Friday Fives - Five Books I've Bought Recently

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  I've been doing some bookshopping and picked up a few things.  Here are the 5 books I've picked up.

1.  The Blanket Cats by Kiyoshi Shigematsu - This looks lovely and the whole concept is a bit bananas which I like.

2.  Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor - I have really enjoyed everything I've read by this author and this looks wonderful.

3.  The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sara Beth Durst - I adored Durst's book last year and am so excited about this one.

4.  Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum - This has been on my TBR since it came out so I had to pick it up when I stumbled upon it at the bookstore.

5.  Remember Love by Mary Balogh - I have been loving another series from Balogh and so when I saw this one as one of the offered freebies for Bookstore Romance day on Libro.fm I snapped it up!

What have you picked up lately?

Books from the Backlog - Now and Then Friends

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  Now and Then Friends by Kate Hewitt

Blurb:  Childhood best friends Rachel Campbell and Claire West have not only grown up, but after fifteen years, they've also grown apart...
After her father left, Rachel had to dedicate her life to managing her her two younger sisters, her disabled mother, and her three-year-old nephew. When Rachel’s not struggling to look after all of them, she makes her living cleaning the houses of wealthy families—inclulding the Wests, where a surprise now awaits her. . . .

A lifetime of drifting in other people's currents has finally left Claire high and dry. First it was her parents, then the popular crowd in school, and finally her fiancé. Now she’s returned to Hartley-by-the-Sea to recover. But running into Rachel brings back memories of past mistakes, and Claire wonders if she now has the courage to make them right.

Soon Claire’s brother, Andrew, asks Rachel to keep an eye on Claire, which is the last thing either woman wants. But as their lives threaten to fall apart, both Claire and Rachel begin to realize what they need most is a friend. The kind of friend they once were to each other, and perhaps can be again. . . .

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I read an earlier book by this author and loved it.  I've been meaning to read this one for years and really should pick it up soon!

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols

Rating: Not For Me (2 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Mrs. B, the landlady of The Marigold Cottages is a stubborn idealist who only rents to people she cares about: Sophie, an anxious young playwright with a dark past; Hamilton, an agoraphobe who likes to overshare; Ocean, a queer sculptor raising two kids alone; the perfectionist Lily-Ann; and Nicholas, a finance bro who’s hiding secrets.

The tenants live contentedly in their doll-house bungalows in Santa Barbara, just minutes from the beach, until their peace is shattered when Anthony, a quiet, hulking, but potentially violent ex-con moves in. Three weeks later, a dead body is discovered on the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. Anthony is arrested, and the tenants heave sighs of relief. Until Mrs. B, convinced that he's innocent, marches down to the police station and confesses to the crime herself. The tenants band together and form “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” to save their beloved landlady. As clues are unearthed and secrets are revealed, the community of misfits only grows more tight-knit...until a second body is found. Full of eccentricity, humor, community, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective will keep you hooked until the last page.

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  The title.  Anytime a group of people get together to solve a mystery I am completely in so how could I resist a Murder Collective?

My Impression:  I really wanted to love this and the premise had my expectations pretty high.  I love a found family of quirky unconnected characters and am a big fan of putting together a team to solve a murder.  Extra points for the fact they gave the team a name.

Unfortunately, this one just didn't grab me.  The characters felt very one note - Mrs. B is the meddling landlady, Ocean is the cottage mother + lover of protests and causes, Sophie is high strung and writing a play in her head about the characters of the cottages, and Lily-Ann is fat (her description) and suffers from severe and somewhat debilitating perfectionism.  The men are even a bit more one note.  Anthony looks like a sinister criminal, Nicholas is kind of a jerk, and I never got much on Hamilton other than he liked visitors and doesn't leave the house.  The POV changes with each chapter which I did like but didn't help my grasp of the characters.  I did really like that the detective's POV was included and really liked seeing an outside perspective.

The writing style is very unique and while that contributed to it not working for me I think that could cause it to really work for someone else.  Not every book is for everyone and this unfortunately, is one that isn't for me.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I might try this author again if I could get a book from the library and the premise really grabs me.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like quirky stories with mysteries this might be a good pick but I'd try to read a sample or get it from the library before buying.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Books to Read to Try to Beat a Slump

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Books Guaranteed to Put an End to Your Book Slump.  I'm not sure I have any guaranteed book slump busters but here are some books that have helped me get out of a slump in the past.

1.  Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q Sutanto - Found family and one of the best main characters I've read in a long time - plus a pretty fast pace - makes this a perfect slump read.

