Happy New Year 2020!!!!

Wow, I can not believe that it's 2020 last year just flew by.

We've been seriously slacking in reading lately.  So I am in hopes we have more time for reading.  We have met so many fantastic people last year. I hope that it continues.  January is almost finished with and well I am sad to say that I have yet been able to sit and read.  It looks like I am going to have to double up on reading in February.

Nancy Drew "Midnight in Salem" Game

Midnight in Salem by "herinteractive" Nancy Drew https://www.herinteractive.com/, is the worst game that herinteractive has come out with.  Let us hope that the real game will surface.

This game did not live up to the Nancy Drew Game Genre. 

Herinteractive stated that Unity would be something great and that the wait is well worth it. If you have already paid I am sorry you have been fooled too. 

I was excited about this game. My husband was excited about this game. Being from Massachusetts and partly being raised in SALEM itself. I couldn't wait for this game to come out.  Salem has such an amazing history. But yet not much was said about this history.  I feel really gipped on this game. I finished it in about an hour on Master while doing other things at the same time. Bob finished the Easy part in about 30 minutes. With no help from me! Neither of us used help/hints or even the guide. 

So disappointing. Not only did you have to wait over a year for this game to come out. The HYPE that herinteractive gave up to the game actually coming out. Stating that the graphics are amazing blah blah blah.  The reasoning they gave for the game not coming out on the original due date.

The Graphics are THE WORST TO DATE. The game lags and a newborn baby can move faster than Nancy and crew. herinteractive please go back to the old format.  Oh never mind the problems with just trying to download it.  

With the promise of new and better graphics, I held out hope that you would be able to search around rooms more. Interact with just about anything in a room. Hardly any puzzles or mini-games. Oh, let us carve a pumpkin, and place them around. Oh but to bad, you can only make one pumpkin at a time and you will have to travel with it and go back and forth with this mindless mini-game or Easter egg if you want to call it that. But with the huge LAG, We did not even try to place all pumpkins. 

The game ends way too quickly.  Even at the end of the game with loud music, you could hardly hear what people said over the music. 

So my review: 

Graphics 1/10
The graphics were okay.  Brought back memories I had as a child. In high resolution with a considerable lag of mouse action and gameplay. 

Dialog 2/10
The dialog was funny at times but offered little to no player choice. Basically, I felt like a hostage in a conversation that lasted way to long.  So much more history could have been used but yet was not. I will give it some credit for some puns placed here and there but even then there were inconsistencies with things said in the game and facts being reported incorrectly later on.  Along with NO BOSTONIAN Accents????? Ummm! Hello! You are supposed to be speaking with people who have lived in Boston/Salem their entire lives.  They will have the accent that let us just face it almost everyone loves. Since moving south at least 13 years ago I STILL HAVE MY BOSTONIAN ACCENT on most words. 

Puzzles 0/10 (or -100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000) 

I think that might be enough (0's) at the end.

We play these Nancy Drew games because we love puzzles. We love solving things and working out the mystery. I was very excited to play this game and was anticipating new or puzzling challenges but was sorely disappointed. This game has 4, let me repeat myself, FOUR puzzles. Each with a solve time of approximately two minutes or maybe 10 for one puzzle that just painstakingly makes you translate a code by mouse over and over again.

Mystery Concept 7/10
As a native of Salem, I was thrilled when this game was announced. Finally something in our own backyard and truly historical. Something that would bring back childhood memories, I loved the concept of a modern-day sort of witch hunt and this game truly tried to tackle that idea. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of historical knowledge of the lack of interaction that could have been given.  Please! It could have been presented but sadly it was mostly given in the form of books that people almost never read in games.  Such a disappointment. 

With all of this said. 

I might play another Nancy Drew game.  I have hope that Herinteractive is actually reading all of these disappointing complaints/reviews.  

A book a month for the year. 2019

Well, 2018 I didn't meet the goal that I set out for.  It's a new year! So this year I'm going to try again.

January ~ Well so far the book I'm reading is awful.  I'm trying hard to try and finish the book, but it's not so easy when the storyline is a bit redundant.  I'm about 50% finished with the book.  Which I would say is a huge accomplishment for this one.  The book is called "Cutie pies and deadly lies. murder in the Mix Book z" By Addison Moore.

