The Southern Mirror: Stories and Reflections on Life in the South by Brenda Gantt

 

Brenda Gantt has made quite a name for herself on social media for her cooking videos.  People just couldn’t get enough of her downhome, folksy ways and delicious recipes.  Three popular cookbooks followed.

Her new book also has recipes but the subtitle really says it all: it’s more about the Southern way of life.  She tells stories about her childhood: Christmas and Sunday dinner at granny’s; offers her own thoughts on various subjects like being a collector or letting children play in the dirt; and helpful tips on gardening, flower arranging and decorating.  She’s also an avid collector and I loved the photos of her Christmas postcard collection. She also has some craft ideas as well, including a brooch tree—a lovely way to use old but memorable jewelry in an attractive fashion.

The book is divided up into several sections, including:

 

Southern Tales

Entertaining & Gathering

Around the House

Holiday Memories & More

A Lifetime of Collections

Alabama the Beautiful

A Look to the Future

 

All these things are presented with gorgeous photos.  It’s a great browsing book, though I have to say it’s a bit on the large side: it’s described as a coffee-table book, and that’s no exaggeration.  This is a book meant to be placed on a table and leafed through, enjoying the colorful and cheerful photos while reading Mrs. Brenda’s text. 

Of course as mentioned before there are some recipes thrown in (with mouth-watering photos!) but this is more a love letter to her fans.  The editor’s note at the end says this book is a way for Mrs. Brenda to continue teaching and encouraging.

Murder at Royale Court by G.P. Gardner

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Cleo Mack is settling into her job as director of Harbor Village, a retirement community in Fairhope, Alabama but there’s still a bit of a learning curve—like the unique tax structure of the community.  Fortunately for Cleo, she has other duties awaiting her so she’s able to get away from the loquacious and persistent Terry Wozinak before her eyes glaze over.

Not that she’s exactly looking forward to the preparations for the planned programs at the Village: a discussion of old cars. Fairhope is hosting a big car show and expecting thousands of people to show up.  While this isn’t Cleo’s idea of a good time, a lot of people seem to be excited about it and she hopes the residents will find the speaker entertaining.

In fact, the show seems to be quite the draw, bringing in the owner of Harbor Village, Travis McKenzie who also just happens to be Cleo’s ex-husband.  Their relationship is cordial enough but the meeting is still not something Cleo is looking forward to, especially since she’s going to have to present him with the latest financial reports which are good, but maybe not good enough.

Then what should have been a fun outing to a yarn shop turns into a homicide investigation when a body is discovered on the premises.  Cleo has no intention of being involved but after her success with an earlier investigation some of the community’s residents are counting on her to solve the case.

This is the second in the Cleo Mack mysteries and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I had read the first one quite some time ago so it took me a bit to get back up to speed on the full cast of characters. With some books, the supporting cast is just window dressing but Gardner takes the time to make each one stand out a bit.  I’m a sucker for good characterization; throw in an entertaining plot and let me learn a bit about a subject, and I am sold. This one ticks all the boxes for me. There is even a cat.  The subplot about collectible cars presented was interesting and I am NOT a car person.  I also learned a bit about how the big car shows operate.

Being a person of a certain age myself, I appreciate Cleo’s maturity and thoughtful approach to problems murderous and otherwise. I especially like that she never badgers anyone to tell her anything or accuses anyone of murder as do so many cozy heroines.  I sometimes think it’s a wonder more of them haven’t been murdered. But I digress.  The senior citizens add a lot of zest, especially Jim and Nita Bergen, but there are others who definitely add to the stories.

Though the library owns these titles, I have bought copies for me to keep since I think these will be ones I’ll want to re-read. While it didn’t really affect my enjoyment, I rather wish I had gone back and read the first in the series just to spend more time in Harbor Village.

Nevermore: Daughters of Yalta, Everyone Who Is Gone Here, Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

 

Nevermore 12 - 2 -25

Reported by Rita

The Daughters Of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War by Catherine Grace Katz

The untold story of the three intelligent and glamorous young women who accompanied their famous fathers to the Yalta Conference in February 1945, and of the conference’s fateful reverberations in the waning days of World War II. Tensions during the Yalta Conference in February 1945 threatened to tear apart the wartime alliance among Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin just as victory was close at hand. Catherine Grace Katz uncovers the dramatic story of the three young women who were chosen by their fathers to travel with them to Yalta, each bound by fierce family loyalty, political savvy, and intertwined romances that powerfully colored these crucial days.

Very interesting and enjoyable. I learned more about WWII. - KM 5 stars

 

Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis by Jonathan Blitzer

An epic, heartbreaking, and deeply reported history of the disastrous humanitarian crisis at the southern border told through the lives of the migrants forced to risk everything and the policymakers who determine their fate.