2.  Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish by Dorothy Gilman - The whole Mrs. Pollifax series are quick reads with a likable main character and bunches of hijinks.  You can never go wrong with a Mrs. Pollifax book!

3.  Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen - I love this author and her books always pull me in.

\4.  Into the Darkness by Barbara Michaels - The Gothic tones of Michaels' stories always grab me and this one involves jewelry and family secrets which makes it one of my favorites.

5.  Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica - I love a fast paced short chapter thriller and this one kept me hooked.  The audio was fanatastic!

6.  Scaredy Cat by Sofie Ryan - I can't have a list without a cozy and this one featuring a cat with some serious attitude and a group of older private detectives is one of my favorites.

7.  How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior - Penguins and a cranky old woman and a hefty dose of found family - what's not to like?

8.  What You are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama - I adore this book in both audio and print and it has such a soothing feel it usually beats any slump I have.

9.  South of the Buttonwood Tree by Heather Webber - I love Webber's books and they typically just escape into her magical realism stories.

10. Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie - I can't have a list without a Christie and this is one of my favorites!

What books do you reach for to break a slump?

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

Blurb:  Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.” Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?

My Thoughts:  This was adorable.  I loved Emma and her family.  I loved the premise.  There's a bit of a grumpy/sunshine dynamic as Charlie is a bit reserved and used to doing things his own way.  I really enjoyed seeing them navigate working together as writing colleagues and as people temporarily living together.  I loved the ending, the challenges didn't feel too artificially created, and I really enjoyed how he supported and championed her.  The audio was a delight to listen too and I'm looking forward to reading more from Katherine Center.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars) 

This Week in Reading - August 10

 

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - I used a Libro.FM credit for this one and am so looking forward to listening to it! (Purchased)

Currently:

Reading:  The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols and Unsolved Crimes by Sarah Herman

Listening:  All the Stars in the Heavens by Adriana Trigiani

It's been a busy week but I was able to get some good reading done which made me happy.  This week I'm hoping to get some medical stuff dealt with that I've been putting off - I'm terrible at getting lab work done!  And of course I'm hoping to get more reading done as well.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Friday Fives - Five Books I Read Because of My TBR Jar

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.   This year I wanted to add a bit of randomness and work on getting through more books I've been neglected so I started two TBR jars - one for physical books on my shelves and one for audio books.  Here are 5 books I've picked from my audio book jar and what I thought of them.

1.  Accused by Lisa Scottoline - This was on my TBR forever so I was really glad when I pulled this title.  I ended up DNF'ing it as I couldn't stand any of the characters so it's really nice to have it off my list.

2.  Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi - I bought this during an Audible sale when we were watching Top Chef a lot (so 2018?) and then it sat on my (virtual) shelf.  I ended up really enjoying it once I listened to it.

3.  The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen - A YouTuber I used to watch recommended this series but I've been a bit scared off because i thought it might be really religious.  And it kind of was - the characters are very devout but I didn't find them preachy or full of over the top mentions.  This is a series I'll continue.

4.  What You are Looking For Is In the Library by Michiko Aoyama - This was a 5 star read in 2023 and so I picked it up on Audible. Then the TBR jar decided I needed a reread of it and the TBR jar was not wrong.  It was perfect for the mood I was in and I loved it just as much.

5.  Renegades by Marissa Meyer - This ended up being a DNF at just over a quarter into it.  I enjoyed the writing style and the story itself and if it had been a standalone I probably would have finished it with a solid 3.5 rating.  BUT it's a trilogy and this one apparently ends in a cliffhanger and when it comes down to it I'm just not interested enough in this world to read 3  books in it.

So not an entirely successful TBR Jar quintet but these are 5 books off my TBR list that probably wouldn't have gone anywhere otherwise so I'm calling it a win!  

Books from the Backlog - The Island of Sea Women

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Blurb:  Set on the Korean island of Jeju, The Island of Sea Women follows Mi-ja and Young-sook, two girls from very different backgrounds, as they begin working in the sea with their village’s all-female diving collective. Over many decades—through the Japanese colonialism of the 1930s and 1940s, World War II, the Korean War, and the era of cellphones and wet suits for the women divers—Mi-ja and Young-sook develop the closest of bonds. Nevertheless, their differences are impossible to ignore: Mi-ja is the daughter of a Japanese collaborator, forever marking her, and Young-sook was born into a long line of haenyeo and will inherit her mother’s position leading the divers. After hundreds of dives and years of friendship, forces outside their control will push their relationship to the breaking point.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a unique and unforgettable culture, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women’s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce female divers of Jeju Island and the dramatic history that shaped their lives.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway ages ago but still haven't gotten around to reading it.  I've been wanting to read something by this author for years and this one is just sitting patiently on my shelf.

