindly they talk about their staff, even if they don't talk to them.
And then Joey sees what she wasn't supposed to, a horrible event. Becoming friends, and then more, with the family's nanny, Joey discovers how different the rich are from everyone else. 4

>168 mstrust: Adding this to my TBR!

It's a meaty story, and the volume I read had the first 4 or five volumes.

Drop in on Autumn Lives Here's 3rd Anniversary! There's cake, good advice and creepy stories. What else could you want?
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

43. The Cases That Haunt Us by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker

You might recognize Douglas as the creator of the FBI's profiling and victimology systems, in which learning about the victim's lifestyle helps to connect to the killer, and by looking for patterns in a serial killer's methods, you have a better idea of who to look for.
In this book, the authors examine some famous cases, with Douglas including what he would have looked for if he were investigating. Included are the cases of Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, JonBenet Ramsey, the Lindbergh baby and the Black Dahlia. Even if you think you know these cases well, there's information here that you've likely never come across. And if you've read about the recent testing in the Ripper case that gave a clear answer as the to the killer, Douglas's profile of the likely killer (the book was published in 2000) is spot on. 4

>172 mstrust: My husband owns this book. Putting it on my TBR.

>172 mstrust: This is on my TBR. I will move it up!

>173 lowelibrary: >174 Tess_W: This is the second from Douglas that I've read, both really interesting and highly recommended.

The new Autumn Lives Here is up, where I introduce some unfortunates. Use the link in >171 mstrust:.

I've been in Vegas for five days so far and have no idea when I'll be back home. It was supposed to be a quick birthday visit, but turned out that Mom had a whole plethora of health issues, including a fractured spine, that she didn't tell us about til Julie arrive. Mom's been in the hospital ever since.

Oh goodness -- wishing swift healing for your mom!

Thank you very much 👍

44. Family Man by Calvin Trillin

A collection of humorous essays about his marriage to the wise Alice and his experience of raising their two children in Greenwich Village. 3.5

Sending healing vibes to your Mom!

Thanks, Judy. There's no end in sight.

It's unfortunate but there's no magic spell that makes aging easy!

True and unfortunate. The newest plan is that in a few weeks, if Mom is healed enough to shower on her own, my nephew will come out and I can go home. I've been away from home and Mike nearly two weeks and it's going to be a few weeks more.
This is the worst birthday😀

The newest Autumn Lives Here is up, and we're celebrating Summerween!

45. Murder By the Book by Claire Harman

The true story of the 1840 murder of an elderly English Lord, whose home was also ransacked. Investigation into the murder revealed valuables hidden away all over the home, most notably in the servants quarters. The young valet was eventually arrested.
This is also the story of the influence of "New gate novels" and the romanticized criminals who were so popular at the time, as the valet said he was influenced to commit the crime by the most popular novel of this genre.

I'd never heard of the Newgate novels and it was interesting to learn about how wildly popular they were, and how they were blamed for rising crime. 4

Just a word of encouragement pertaining to mom: cherish the time even though it's frustrating in many ways. I would give anything to have just one more day with mine.

Thanks, Tessa. Mom has been great through all this, which is a surprise because she's normally such a complainer 😄 But she's done her best to remain cheerful even though she's in so much pain.
It would be super if my sister would step up and help, though.

I'm back and I've brought zombies with me. It's a new short story at Autumn Lives Here.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

46. The Indigo Room by Stephen Graham Jones
Part of the Kindle Shivers collection, this is the story of Jennifer, a frazzled executive who is in the middle of a divorce and trying to prove that she's a good mother, mainly to herself.
During a meeting in the Indigo Room at work, the light from the window plays tricks with her eyesight, making her believe that something is wrong with her coworkers and causing her to have a mini meltdown. Which turns out to be a foreshadowing of the events that come later.
Graham Jones' stuff is always hit or miss with me, and this one was a miss. The next steps were too easily figured out, yet some of the actions were hard to follow. 2.5

This week, Autumn Lives Here is all ghosts and devil weirdos as we look at paranormal mysteries and The Horrors of Ernest Booorgnine! Drop in, we're having fun.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Autumn Lives Here is picking over this year's Halloween candy, recommending horror reads, and sorry, we're dealing with eels. Nobody wants to, but sometimes you gotta.
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

47. Sour Cherry by Natalia Theodoridou

The story begins with Agnes, an unmarried villager who has lost her baby, so takes a job as the wet nurse in the Lord's manor. Agnes loves the boy and raises him as her own even while seeing that he is strange and can be dangerous. The child's own mother warns Agnes to leave while she can, but she stays and sees the boy into adulthood, despite what she suspects about him.

Eunice becomes his wife, as his father died suddenly and the boy is now the wealthy Lord. They have a son, one that Eunice watches, always fearful that Tristan will turn out like his father, leaving dead crops and animals in his wake, being chased away with pitchforks and torches.