A book a month 2018

I really enjoyed trying the book a month challenge.  So once again I'm going to continue with the series that I've been reading.


January: Catch of the Dead (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) Lyndsey Cole 10 out of 10. This one ha me guessing at each turn of the page as to who the killer was. It was down to four people at the end. I was leaning towards the father. But I was wrong. I told Bob a bit about the book and asked him who he thought it was he guessed right. I have to say I really liked this book.

Caught Dead Handed (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 6), Lyndsey Cole 11 out of 10. Wow! what a turn of the pages book.  Or more so the flick of the pages since I'm reading on my kindle. I so didn't see the person as the killer. I totally kept changing my mind as to who it was. I had it between three people, but it turned out to be someone who I wasn't looking towards as the killer. 

February A Fowl Feast (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 7) Lyndsey Cole  0.4 out of 10. The worst one yet. It seemed as though this one dragged along.  While it was nice that Ms. Cole didn't rush this one that much, it was really boring. It would have been nice to know how the murder victim was killed.  Instead of he was dead on Cal's boat. The ending was okay, but that part was rushed. It would have been better to nix some of the middle parts and added on to the ending.



March Cherry Buried Cake (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 13) Lyndsey Cole 10 out of 10.  WOW! This one was really good.  I really didn't see the killer coming.  I totally thought it was someone else.   The one thing I would change is some of the beginning.  I would add more detail to how the first victim was killed.  Yes, I said the first victim because in this book two people are killed.  Maybe add some recipes to the story would have been nice.


End of Lyndsey Cole Books for now.  I'm in hopes some more will come out soon.  I'm really enjoying reading both series.  At the time I'm looking for Aprils book.  Also, fair season is upon us so reading is somewhat taking the back burner, for some renaissance fun and some walking.

April/May  Ugg time flies when you're reading a book a month or more.  I've started a new series, however, with it being the fair season I've been busy with that.  So it has taken me some time to read this book. 

The Sweet Dreams Bake Shop (A Sweet Cove Mystery Book 1) J A Whiting  8.5 out of 10 Finished at the end of May.  I have to say that the author really keeps you in suspense. I love how the cat was one of the main characters of the story. The book was well written, and I am looking forward to reading more of the series. 

July/Oct A Fatal Fish Fry (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 8) Lyndsey Cole 4 out of 10.  Wow! This one took me a long time to read.  It started off really slow.  I really love the series, but it seems to me as though Ms. Cole let the ball drop on this one.   This one was really slow.  While I liked how Ms. Cole leads up to who murdered poor Jenny Jay, I believe that it took to a long time to even plot out who the killer was.  I do have to say the part I enjoyed the most was the huge interaction with the characters.  I've been 

QIGONG / TAI CHI

A book a month 2017

So it's been said that people are reading less.  I've been guilty of it.  So I challenged Bob and myself into a reading challenge. We have to read at least one book a month for a year, with giving the name of the book and author and a review of what we thought of the book on our blog. 

With having dyslexia it's difficult to really want to sit down and read a book.  Half the time it takes me forever to read just one book.  Thus this being a real challenge for me.

The reading scale vote will be 1-10 with ten being the highest amount of points/recommendation given.  I think we both might throw in some old favorites in this challenge also.  It's always fun to walk down memory lane again.

I've started to read a series so thus the reason I have books already listed in the months to come.  I'm in hopes to try to read at least two books a month, but at the time I'm going to continue with a book a month.

My readings.

January ~ Blue Buried Muffins Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 1 10 out of 10 The author has managed to draw me into Annie's world with just reading the first sentence of the book. A little bit about the book. The ending was a surprise. Seems a tad bit rushed at the end.

February ~ A Straw Buried in Chocolate Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 2.   8.6 out of 10 A little slow to start off with.  But Lyndsey Cole still drags you into the book. Liked the build-up of the story, but would have liked more on the ending.  Maybe the next book will tell more.

March ~ Black Buried Pie Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 3. I personally felt that this book was a bit rushed but it was still an amazing book. Love that the characters stay the same. 5 out of 10 is my rating.

April~ Very Buried Cheesecake Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Book 4.  8.2 out of 10. Felt that this was rushed at the end.  Chapters could have been easily added.

