Welcome

Hi! My name is Margot. My blog is about the things I love to do. That could be what I'm reading, places we visit, my family, food, or whatever else is happening. I hope you'll stay and visit a while. Contact me by email: joyfullyretired (at) gmail (dot) com.

What I’m Reading

Saying It Well

Justice

Forever

The Sense of an Ending

Wish You Were Here

A Moveable Feast

Clarissa

The Odyssey

My Book Rating System

A = Excellent in every way
B = Very good story
C  = Good/Average
D = Poor
F = So Bad I couldn't finish it

Archives

Book Review: The Spellman Files

Author: Lisa Lutz Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2007 Genre: Mystery My Rating: B+ Summary (from the author’s website): Isabel Spellman, the uncompromising—okay, obstinate—twenty-eight year-old San Francisco private eye in Lisa Lutz’s riotous debut novel, THE SPELLMAN FILES has her share of problems. And those problems all happen to be named Spellman.Her parents, Albert and Olivia, [...]

Book Review: Death On the Nile

Author: Agatha Christie Publisher: Dodd, Mead, & Co, 1938 Genre: Mystery My Rating: A- Summary: A lovely cruise down the Nile River is the perfect trip for honeymooners unless the wife’s former best friend, who is also the husband’s ex-fiance, is also on board, determined to spoil the fun. The honeymoon is definitely over when [...]

Book Review: Austenland

Author: Shannon Hale Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2007 Genre: Adult fiction My Rating: A Summary: Jane Hayes is single, thirty-three-years-old, with a successful career as a graphic illustrator. Jane can also be described as a devotee of Jane Austen, although it’s hurting her love life. That’s because she compares every man to Mr. Darcy – the Colin [...]

Book Review: Lone Star Christmas

Authors: William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone Publisher: Pinnacle Books, November 2011 Genre: Historical Fiction, Western U.S. My Rating: C- Summary (from the publisher): It’s December 1890. A Texas rancher named Big Ben Conyers has a deal with Scottish-born, Wyoming cattleman named Duff MacAllister. Along with Smoke and Matt Jensen, the party bears down on Dodge, [...]

Perfect Christmas Day: 15 Essential Recipes for the Perfect Christmas by Felicity Cloake

Christmas dinner is perhaps the one meal of the year where even the most relaxed cook feels the pressure of perfection – and, although few menus can be more familiar, it’s probably the one we all feel the least confident about. The context, of course, can be stressful – small children high on pilfered tree [...]