Richly evocative, this really is beautifully written. Even if you don't normally have an interest in horror, and this one involves a mysterious, deadly creature and the ghosts who fill the manor, the writing is closer to Proust than Stephen King. 4.5

Autumn Lives Here has two scoops of terror!
https://jennifermorrow.substack.com/

Your graphics are hilarious! (Oops, sorry. Were they meant to be scary?)

Somehow I missed the news about your Mom. Wishing her a speedy and pain free recovery - even though I'm a month late. I hope you are managing ok, Jennifer. It's difficult to deal with illness in the family from a distance.

No, you're correct, a lot of them are funny! The one in >194 mstrust: is a still from the movie Welcome to Zombieland.

Thanks for your good wishes. Mom's fractured back is slowly healing and she and my nephew have started going on shopping trips. The Humana therapist who went over yesterday said that her "time" for rehab is up. Today may be the last rehab visit, so about seven weeks of help, then you're on your own.
It is hard to be far away, especially when the patient is someone who answers "How are you?" with "Uhhh...okay."

48. The $64 Tomato by William Alexander

Gardening memoirs are usually written with the goal of being inspiring and reflective. This is a memoir of garden battles, where anything that can go wrong does.
Alexander and his family moved from a cramped property in Yonkers to three acres and a 90 year-old house upstate along the Hudson River. He wasn't a novice gardener, but with so much room to grow the things he'd always wanted, he hired a garden designer who created grassy pathways that then developed "webworms". He planted apple trees that developed fungus and corn that fell over. He fought long battles with groundhogs, squirrels and other thieves, and he hired a bitter handyman who looked like Christopher Walken.
Through all the huge expense and failed experiments, Alexander tells the reader what ended up working, or what never worked no matter how much he tried. I'd warn that he isn't an animal lover, so his treatment of vermin can be brutal, and I don't think a publisher would be cool with a chapter on garden ornamentation titled "Statuary Rape" these days (the book was published 20 years ago, but even then...).
Overall, it is a conversational and funny memoir of becoming obsessive about one's garden, which I can relate to. 4

>197 mstrust: I believe this happens to more people than those who admit it. I used to live next door to a garden centre. I spent hundreds of dollars there every spring and didn't even have a garden, just a shady balcony. Yep, every tomato must have cost me at least $64, probably more. And, truth be told, they were awful: soggy inside, tough outside.

>193 mstrust: Not usually a reader of this genre, but I've taken a BB on this one!

>198 VivienneR: I wouldn't be able to stop myself if I had a nursery that close, so I don't blame you. The author actually showed the math for his garden at the end of the book, so that's how he came up with the cost of each of the tomatoes he grew that season, but it was a pretty bad growing season for him, with half his tomatoes being stolen by groundhogs and squirrels.
I've only had tough-skinned tomatoes at the end of the season, when the whole plant is in survival mode. Otherwise, we've enjoyed good results. I'm not sure if it makes a difference, skin-wise, but I only grow heirloom tomatoes, and many of my varieties are specifically for hotter climates.

>199 Tess_W: I do think it's a good one for readers who don't usually read horror. The "action" is either couched or in short spurts. It's not scary all the way through.

>197 mstrust: This got me rarin' to go and get started on my Fall sowing, but with our temps around 106 every day, all I've done is bring one tub container indoors to start amending the soil.
I bought ten grow bags during the last Prime Days. I've never tried them before, but several of the gardeners I follow online have used them for years. I've seen tomatoes, peppers and even trees being grown in them.

>197 mstrust: >198 VivienneR: We always grow a few things, but we do it for the taste rather than for the money-saving (especially with fancy salad leaves). I always thought we'd end up self-sufficient, but a couple of years with an allotment disabused me of that notion! I generally turn our tomatoes (I usually buy a couple of plants at the school fair, so definitely not fancy heritage varieties!) into green tomato chutney. I'm hopeless at cooking, but that's one thing I love to make.

I started gardening so that we could have pesticide-free produce, and so that we could have a lot more salads. During our growing season, we have side salads nearly every night.
I'll be sowing eight or nine tomato varieties this season.

I don't have a veg garden, but my flowers are over the top beautiful this year. Day lilies are huge and abundant and in colors I did not even know I had planted. My sister sent me a birthday gift of a bag of ten day lily bulbs that were ready to be planted straight away, so I am anxious to see if they come up or if I have to wait until next spring to see their colors.

That sounds beautiful, and how nice to get a (pleasant) surprise from your garden. I don't think I could grow lilies in my zone, but I always have several varieties of marigold, and I'll sow King Henry violas again. They do really well being shaded by the kale leaves and they're adorable and edible. I'm going to sow plenty of zinnias this year and see how they do.

Come see me at my new place!