Book Review: Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland

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Irish Soda Bread Murder   by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland is a collection of three short stories that include Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor, An Irish Recipe for Murder by Peggy Ehrhart, and Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man by Liz Ireland. The expected publication date of this book is December 24, 2024, and my overall review of this book is four out of five stars. I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) that I received for free in exchange for my honest review. Irish Soda Bread Murder  by Carlene O'Connor opens with Tara Meehan helping her Uncle Johnny and Aunt Rose with a local bake sale and psychic convention with the proceeds going to charity. When Rose's biggest rival shows up and ends up dying from her soda bread, Tara knows she must step in to help clear her aunt and uncle from the suspect list. I enjoyed this story a lot better than the last one I read in the series. The only complaint I hav...
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Book Review: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White

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book cover of charlottes web by eb whiteI first read Charlotte's Web by E.B. White 30 years ago in the spring of 1989 as an almost 10 year old in the fifth grade. It was not a book I chose to read as it was required reading for my class to prepare us for middle school and all the books we would be required to read. Of the two books we were required to read that year, this was the one I actually enjoyed, with the exception of the ending. This was the first book I read that actually made me cry.

Charlotte's Web tells the story of a pig named Wilbur and how he is saved from death a couple of times, first by a little girl named Fern and then by a spider named Charlotte who befriended Wilbur when he was lonely because none of the other farm animals would play with him. The story follows the friendship between the pig and spider until Charlotte's death. Charlotte's death is what really got to me as a kid and as an adult rereading the book. What made it even worse was that she died alone, and no one should have to die alone. What made me even sadder is that as Fern grew older, she spent less and less time with Wilbur.

charlottes web by eb white
The major themes of Charlotte's Web include some very adult themes that are dealt in a sensitive way for children. Those themes are life, death, and friendship. E.B. White also does a nice job of introducing new vocabulary and describing what the words mean without disrupting the story line.

In my opinion, this is a must read for every child. With that being said, depending on your child's emotional maturity, I would make sure that they are able to deal with death before allowing them to read Charlotte's Web. Or, at least be willing to sit down to talk with your child about the book after they finish the book. If you're an adult and haven't read it yet, you should read it even though it is a children's book.

Because I hate reading about animals dying, even spiders, I probably won't read Charlotte's Web again, but I was glad I reread it as an adult. It definitely still holds up and gave me all the feels. I gave this book four out of five stars.


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