Tastre: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci

Taste: My Life through Food by Stanley Tucci
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to Tara Smith for lending me this awesome, and oh so honest and funny look at Stanley Tucci's life and his love of food. I love him as an actor and now also as an author. He was so interesting as he gushed about food, provided recipes (yay!), and let us see his life as a youngster through to COVID and a health scare. What I loved most were his exclamations over food---his descriptions were authentic and I hung on every word---especially when he really liked something---we are treated to a big FUCK as the BEST way he can describe tasting food (and he did this a few times) that was just beyond awesome. I enjoyed his parents and their love of food and how it became Stanley's life too and his way to pass on memories through food to his family. A must read!

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The Scholar (Cormac Reilly, #2) by Dervla McTiernan

The Scholar by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cormac's girlfriend Emma discovers a murdered girl (hit and run) as she leaves her lab; calling Cormac immediately, he discovers a grisly murder that he should not investigate due to his relationship with Emma. The murdered girl has an ID on her misidentifying her as Carline Darcy, heir to the Darcy Labs (where Emma works). Once again awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon, I could not stop listening as the murder investigation spins out of control. I did love Peter Fisher and Carrie, the invesigators. All the other Garda were awful, they don't like Cormac, they spread rumors about him, and even the boss always seems to be setting Cormac up...a solid psychological thriller. Jumping onto the 3rd and maybe the last? (I hope not).

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The Ruin (Cormac Reilly, #1) by Dervla McTiernan

The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG I loved listening to this audiobook from Audible, awesomely narrated by: Aoife McMahon I loved the pacing, the plot, the characters, and narration of this Cormac Reilly detective novel. Taking place in Ireland, as a young detective Cormac was the arriving officer at a decrepit, difficult to find home. He was met at the door by a young girl, there was no heat, no electric and a young boy reading. The young girl, Maude, takes him upstairs where he is astounded to find their mother, dead and she has been there for some time. Even though her death is eerie, it is the 2 children who have definitely been abused that haunt Cormac. Twenty years later, the little boy (Jack) has been found in the woods, while it is ruled suicide, his girlfriend and also his sister, Maude, do not believe Jack killed himself. I could not stop listening to this taut investigative mystery, with Cormac battling his boss in his new job (he took it because his girlfriend takes a job). I can't wait to read the 2nd book in the series, The Scholar!

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Making Rounds With Oscar : The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat by David Dosa
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Many thanks to my mom for passing this little gem to me; a series of stories about a doctor who becomes convinced one of the resident cats at Steere House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Rhode Island is able to tell when a resident (many with dementia and Alzheimers) is going to pass. Oscar scampers up to the bed and stays with the resident and family members until they pass. I loved Dr Dosa's insight into his patients and of course being an animal lover I just loved that there were cats in residence for those living in the Center. The stories he tells held me captive and I learned so much to about these two diseases. A must read!

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Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprar

Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I ached for Collin, mourning his mother's death, questioning just what is going on with his father becoming a hoarder, trying to avoid the 2 bullies in school, and just how awful it feels to keep all of his secrets. But Collin has a way to deal with some of the scary things in life and that happens to be his handy gold notebook with what to do in the event of catastrophic happenings like avalanche, riptides, halitosis, and more. But as his father continues to hoard, Collin feels he is losing him as much as he hates the HOARD taking over every inch of his house. His two best friends might be concerned too (as well as Liam's mom) but if Collin keeps silent, how can they help him deal? This is a must read for a middle grader readers and also teachers, counselors and nurses in the school system. I could not put this awesome book down, highly recommended!

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The Roommate (Cormac Reilly, 0.7) by Dervla McTiernan

The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great prequel to the Cormac Reilly series, a young teacher wakes up to find her roommate has been murdered, and her school thinks she had something to do with it. Even though Niamh was not close to her roommate, someone is trying to instill doubt about Niamh's involvement. What is a young teacher to do?

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The Sisters (Cormac Reilly, 0.5) by Dervla McTiernan

The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This prequel in the Cormac Reilly series was awesomely narrated by Aoife McMahon. Two sisters, One a Lawyer (barrister) and one with the police (the Guarda)and pulled me in so much that I have listened to all books in this series, Cormac Reilly, and am on the final book (so far) and along with Aoife McMahon's great narration, the mystery of the sisters, the police department and the law firm were riveting. I could not stop listening to Carrie and Aifric's story and the resolution was terrific! On to the next in this series, The Roommate.

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