Nest Egg is the first of a cozy mystery series (Aloha Chicken Mysteries) set in—you guessed it—Hawaii. I read all eighteen books, enjoyed them thoroughly, and surfaced refreshed with a renewed faith in the goodness of people. 

I don’t know about you but I’m not getting enough space these days. From congested traffic. From people needing me. From the news. Every day, there’s a new shock. It’s all too much. I feel crowded. So crowded. I need room, a safe space. To rest. To dispel the darkness. To stay sane in an insane situation.

What’s my safe space? Reading in bed. There is nothing I love more than spending time in a compelling imaginative world. Give me a cozy mystery series any day. Especially these days. Please. I’ll trade you this one by Josi Avari. 

It’s National Mental Health Awareness month? How ironic. Two months in to this pandemic, I’m well aware—no, I’m hyper aware that most people’s mental health, including my own, is under siege. It’s impossible to ignore. There is just too much uncertainty. And too many feelings to deal with, from bowel-churning terror to metal-melting rage and everything in between. But now that I think about it, that’s proof I’m well and healthy, and so are you, if you’re swinging the same. How could it be any other way? These are simply psycho-logical responses to an increasingly psycho reality.