I found this interesting and filled with lots of information, however, it was not an easy read. - NH 3 stars

 

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he'd return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there's nobody left in Fred's life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he's desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. Fred's luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has a roof over his head, three meals a day, and, most importantly, the chance to be part of a family again. All he has to do is hope that his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up. As Fred navigates life in Bernard's shoes, he learns about the man's past and what it might take to return a life in better condition than he found it.

 

Fun and funny, mellow, and sad in parts. An absolutely delightful feel-good story. - NH 5 stars

 

 

Other Books Mentioned

 

A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

The Pilgrims And Pocahontas: Rival Myths Of American Origin by Ann U. Abrams

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds by John Fugelsang

 

New Books

 

107 Days by Kamala Harris

Heart of a Stranger: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging by Angela Buchdahl

Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen

Giving Up Is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping a Democracy by Joyce Vance

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Lottie Jones has gotten away with murder.

Frequently.

Lottie thought her killing days were behind her, until someone starts digging into her past. Lottie is happier just going to church carry-ins and buying gifts for her grandchildren. And, maybe her son and soon-to-be-daughter-in-law will want her to move to their town and babysit the new baby. But in order to live her best life, she can't let her past catch up with her. Thus begins a domino effect of people who are getting in the way of an old woman who knows what she wants and how to get it.

Samantha Downing is rather skilled at making her readers like characters who seem like they should be unlikeable. Even though Lottie has a rather warped sense of right and wrong, there were things about her moral compass that I could totally understand. She had her reasons at the outset of her killing spree, twisted as they might have been. Lottie is rather brutal in her murder and body disposal methodology. She has learned quite a few things over the years.

When an old nemesis appears, Lottie is determined to keep ahead of investigators old and new. She calls upon her skills, using her cunning as well as blunt force to stay in control of her life. All she really wants to do is to live out her years in comfort, and maybe impress the church ladies a little. Lottie is smart, ruthless, and just getting too old for this.

At Death’s Dough by Mindy Quigley

 

Tommy, a local Butterball lookalike, with a copy of the book. 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Valentine’s Day approaches and while love is in the air, so is cold and snow.  The small town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin brings in plenty of tourists in summer but winter—not so much.  Pizza chef Delilah is trying to brainstorm some ideas to drum up business so she can afford to keep the lights on and her staff paid.  Valentine’s Day is coming up, but so far her idea of a romantic dinner hasn’t brought in many reservations.

Delilah isn’t the only one struggling. Other business owners are as well, which is why the Chamber of Commerce hits on an idea:  why not lean into the town’s gangster history to draw in tourists?  It sounds like a great idea, but there’s one problem.  Delilah’s budding romance with a detective named Capone may not survive a promotion that uses his infamous relative as a draw.

As if that isn’t enough, Delilah’s ice fishing trip with Aunt Biz catches something other than fish:  a dead body.

The Deep Dish Mystery series follows the rules of many cozies, with a small town cast of characters, a plucky heroine, detective boyfriend, and a cat.  Just as with any recipe, the magic is how the ingredients complement each other. Delilah is stubborn and critical but at least she recognizes these traits in herself and is working on being less pig-headed.  She comes by it honestly, as her Aunt Biz could teach a mule a thing or two.  Quigley does keep the plot moving, and offers some good comic relief.  Of course, my favorite character is fat cat Butterball who did have a part to play in a successful conclusion. 

I also enjoyed the bits of Chicago gangland lore woven into the narrative, including about the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

For those who cook, there are recipes.   

For me, this is an enjoyable series, one I’m always going to buy when a see a new title offered.  The titles in the series are:

Six Feet Deep Dish

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust

Public Anchovy #1

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza

At Death’s Dough

Murder in the Upper Crust (October 2026)

"So, when do I get pizza?" ~ Tommy

Nevermore: When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Village of New Ghosts, 1066 And All That

 

Nevermore 11-18-25

Reported by Rita

 

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris

Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In essay after essay, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life-having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds-to the most deeply resonant human truths.

I laughed out loud! Sedaris never disappoints. I highly recommend this book. - CD 5 stars

 

The Village of New Ghosts by Winifred Hughes

The Village of New Ghosts is attuned to the destabilizing experience of loss. Time, and the poet's sense of it, has shifted, and she is newly awake. Hughes writes that now in her 70s, she is faced with "the confrontation of unimaginable loss. But there is also a sense of being an experienced writer, which comes with a freedom from youthful ambition or trying to build a career."

Very rich and touching. Truly amazing. - PP 5 stars

 

1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England by W.C. Sellar, R.J. Yeatman

This humorous "history" is a book that has itself become part of the UK's history. The authors made the claim that "All the History you can remember is in the Book," and, for most Brits, they were probably right. But it is their own unique interpretation of events that has made the book a classic; an uproarious satire on textbook history and a population's confused recollections of it.

