Book Review: A Corpse Among the Carolers (Food Blogger, #7) by Debra Sennefelder

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A Corpse Among the Carolers (Food Blogger, #7) by Debra Sennefelder opens with Hope Early preparing for the annual Jingle Bell Stroll. When the person playing Santa Claus is murdered, Hope knows she must find out how and why it happened.   I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) from NetGalley for free in exchange for my honest review. This book was just the one I needed to read to help me get in the mood for Christmas. I know that it sounds weird since it's a cozy mystery where people are murdered, but it was full of holiday activities including caroling, a holiday market, making wreaths, picking out a Christmas tree, and more. The caroling event especially made me think of my childhood when the neighborhood kids along with a few adults would go door to door around the neighborhood to sing Christmas carols. We would have luminaries lit on both sides of the street as well. All of the characters, minus one or two of them, were very likable, and despite me not having r
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Book Review: Best Friends (Sweet Valley Twins, #1) Created by Francine Pascal

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francine pascal's sweet valley twins
Identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are twelve years old and do everything together from sharing a bedroom to dressing alike and even doing the same things after school. When they start Sweet Valley Middle School, Elizabeth and Jessica realize that their lives are changing. Elizabeth wants to work on the sixth grade newspaper aptly named The Sixers, and Jessica is eager to join the Unicorn Club, a snobby club of the most popular girls. Will they continue to do everything together or begin to explore their individuality?

In elementary school, I so desperately wanted to win the Book It Program sponsored by Pizza Hut, but I found chapter books so boring. Every book my teacher recommended was so tedious that I found myself struggling to finish. I never made it to the minimum amount of books required to win a personal pizza from Pizza Hut through their reading program because books just weren't holding my interest. 

Around age 10, my mom and I stopped at a garage sale on the way to my grandmother's house. I saw a bunch of colorful books in one corner, so I went over to check them out. Noticing that I was showing interest in these books, my mom came over and told me I could pick out two of the books . . . these books were the Sweet Valley Twins book series. I ended up leaving with Best Friends (Sweet Valley Twins, #1) and Keeping Secrets (Sweet Valley Twins, #2). These are the books that made me an avid reader.

As an adult, I was feeling a bit nostalgic and decided to read the first book again, and I was sucked into the twins world yet again. One of the best things about Best Friends is that it dealt with the very real topic of bullying and that it isn't acceptable. And, I love that someone stood up to the mean girls and made the culprit apologize. It is hard to believe that this was published in 1986, and the subject of bullying is still relevant 33 years later. 

Another thing I thought was great about Francine Pascal's Best Friends (Sweet Valley Twins, #1) is that it dealt with general growing up issues such as the twins realizing that they want to explore different hobbies and that it is okay for them to explore these interests and be themselves. I think it is super important for girls to realize that they don't have to be just like their friends.

My adult self gave Best Friends 4 stars out 5 stars. If you have a child that is struggling to find books they like to read, then definitely let them give this book a read. Where it might be a little dated for kids today, it still is an engaging read and has such great life lessons.


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