Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson

Tough Cookie by Diane Mott Davidson is the ninth book in the Goldy Bear Culinary Mystery series.  I had already read the other 8 quite awhile ago, but came across this one and grabbed it up.  I've enjoyed this series.  It reminds me of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich except Goldy is a chef not a bounty hunter.  This series has similar comical moments, but doesn't really focus on it as much.  This series is more about the suspense of solving the mystery.  They can be a little predictable, but there is enough out there that keeps you unsure until the end.  Goldy always gets herself into sticky situations.  This book finds her wrapped up in a murder that seems connected to a death on the ski slopes 3 years before.  It has good mystery, nice comic relief, AND they throw in a few recipes of the things she cooks as well.  The main character is likable, too.  It's a fun and easy read.  I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

When The Moon Is Low by Nadia Hashimi

When the Moon Is Low by Nadia Hashimi was a long process for me.  It's a fiction novel, but it feels like a memoir.  Therefore, I had to keep reminding myself that these statements aren't true.  It's a touchy subject matter as well.  There were also times where it just didn't feel worth the effort of finishing it.  I hate to not complete a book once I've started.  I toyed with the idea of not seeing it through many times.  I did though.  Do I think it was worth it?  I'm not really sure.  The ending did not finalize the story.  I didn't walk away knowing that all 4 of them made it safely to their destination.  Reading about the things refugees have to endure was ugly to say the least.  If you're looking for a lighthearted book with a happy subject matter, this is not the book you're looking for.  However, it is current to the times of the world right now.  Despite it being fiction, I feel I learned something about matters of which I knew very little before reading it.  It made me feel as though I may want to find a non-fiction book about a refugee's true life story.  So, because of this stirring of something inside of me to make me want to delve more into the topic, I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.  If it weren't for that, I would have given it a 2.  It was a very dry read for me.  It was as though I were eating saltine crackers with nothing to drink.  I wanted the satisfaction of the water, but it never came.  I'm not sure what satisfaction I was looking for in this book, but it never came.