Guess Again - Mystery Review

Goodreads:   Guess Again by Charlie Donlea

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Ten years ago, 17-year-old high school volleyball star Callie Jones vanished from her quiet Wisconsin lake community. A highly publicized search followed but her body was never found. The case went cold, but the echoes still linger.

Ethan Hall, a former renegade detective turned ER doctor, left law enforcement to escape the horrors of the kid crime division. But on the tenth anniversary of Callie’s disappearance, his former partner, Pete Kramer, makes a desperate request. Pete is the veteran detective who originally investigated the case. Now he’s dying, and to ease his conscience and get closure for the Jones family, he needs Ethan to return to the haunting work he left behind—and solve what happened to Callie, once and for all.

Word soon spreads and everyone in the small town of Cherryview feels a rush of hope that answers will finally be found. Amid a sweltering heatwave, Ethan’s investigation gains momentum, but reexamining old evidence won’t be enough. He needs a new way into the case, no matter how dangerous or unconventional. And it comes from the least likely of sources—an inmate in a maximum-security prison.

Soon Ethan’s methods draw him deeper into a twisted psychological game. Because there is much more to the nightmare of Callie’s disappearance than he imagined, including a connection with his own dark past . . . and secrets that are still worth killing for.

Genre:  Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really enjoyed other books by this author and this looked intriguing

My Impression:   I couldn't resist picking this book up as soon as I saw it listed.  I really enjoy this author and the blurb really caught my attention.  The book starts with a fast pace.  We meet Ethan and are quickly introduced to his former partner as well as why Ethan has made such a dramatic lifestyle change.  The case of Callie Jones really caught me - what happened to a 17-year-old girl who seemed like she had her entire life ahead of her 10 years ago?  

I didn't love the deep dive into Eithan's past and demons or really the whole Francis character.  This is coming from a cozy mystery reader so it could be that he's just too creepy for me - he definitely made me uncomfortable!  There's a lot of back and forth both to different POVs and to different timelines which at times gave the book a bit of a choppy feel and was a little distracting.

I had no idea how everything was going to come together or wrap up and I was definitely along for the ride to see how it would come to an end.  Even though this was a bit higher on the terrible people scale than I usually enjoy and the at times choppy feel I did enjoy the story and was hooked from beginning to end.  

I'm looking forward to reading more from Donlea and will pick up his next book even though this wasn't a total win for me.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  He's a bit darker than my usual read but that's not a bad thing!  

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're in the mood for a suspenseful mystery I think any book by this author would be a good pick and this book is no exception.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Soon to Be Published Cozy Mysteries on My TBR

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a genre freebie.  I'm not reading as many cozy mysteries as I used to but it's still one of my favorite genres.   Here are 10 cozy mysteries coming out soon (or that have recently come out) that I'm looking forward to reading.

1.  Death at an Irish Village by Ellie Brannigan - I can't believe I haven't read this series yet considering it is set in Ireland AND features a golden retriever.  I'm really looking forward to trying it though.

2.  Mrs. Morris and the Day of the Dead by Traci Wilton - This series has been on my radar forever and this looks like a good one.

3.  Murder, She Wrote: The Body in the Trees by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran - When it comes to cozies it's hard to top this series for cozy feels and this loos like a fun one.

4.  Sour Crime Donuts by Ginger Bolton - I've read the last couple of books and really enjoyed them - even if it really makes me want donuts!  

5.  The Mango Murders by Lucy Burdette - It's a foodie cozy set in Key West - what's not to love?

6.  Solid Gold Murder by Ellen Byron - I haven't read this series yet but I've really enjoyed other books by this author and this looks like a fun series.

7.  From Cradle to Grave Rhys Bowen - I've really been enjoying this series and I can't wait to read more of Georgie's adventures.

8.  Murder at Cape Costumers by Maddie Day - I really liked the first book in this series and this is an author I want to read more from - plus this one looks really fun.

9.  Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman - I know nothing about this one but the title definitely sold me.

10. Sugar and Spite by Carol J. Perry - I've really enjoyed all the books in this series set in Salem, MA and I'm looking forward to reading this one.

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

For Duck's Sake - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: For Duck's Sake (A Meg Langslow Mystery #37) by Donna Andrews

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Meg is in the backyard of the house her brother Rob, Delaney, and their new baby have moved into, supervising some workmen who are using a bulldozer to start digging out a duck pond. She wants to get away from her own house, which has become the staging site for Caerphilly's first Mutt March, which will be held the next day. Meg thinks it will be more peaceful at Rob's house--and it is until the bulldozers uncover a skeleton whose skull has a hole and a bullet rattling around inside.

