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Good Morning

Good Morning is a 500-piece puzzle from Reverie, and the artist is Anna Seed. I love this adorable image! The colors on the pieces are muted, which is a nice change from all of the colorful puzzles I have been doing lately. I also read on Anna’s Instagram that the design on the quilt is telling the story of how the mouse and the frog met, picking strawberries. So sweet!

Reverie puzzles are quite a splurge, but the quality is impressive. The boxes are lovely and the pieces come in a drawstring cotton bag. They have a smooth matte finish and fit together beautifully. Because of that, they do take a bit more effort to take apart, but the upside is that you could carry the finished puzzle around the room without it coming apart if you wanted to.

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Recent Reads in Crime Fiction

I don’t read a wide range of crime fiction, but there are a few authors that I always read when they have a new book out.

Stolen In Death by J.D. Robb came out in February and is book 62 of her In Death series. This series is my favorite because the main character is a woman and because it is set in a futuristic New York City. I love the way Eve Dallas looks at the world and how she tracks down the killers. There is an interesting array of supporting characters as well.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman also came out in February and is book 41 in the Alex Delaware series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who specializes in child custody cases and also consults with the LAPD, specifically with Detective Milo Sturgis. I enjoy the psychological intricacies of the cases Alex gets pulled into, and I really like the characters of Milo and Alex’s partner Robin.

Revenge Prey by John Sandford came out in April and is book 36 of the Lucas Davenport series. Lucas Davenport is a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who does things his own way at times. I also enjoy the books with Virgil Flowers and Lucas’ daughter Letty.

I hope all three of these authors keep writing for a long, long time!

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Home of Fashion

Home of Fashion is a 1000-piece puzzle from Penny Puzzle, and the artist is Gaia Marfurt. This was my first experience with both Penny Puzzle and Gaia Marfurt, and I was so pleased with it. I was captivated by the image when I first saw it online, and it was even more beautiful in person. 

Every time I look at it, I am struck by the way the artist has captured the light on the buildings. I also love the colors, especially the pink building and the different shades of blue on the roofs. 

This was a truly exceptional experience and I am definitely going to be doing more from this brand and this artist. 

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Recent Reads from Sonali Dev

Sonali Dev has become one of my favorite authors, and I have recently read a novel and a short story of hers. The novel, Lies and Other Love Languages, is the story of Vandy Guru and her daughter Mallika. Vandy Guru is an advice columnist who is struggling with grief after the loss of her husband, and her daughter Mallika is an aspiring choreographer who is struggling to find her niche. The story also involves Vandy’s estranged childhood friend Rani Parekh and the secrets that tore them apart.

The book moves back and forth between the past and the present day until finally the story merges near the end of the book. Sometimes all that switching is difficult for me to follow or engage with, but I didn’t have any trouble with this one and was interested in both storylines. I was most invested in Vandy and Rani but gradually connected with Mallika as her character was fleshed out more and more. I also really liked the ending.

The Wedding Setup is a short story about Ayesha Shetty, a young woman who has thrown herself into the family business after the death of her brother. At her best friend’s wedding, she runs into an old flame while trying to avoid a doctor her mother is trying to set her up with. It was cute but mostly predictable, but I did enjoy the little twist at the end.

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The Sewing Shed

The Sewing Shed is a 1000-piece puzzle from Ravensburger, and the artist is Steve Read. I got this puzzle a few weeks ago from a friend of a friend who lives about an hour away. Shortly after, I received an envelope in the mail with several puzzle pieces – one for this puzzle and a few for the other puzzle he gave me. I was expecting that it might still be missing pieces, so I was pleasantly surprised when it ended up being complete. 

This was a nice challenge. A few areas were a bit dark, and I did have to sort by shape about two-thirds of the way through. But I love all the colorful fabrics and sewing notions, and I especially love the little cat curled up next to the sewing machine.

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Week in Review: May 24, 2026

I have been feeling pretty stressed this week. Between Michael and myself, we had several appointments so we both had to take time off work and run around for those. He also had a meltdown near the end of his work shift on Wednesday when something upsetting happened.

On another day, he might have been able to shake it off, but he was dealing with a cold and also feeling hot, which is a trigger for him by itself. I get so nervous for him when things like this happen because I worry not only about this job but about his future when I am not here to be a safety net. He does not have all the skills or resources to take care of himself.

Hopefully this week will be better for both of us.

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Hello from Around the World (Repeat)

Hello from Around the World is a 500-piece puzzle from Mudpuppy, and the artist is Lemon Ribbon Studio. This was a redo because I needed a puzzle with a banana for a Facebook challenge, and I enjoyed it just as much the second time. I love the quirky art style.

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Rome, Kentucky Series

I just finished the Rome, Kentucky series by Sarah Adams, and it definitely ended on a strong note. I think the fourth book was my favorite because it went deep into what was driving each of the characters’ feelings and actions and showed the main characters slowly getting to know each other better.

This is a series that follows each of the four Walker siblings as they find love in their small town. They are open-door romances, but (at least in the last two books) Adams identifies which chapters a reader should skip if they prefer to avoid that. 

I really enjoyed this series. If you are a fan of small town romance, these would definitely be right up your alley.

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Joe Cool

Joe Cool is a 300-piece puzzle from RoseArt. This Peanuts puzzle was so fun! Snoopy is awesome, and I do love a rainbow grid. The pieces were thick and large, perfect for kids or people with grip issues.

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School by the Sea Series (Maggie Adair)

The School by the Sea, aka Maggie Adair, is a charming series about an English boarding school for girls. Jenny Colgan tells the story of how she loved books about boarding schools but realized there weren’t very many for adults, so she wrote the first two books of the series and published them under the name Jane Beaton. A few years later, she republished them under Jenny Colgan and wrote the last two books to finish out the story.

I read the first two books back in 2022 and just read the last two books this year. The main character is Maggie Adair, a Scottish literature teacher who comes to teach at the school, and we see how she adjusts to this new situation and how it affects her personal and romantic life. The story also follows several of the girls in the school and explores their different backgrounds and experiences.

I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan and really enjoyed this series. I especially liked that we got to see things from the perspectives of both the teachers and the students, and I liked the interactions they had with the nearby boys’ school. Overall, this is a charming series that I would highly recommend!