Book Review: Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis

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Murder at the PTA (Maya and Sandra Mystery, #1) by Lee Hollis is the first installment in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series, a cozy mystery series centered on private investigators. The story follows Sandra Wallage , the wife of a U.S. senator and the newly elected president of Portland High School’s PTA, who becomes the latest target of a vicious gossip website called Dirty Laundry . After a heated PTA meeting, Sandra crosses paths with Maya Kendrick , a private investigator who has uncovered the identity of the person behind the gossip site. When the two women attempt to confront the culprit, they instead discover a dead body. Was it really a suicide, or did someone have a motive for murder? I’m a longtime fan of books by Lee Hollis , which is actually the pen name for sibling writing duo Rick Copp and Holly Simason . They’ve written several cozy mystery series, and what I appreciate most about their books is that they aren’t overly kitschy, unlike some other cozy mysteries I’ve ...
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Book Review: Are You There God? It's me, Margaret by Judy Blume

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Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume is told from the perspective of Margaret, who has recently moved to New Jersey and is dealing with a lot of things a girl at this age typically deals with. Margaret has to deal with making new friends and is questioning religion. Additionally, she and her new friends are entering the sixth grade and are juggling the trials and tribulations of being a tween and going through puberty, including school dances, boy/girl parties, getting their first bra, etc.

Judy Blume does a great job of what a child might experience in these situations and additionally does a great job dealing with how a child might question religion. I thought the story was well written and was handled delicately. I do suggest that parents have a conversation with their child after they read the book to answer any questions they may have.

There were some situations that I could relate to, but there were others that I didn't relate to at all. I remember bras and such being a topic of discussion in the girls locker room, but none of my friends and I had a competition about getting our periods. I was a little dumfounded that the boys didn't have a sex education class like the girls did. At my school, students were split up, with boys in one or two classes and girls in separate classes to discuss the sensitive issues of puberty. Of course, parents could opt their child out of the class.

As a kid, I never really questioned different religions. I think that was largely because my dad would ask me what I learned at church, and my parents and I would have a discussion about it as a family. Additionally, I learned a bit about different religions in school as well. Between these two things, I guess I never really felt the need to question any type of religion.

This was my first time reading this book, and it's my understanding that parts of the book have been updated to align with modern times. I wish I had access to the original story so I could compare the two. 

All in all, I enjoyed reading Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I gave it four out of five stars.

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