The Saturday Six

One.

I'm not sure I have any painting projects in my near future, but you might! This is one of the best posts I've ever read about how to choose the best paint color, so if you're thinking about sprucing up a room in your house, give it a read!

Two.

Hey Ryan? I know you're not really looking for a project right now, but I do think this coffee bar is pretty stinkin' cool.

Three.

Speaking of projects, this post has a ton of ideas for different rooms - all on a budget. If spring is your time to bring a little pep in the step of your house, give it a look-see!

Four.

We are not hosting Easter this year, but if we were, I think I would absolutely use these as party favors for each place setting. Sugar/waffle cones filled with candy? Oh yes! Cute and pretty!!

Five.

I was at the Dollar Tree last week and noticed that pool noodles are back in stock!! First I was excited because - hello!!! - sign of summer!!! Then I was excited because I know there are tons of ways you can use them other than the obvious. I use them to keep my boots standing upright. And I may or may not have gotten new boots, so I may or may not need more noodles. :) But I found this article that had a few ways to use them I'd not heard of before! Pretty nifty!


Six.

Source

Finally! Back to reading! And when I jumped back in, I did so with quite a splash, finishing this book in one day flat. I couldn't bear to walk away from the action and will also confess to forgetting to breathe for long periods of time as I read.

Several weeks ago, before all the recent happenings of our world, my friend Marissa Shrock asked me if I'd like to read her latest novel, Deadly Heritage. I may have sent back my YES!!! a little too quickly for basic etiquette, but I was that excited to read! Right after that, Nita passed away and I sort of lost my ability to pay attention to books for a little while. But this was the perfect reentry book.

I've told you about Marissa's writing before. This is actually the sixth book of hers I've read. I started by reading her young adult dystopian series (made up of The First Principle, The Liberation and The Pursuit). In recent months I've been reading her new series, The Georgia Rae Winston Mysteries. I started with Deadly Harvest, then read Deadly Holiday, and this week I read Deadly Heritage. 

As I've told you before, I love this series because it's set in Indiana in a community much like the one where I grew up - and live now - and Georgia reminds me so much of my own single self back in the day. (Well, Georgia's a lot smarter and braver than I was or ever will be, but other than that, she reminds me of myself.)

Georgia went to school to study music education, but she ended up following in her father's footsteps and became a farmer instead. Her side interest of amateur sleuthing both assists and agitates her detective boyfriend, Cal. He trusts her instincts and recognizes her knack for uncovering important, case-solving clues, but he also wishes he could have a conversation with her without discussing business (every now and then, anyway).

In Deadly Heritage, Georgia is settling down after a busy fall and Christmas season, filled with way too many opportunities to help out the local police department. She's eager to place her focus on her seemingly stabilizing relationship with Detective Cal Perkins and her grandpa's upcoming wedding to Wanda Morris. But when Georgia's neighbor and Wanda's good friend Beverly Alspaugh winds up murdered in an apparent home invasion the same night her prodigal daughter comes back to Wildcat Springs after a 38 year absence, all dreams of settling down vanish.

All the details of the murder seem eerily similar to the still-unsolved killing of Georgia's own father, years before, and she can't keep from digging to see if she can bring justice for her dear friend and neighbor even though she hasn't been able to do the same for her father.

Swirling around the investigation, wedding plans go forward, and Georgia's questions about the strength of her relationship with Cal seem to only grow. And as time passes, clues grow complicated, Georgia herself seems to be in danger, and Cal seems even more distant.

I love Georgia, her friends, and all the little pieces of life in Wildcat Springs. Even though I always determine I'm going to figure out who is at fault in the mystery, I never do, so once again, I sat perched on the edge of the couch, waiting to see the resolution. I appreciate the humor woven into the suspense, and I really appreciate the faith component included as well.

Great job, Marissa, on this book! Thank you for sending me an e-copy so I could read, and thank you for helping me reenter the world of reading in such a spectacular way!