May ~ Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Rasp Buried Book 5 9.4 out of 10 I have to say this was one of my favorites out of the five books that I have read in this series.  I was trying to guess who the killer was, but it wasn't who I thought it was going to be.  Amazing twist and turns.  

VACATION:  Books sort of took a back seat while on vacation but have started back up again.

June ~ Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Prison buried Punch Book 6  10 out of 10 The best one yet I believe.  I didn't feel as though this one was rushed.  The suspense was a built up until the very end.  It also left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. 

Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Cran buried Coffee Cake Book 7 8 out of 10. While this one was very suspenseful, the last chapter was very rushed.  Almost like the author gave up on the book.  However, I will admit I didn't see the killer as who she made the killer out to be.

July ~ Black Cat Cafe Cozy Wine Buried Wedding Book 8 9.5 out of 10 I wish that this one wasn't rushed at the end.  Although, I will admit that I didn't see the killer as who it was.  I totally suspected someone else as the killer.

Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Jingle buried Cookies Mystery Book 9 10 out of 10.  I so didn't see the killer as the killer.  This book wasn't rushed at all.  I loved how it started out and how it was finished. 

August ~ Easter Buried Cookies Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery  Book 10 10 out of 10 beginning Ending 3 out of 10.  I felt as though the ending of this book was very rushed.  It's almost like she was passed her deadline for turning in the finished product.   The beginning, however, was amazing.  It was the last few chapters that turned out to be hugely rushed as I said.  All of a sudden you have the killer.  No huge explanation as to why, and why all of a sudden was a certain item(s) were found on the killer.  

Gunpowder Chowder (A hooked & cooked Cozy Mystery Book 1)Once again, she has written this one to be slow starting yet again, but the ending became hugely rushed.  However, I have to admit that I wasn't sure who the killer was.  I had a list of five possible people.  But I really didn't see the person who she killed off as the killer. 

September ~ Mobsters, and Lobsters (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 2). In the beginning, I would have given this book a 2 out of 10.  But since the ending had an amazing twist to it I have to give it a 10 out of 10.  Talk about way out of left field of who the killer was.  I really didn't see that one coming yet again.  I'm having trouble with this series of book.  It's just difficult to being a tad bit boring in the middle of the book, so I lose interest in reading the book/series. But an amazing twist as to who the killer really is.

October ~  Boo Buried Cupcakes (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery ) Book 11 This one started out amazing.  Giving it a 10 out of 10.  It grabs your imagination quickly.  However, once again it brings a disappointment towards the end. :( Giving it a .5 out of 10.  It was rushed at the end.  setting it up for being an okay book.  I was excited because this book is about Halloween and well it happens to fall in October for my reading schedule. I had a feeling about midway through the book who the killer was.  But with some twist and turns, I was flopping between characters.  My midway choice was the correct choice.  The so-so ending was written well.  But I thought more could have been written.  I'm not sure if Ms. Lyndsey Cole was reaching a deadline and had to rush, or she just became bored with writing this book.  But I believe it does show more so than her other books.

November ~ A fishy Dish (A Hooked & Cooked Cozy Mystery Series Book 3) 9 out of 10. A twist into who the killer is.  Totally didn't see the person who the killer was. An interesting twist. A kidnapping, a killing just Wow.  Why not a 10 out of 10 you may ask? I felt as though more could have been said.

Crook, Line, and Singer (A Hooke & Cooked Cozy Mystery Book 4) 9 out of 10. Wow! This one really had me guessing who the killer was.  I kept jumping back and forth between three people who I thought the killer was.  Was nice to have a slow-moving but yet fast moving at the same time plot line.  I really didn't suspect the person who did the killing as the killer. He was so cool and collective.

December ~ Merry Buried Christmas (Black Cat Cafe Cozy Mystery Series Book 12) 10 out of 10. I so did not see who the killer was in this book. I had someone else in mind. But the author turned around and made someone else into the killer. I just couldn't believe that the killer was who it was.  She made the killer out to be so sweet and couldn't possibly be the killer. One of the best books yet of this series. I really can't wait to read more.

Bob's readings

January ~

February ~

March ~

April ~

May ~

June ~

July ~

August ~

September ~

October ~

November ~

December ~

Tai Chi Round Two (2)

I've convinced Bob to take another go around of Tai Chi.  Who would have thought it would have been this fun.  I've always been afraid of trying something new, however, Bob talked me into it the first time around.  

