Weekly Roundup: 2 Mysteries + 1 Novel Recommendation, Helping Small Businesses, and Another Freezer Meal

I just got back from a trip up north to visit some family members I haven't seen in a while. My parents came too, and we took a quick trip to Yosemite National Park to see the sequioas at Mariposa Grove. My feet are still a little sore from all the walking we had to do (the shuttles weren't running), but it was fabulous! I hope you have a great week! (I've marked affiliate/referral links with a *, which means I may make a little bit of money if you make a purchase or sign up using that link - thank you!):

I just raced through the The Book Retreat Mysteries* by Ellery Adams - it's that rare cozy mystery series that has an actual end. It was a somewhat unsatisfying ending (and I would love to discuss it with someone who's also read the series), but it definitely wrapped the main storyline up in a way that made sense for the protagonist.

Since the Book Retreat series is partly about books, it led me to a novel I thoroughly enjoyed, How to Find Love in a Bookshop* by Veronica Henry. It's a sweet story without being saccharin.

I also finished Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals series.* It's a Young Adult adult series with four compelling thrillers. (There's also a novella set after the series that I haven't yet read.)

If you plan to go to Yosemite National Park this year, here's a comprehensive Reddit post on all the different ways you can get in (reservations are required on some days, and this post was extremely helpful). 

A local restaurant owner shared where their revenue goes, making the case that the best thing you can do for small local businesses is to pay in cash. I've heard this in the context of farmers at the farmers market too, and try to do my part, at least with the smaller vendors.

Because I was out of town last week, I don't have a quick dinner recipe to share, but I do plan to add to my freezer meal stash this week with Baked Italian Meatballs. I like to freeze the meatballs raw; then I'll bake them from frozen and serve them as meatball heroes with some jarred Rao's marinara.*

Please let me know if there's something you'd like to see in the roundup. And don't forget to sign up for my monthly email newsletter!