Hilarious and easy to read in small sessions. - RR 4 stars

 

Other Books Mentioned

Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America by Beth Macy

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston

Follow Me to Alaska: A true story of one couple’s adventure adjusting from life in a cul-de-sac in El Paso, Texas, to a cabin off-grid in the wilderness of Alaska (Follow Me to Alaska Series Book 1) by Ann Parker

All But My Life by Gerda Weissmann Klein

The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic by Edward Beauclerk Maurice

Sleep by Honor Jones

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

A History of Present Illness by Anna Deforest

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Island in the Sea of Time (Nantucket, #1) by S.M. Stirling

The Honey Month by Amal El-Mohtar

 

New Books

The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1) by Hisashi Kashiwai

The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong

My Black Country: A Journey Through Country Music's Black Past, Present, and Future by Alice Randall

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies and No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack

 

Reviewed by Kristin

Eleanor Dash has made quite a name for herself by simply telling the truth. Well, a version of the truth anyway. Since that fateful trip to Italy a decade ago where she got mixed up in solving crimes, she is now an accomplished author of the Vacation Mystery series. Eleanor thought that changing most of the names except for Connor Smith, the star of her book series and the original star investigator would be a great idea. After all, Connor should be flattered that she used his name and gave him credit. Unfortunately, Connor decides to take it as a chance to usurp a significant percentage of Eleanor’s royalties—for the first book, When in Rome, and every one after. It’s no wonder that Eleanor is ready to kill Connor. On the page, that is.

The second in the series sees Eleanor, sister Harper, actress and best friend Emma, Emma’s fiancé (actor) Fred, and a large cast of characters on Catalina Island off the coast of California, for Emma and Fred’s wedding. Conveniently, Emma and Fred are also starring in the movie adaptation of When in Rome. Keep it in the family, and all that. But a storm is brewing, and not just metaphorically. Eleanor and the entire crew are trapped on Catalina when a note turns up that says, “Someone is going to die at the wedding.”

I listened to both of these titles as audiobooks, so was charmed to see the cover and end pages of the physical books at the library. The covers are realistic cartoon drawings, and the inner end pages look like scrapbook bits and pieces with fun little notes like, “Harper, have you checked the latest forecast? There’s not an ACTUAL hurricane coming to Catalina, is there? That’s, like, fake weather news—right?”

I enjoyed these fast moving stories that were a bit over the top, but still wickedly funny. The characters are very likeable (except Connor; we don’t really like him, but he still hangs around.) Coming in April 2026: This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone.

New Books in January!

 

New in January!

Alexander, Ellie A Very Novel Murder (Novel Detectives)

Bailey, Tessa  Catch Her If You Can (Big Shot)

Balogh, Mary  Remember That Day (Ravenswood)

Butcher, Jim Twelve Months (Dresden Files)

Dave, Laura The First Time I Saw Him

Deveraux, Jude  Order of Royals (Blue Swan)

Dugoni, Robert Her Cold Justice (Keera Duggan)

Elston, Ashley Anatomy of an Alibi

Everhart, Donna  Women of a Promiscuous Nature

Feehan, Christine  Dark Joy (Carpathian)

Freeman, Brian  Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Revenge (Jason Bourne)

Gilbert, Victoria  A Deadly Clue (Hunter and Clewe)

Grippando, James  The Right to Remain (Jack Swyteck)

Hawkins, Rachel  The Storm

Ibanez, Isabel  Graceless Heart

Kingfisher, T.  Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief

Koontz, Dean The Friend of the Family

Krentz, Jayne Ann The Shop on Hidden Lane

McLain, Paula  Skylark

Meltzer, Brad  The Viper (Zig & Nola)

Patterson, James  The Invisible Woman

Patterson, James  Private Rome

Preston & Child, Pendergast: The Beginning

Quick, Matthew  The Method

Rake, Jeff and Rob Hart Detour

St. James, Simone  A Box Full of Darkness

Saunders, George  Vigil

Singh, Nalini Such a Perfect Family

Steel, Danielle  The Devil’s Daughter

 

Non-fiction

Alker, Ashely  99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them

Bauer, Susan Wise The Great Shadow:  A History of How Sickness Shapes What We Do, Think, Believe, and Buy

Block, Stefan Merrill  Homeschooled:  A Memoir

Kelly, Jack  Tom Paine’s War:  The Words That Rallied a Nation and the Founder for Our Time

Reid, Jennifer  Guilt Free: Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations

Tucker, Philip Thomas  Kings Mountain:  America’s Most Forgotten Battle That Changed the Course of the American Revolution