Tag: farming

BONUS REVIEW: Dead on the Vine by Elle Brooke White

BONUS REVIEW: Dead on the Vine by Elle Brooke White

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

When Charlotte inherits her great-uncle’s farm, the timing couldn’t be better. While she’s sad her great-uncle is gone, she was in the exact right place in life to leave Chicago and move to California. Her best friends, Diane and her brother Beau, have time to join her on her first trip back to the farm since childhood.

Sadly, the farm is looking run down. The bank says they are barely breaking even. And Charlotte has to wonder if it is even worth her time – and money – to try and make a go of life as a produce farmer. She might be better off selling the place. Although the thought of that about breaks her heart. It also doesn’t endear her to the employees who have kept the place running.

Coming to the farm has introduced Charlotte to some trouble makers in town, crass men who seem to have it out for Charlotte and the Finn Family Farm. But on the plus side, Charlotte also met the charming and bright little pig she names Horse (because he eats like one) and a sweet little ladybug she calls Mrs. Robinson who caught a ride on Charlotte’s car and seems to be sticking close to Horse.

While the animal discoveries have been delightful, the other discovery on the farm – the dead body – could ruin Charlotte’s chances of doing anything with the farm, including selling it. But maybe if she can help the police figure out who the man was, and who might have wanted to kill him, she might be able to see a future for herself with the family farm.

Review

What a fun series launch!

This cozy mystery has all the right ingredients:

  • A fun setting – A produce farm (strawberries and tomatoes) with potential for so much more.
  • Likable characters – I loved Charlotte from the start. She’s spunky and doesn’t put up with much guff. I loved that she stood up to some of the blow-hard personalities in this. Horse and Mrs. Robinson and the rest of the animals were a hoot. And I liked the human characters around the farm as well.
  • Twisty clues and increasing suspense – The mystery here was great! There was no shortage of trouble for Charlotte to deal with, but it was well paced throughout the story. I was guessing on the culprit until about the last quarter of the book. The way the mystery wraps up was perfect.
  • Balance between character development and the mystery – There’s nothing more frustrating to me than a cozy mystery without much mystery. But the interplay between the characters is what will make a series go from good to delightful. When an author can put both together – a cast you care about and want to spend time with alongside a well-plotted mystery – I will read everything they want to write.

This was a delight to read. I will definitely be watching for a sequel. Cozy fans should check this one out!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

BONUS REVIEW: The Unusual Chickens series by Kelly Jones

BONUS REVIEW: The Unusual Chickens series by Kelly Jones

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? from Netgalley and Knopf Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer – SUMMARY

Sophie and her family have inherited her great-uncle Jim’s farm. And Jim at one time had some very special chickens. Now those chickens belong to Sophie – but someone is trying to steal them! Sophie shares the story of her family’s adjustment to the farm and her own learning curve when it comes to chickens in general as well as her unusual chickens through letters to her dead great-uncle, her Abuelita who has also passed away, and a farm supply catalog company.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Are You Read to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? SUMMARY

Sophie continues to care for her unusual chickens, and now she gets to hatch a batch of her own for the very first time. She has a lot to learn – about the hatching process and also about caring for the farm she inherited in book 1 (a different farm than Great-Uncle Jim’s). The biggest lesson of all, though, is learning to ask for help. Sophie is a bright girl who loves her chickens. She’s committed to doing whatever it takes to care for them. And that’s good because her new chicks are a whole new level of “unusual.”

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

Review

I adore this series! I read book one from the library in  preparation for reading book 2. It was adorable! I loved Sophie. She’s got a great “voice.” The format – letters to deceased relatives and an unknown person at the catalog – is clever. It’s like a journal, but it keeps Sophie connected to family, which is important to her and to the story.

In the second book, Sophie continues to tell her story in letters to the dead and also emails to the living. Her letters and emails are where Sophie pours out her heart about the ups and downs of family, friends, a new school, and being a farmer with unusual chickens. There are illustrations and chicken facts throughout the book, which were fun to read. There are general illustrations for the story, too, which I loved. Henrietta is my favorite chicken from the illustrations!

The bulk of this story is anchored in reality – Sophie’s family is trying to find their way on a farm when they are city folks, and they have little money to put into the farm while they get it up and running. Sophie is making new friends and starting at a new school – pretty typical activities for kids her age. The Brown family is becoming part of the community around their farm, especially as Sophie meets people who can help her with chicken tasks. The unusual chickens are the only fantasy elements in the books. I read a lot of fantasy where the whole WORLD around the story is fantastical. This is a lovely change of pace. It reminds me of the author’s YA book that I read last year.

I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this series, and I recommend them highly!!