Meanwhile, Chief Burke begins searching the police records to see if he can identify any missing persons who would fit the bill. He doesn't turn down Meg's offer to help with his identification efforts, and she begins looking in the library and talking to old-timers. She's all the more eager to help because Iris Rafferty, who sold the house to Rob and Delaney and still lives in the mother-in-law suite, disappears the morning after the finding of the body... does her disappearance have anything to do with finding the body? Was it voluntary? Or was she kidnapped--possibly by the prowlers who are spotted lurking around the half-finished duck pond at night? Or do the prowlers have sinister designs on one or more of the dogs who will be marching in the parade?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series but even if it wasn't I wouldn't have been able to resist the title!

My Impression:  Every book in this series has been entertaining and this one didn't let me down!  Meg is hiding at her neighbor's house (which happens to belong to her brother and his wife) supervising the construction of a duck pond when a skeleton is discovered.  This starts a tornado of events involving solving a cold case, a missing woman, rogue ducks, dog-nappers, random trespassers, a deep dive into crimes of 3- to 40 years ago, and a huge dog adoption event.  Meg lives at a pace that would paralyze me and her family chaos would absolutely finish me off but it makes for incredibly entertaining read.

The mystery was a little different.  There's no modern day murder though there are a number of modern day hijinks.  I liked the flow of the mystery and the deep dive into the past of Caerphilly and the corrupt Pruitt family.  It kept me hooked and I flew through the book.  There is dog fighting mentioned but no details and no dogs are harmed.  

This is incredibly long running series but while it might take a little more effort to keep track of all the dynamics if you jump in with this book I don't think you'll have too much trouble keeping everything straight.  With each book it gets a bit easier to remember who is who!  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?   Absolutely!  I'm looking forward to the next book and am also really enjoying catching up on the earlier books in the series that I haven't read.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  Especially if you enjoy cozy mysteries.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

This Week in Reading - August 3

 

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

Our Extraordinary Summer by Lori Wilde - I haven't read anything by this author before but the premise and the cover totally sold me.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Guess Again by Charlie Donlea and Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis

Listening:  The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

How is it August??  This year has been crazy busy but we have gotten some big jobs checked off the list so I can at least see what I've been doing.

This has been a pretty quiet week.  I've had a mix of headaches and migraines all week so I'm really glad about that.   Dog classes start up this week and Will is back to school.  He's homeschooled but also takes some classes with a group.  That organization is still doing the paperwork but isn't offering classes so I'm kind of scrambling a little for a few things.  He's doing some lab sciences with a friend at a local science museum that looks pretty great.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

Monthly Reading Recap - July 2025

Monthly Reading Total: 13 - One of my lower reading months but I really enjoyed most of what I read.

Type:

Print: 4

Ebook:  4

Audio: 5

Genre:

Mystery - 8

Fiction - 2

Romance - 2

Nonfiction: 1

Favorite Books of the Month:

Favorite Audio - The Postcard by Anne Berest - This narrative nonfiction listen kept me absolutely captivated, eganged, and heartbroken the entire time.

Favorite Read - Hardcastle's Quartet by Graham Ison - This World War I era historical mystery with the grumpy Detective Hardcastle was a surprise win for me.  I typically enjoy historical mysteries but this one was a bit of traditional police procedural delight.  My only complaint is that it's going to be a difficult to track down the rest of the series.

Bookish Armchair Traveling:

Domestic Travel:  I visited Washington, DC and Washington State for the first time this year.  I also revisited Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Massachusetts.

International Travel:  I had a busy month when it comes to international travel.  In addition to my usual visit to England I also went to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Sweden, Japan, Ireland, and France

How was your July reading?  Where did your books take you?

Friday Five - August TBR

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander -I've really enjoyed the other books I've read by this author and this one involves books so I'm really looking forward to it!

2.  The Uncharted Flight of Oliva West by Sara Ackerman - This is on my priority list for this year.  I picked it up in a book bundle in my local bookstore and it looks like a good read but I don't know much about it.

3.  Mr. Zero by Patricia Wentworth - I love Patricia Wentworth and I haven't read this one - or if I have it's been so long I don't remember it so pretty much same thing!

4.  Unsolved Crimes: Infamous Cases That Have Puzzled the Greatest Minds by Sarah Herman - This was a random pick from my library list.  It looks like it could be really intriguing.

5.   Tiny Little Things by Beatriz Williams - I loved the first book in this trilogy about 3 sisters and am really excited to read this one.

What are you hoping to read in August?