Do you love mysteries and need a good book to read over winter break? A good mystery can be hard to come by, so I always appreciate recommendations from others.



To preface this, I generally like traditional, high-brow mysteries like all of the Agatha Christie mysteries (Poirot, Marple, Tommy & Tuppence, Mr. Quinn... you name it!), and I also like thoughtful mysteries like Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

I read a lot, especially since I stopped watching television. So I am usually reading a book, either on my kindle, or a hard or paperback copy, and I also generally have an audiobook on the go via my Audible subscription. While I've read some good books recently, I haven't enjoyed any as much as I've enjoyed Ashley Weaver's Amory Ames series, which I am recommending to you today. The first book in the series, Murder at the Brightwell, is a sophisticated and intriguing period mystery, which takes place in 1930s England. This is an elegant and stylish mystery that fans of Agatha Christie will love.



I haven't enjoyed a fiction book this much since I read Amy Snow, which is another fantastic read that I highly recommend. Amy Snow isn't a mystery, but it is a delightful period novel with romance and intrigue.



Hear more about the Amory Ames mysteries in today's video. Be sure to leave your own book recommendations in the comments below.

News
📍Check out my two courses, Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living and Create Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe.

📍Visit my Teespring store to buy Daily Connoisseur mugs, tote bags, and apparel... perfect presents for fans of The Daily Connoisseur blog.

On Instagram
Robin from Faith and Flour shared her ten-item wardrobe for winter. Check it out and tell her I said, "hello"!

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🌟New Video 🌟Ready for some capsule wardrobe inspiration? My Ten Item Wardrobe for Winter is finally here! I have been inspired by Jennifer L. Scott @dailyconnoisseur , the author of the Madame Chic Series, to cultivate a minimal wardrobe that expresses my personal style. Find the link to watch in my profile. #tenitemwardrobe #madamechic #dailyconnoisseur #capsulewardrobe #intentionalwardrobe #minimalwardrobe #minimalistwardrobe #youtubemom #faithandflour

A post shared by Robin (@robin_faithandflour) on Dec 13, 2018 at 5:29am PST

Comment of the Week
On my What I Look Like at the End of the Day video, Niculina writes, "Dear Jennifer, you and your baby ARE a pretty picture. I don’t know who would image that in a household with 4 kids things would be like in a museum, where everything sits still in one designated spot. Your video shows so much more than a messy kitchen and hair : it shows your love and patience with your baby, a heathy attitude towards embracing life as it unfolds. Hopefully you got some night rest."

Thank you so much, Niculina. Now that I have four children, I can definitely say I have more patience than I used to have. It's something I have to work on daily. Thank you for your kind comment.

I would love to know... do you have any good book recommendations for us? Please let us know in the comments so we can add them to our list.


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Today's Teatime with Jennifer discusses a very important subject in our modern society: refusing to be dumbed-down.



"Dumbing down is the deliberate oversimplification of intellectual content in education, literature, and cinema, news, video games and culture."

Today's video focuses on how we can detox from popular culture like television, sports and music and the impact that our conscious choices make in our life. I'm bringing on my husband, Ben, as a special guest. We have a lot to say on the subject. I hope you join us for today's Teatime discussion and contribute with your point of view in the comment section. (Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog!)

Mentioned in today's video: The New York Times article which shares that the average American adult watches more than 5 hours of television a day.

Also mentioned in today's video, 10 benefits to listening to classical music. I mention my song of the summer, Adagio by Albinoni. Check out this rendition by cellist, Hauser, on YouTube. It gives me hope that this performance has seen over 15 million views.

I love listening to books on Audible.com Audible is a subscription service that gives you access to the world's best audio books. Did you know The Madame Chic books are on audible.com?

Right now I'm listening to Mayflower, by Nathaniel Philbrick. I highly recommend this book!

I hope you enjoy the discussion in today's video. Please let us know what you think about all of the topics discussed. I love to hear from you.

News
Lessons from Madame Chic is now available in Mongolia! Thank you to the Mongolian readers who have shared picture of their book on social media.



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For more of The Daily Connoisseur, take my eCourses, Creating Your Own Ten-Item Wardrobe and Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living.

On the Ten-Item Wardrobe eCourse, Terri writes, "Jennifer, thank you so much for this course. Your books and vlog have improved my life in so many ways! I'm struggling to create my Ten-Item Wardrobe but with your help I've cleaned out my closet and discovered my personal style."

Terri, I loved reading your testimonial. Please update us and let us know how your ten-item wardrobe is coming along.

On Instagram
The newly released Lessons from Madame Chic in Thailand from We Learn...

A post shared by @praenara on Aug 1, 2018 at 8:27am PDT

Comment of the Week
Regarding last week's Mapp and Lucia book club, Josephine writes, "Thank you for recommending these books. I thought the books were very entertaining and thought provoking about psychology of human behavior and nature. Personally I loved the character of Miss Mapp because she was clever in practical ways. Lucia was more polished socially but her vanity was off putting to me. I also enjoyed your commentary. I think you have brought up a good point when you mentioned when Lucia was upset she turned to practicing piano. I took it a little bit further and thought of our children how it is important to offer kids classical education where they can learn to play an instrument or paint so in their distress they have a great way to express and distract themselves. Your point of formal way to address someone is great too. I took it little bit personal and thought of my own husband and kids. When we talk and use formal manners everyone slows down , has time to react but not overreact. Our manners convey respect for each other. Thank you for doing this video. I really enjoyed it."

Hello Josephine, I enjoyed your insights into the books and commentary. Thank you for joining me for the book club and I hope you will continue with us for the next installment.

Thank you for us for today's video. I would love to hear from you. What do you think about the dumbing down of society? Your comment could be chosen as comment of the week on the blog.


Visit my Author Website

Facebook facebook.com/JenniferLScottAuthor

Twitter @JL_Scott

Instagram @dailyconnoisseur

Take my eCourse on the Ten-Item Wardrobe

Take my eCourse Chic Financial Principles for Debt-Free Living

Sign up for my Seasonal Author Newsletter


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