Shockingly I picked/pick the movements up pretty fast.  I think that is one thing that annoys him about it. That I have an easier time at it.  I, however, believe that he'll have an easier time around this time.

I thought a new year a new us. Plus the hot months are soon approaching so having an indoor exercise activity would be a smart thing to consider.  So I'm sure round 3 will be on our summer adventures. 

It is going to take some time to get into the swing of things after having a mini-vacation from Tai Chi. But I'm sure that it won't take long for our muscles to get back into it.  

Week One January 11

Angela ~  Week one was difficult again.  We had about four weeks off as a mini-winter vacation.  I was hurting after class, not a bad pain just that sort of nagging pain of "Why are you making us work?"  Other than that it seems that the new steps that we will be learning are pretty easy to do.  Although I'm sure that I'm going to regret saying that. 

Bob~

Week Two January 18

Angela ~ Second class! Phew!!! The moves may seem easy with just looking in on the class, but it so isn't easy.  This class I was hurting a lot.  But still managed to do about half the class.  When it rains or is going to rain I tend to swell a lot which in return puts added pressure on already sore joints.  However, I did do some of the movements while seated. 

Bob~

Week Three January 25

Angela ~ Tai-Chi is really working for me.  So far in the last session and well the start of this one I've lost four inches off my waist.  So that's about an inch a month.  

Nothing like putting on a pair of yoga pants that did fit you not long ago to find them slipping down as you walked into class.  I've been a bit upset with myself since I weighed myself and I weighed ten pounds more than I did five months ago. 

As you can imagine having lower limb lymphedema, and chronic nerve pain, exercising and losing weight isn't all that easy of a thing to do.  Never mind moving around when you have chronic nerve pain.  

This class I managed to do all but ten minutes.  I have to say that I'm really enjoying Tai-Chi.

Bob~

Week Four February 1

Angela ~ Sadly I had to miss this class.  Was a very bad pain day. 

Bob~

Week Five February 8

Angela ~ Was feeling a bit better this week.  So we went to Tai-Chi.  I have amazing news! Well at least for me.  For the first time in a very long time, I have managed to touch the floor while bending over.  It might have only been my fingertips, but it's a start.  I'm very excited about this accomplishment.

As many of you know I have a herniated disk on L4-L5. Yes right at the waist.  So bending sometimes is quite painful. Being able to do this and not be in huge amounts of pain is exciting news. 

Tai-Chi is much different then I thought that it would be.  A lot of it looks simple.  While you watch people do it, you think to yourself that it's easy.  Then anyone could do it.  But let me tell you that it's far from simple.  You'll use muscles that you never knew existed. 

This week we managed to turn around 360. Talk about being dizzy while trying to do this.  You also have to be good at ballet. (Who would have thought Ballet would be in a martial arts movement.) Being able to turn your foot at a better angle is always helpful in this challenging move. The movement that I'm talking about is called.  Turn Body, Double Wave Lotus Kick.  Now if I can only manage the hand movements along with the 360 turn. 

Bob~

Week Six February 15

Angela ~ WOOHOO! So excited! I managed to finish the entire hour class without stopping. Living with chronic pain this is a huge milestone to reach.  

Bob~

Week Seven February 22 NO CLASS

Angela ~ No Class

Bob~ No Class

Week Eight March 1

Angela ~ Difficult class, but it was fun.   Sadly a huge rainstorm came and well we know what happens when it rains.  My back swells and well it just makes it difficult to do just about everything.  Yes, I've learned to deal with the pain, but sometimes it's just too much and I have to know my limits.  

However, I sill managed to do most of the class.  Even though the pain was huge. I still enjoy pushing myself.  I did figure by measurement wise so far I've lost a total of five inches. I don't see the weight loss.  One reason why I started doing measurements. A lot of it is only half an inch, but those half of inches adds up. 

Bob~

Sadly things became busy and well I missed blogging about the other 9 weeks of class.  I do have to say that we are really enjoying ourselves, and have recently talked a friend into joining the class with us the next time around.  I do hope that she'll stick with it.  Most of the time when something is too difficult she'll just give up and quit the class.

This next time around will bring us to lesson/section one.  When we started I believe we started at the end of two or the beginning of three.  I'm really looking forward to starting at one.