Books from the Backlog - The Book of Candlelight

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 Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams

Blurb:  As the owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington figures all the wet weather this spring is at least good for business. The local inns are packed with stranded travelers, and among them Nora finds both new customers and a new friend, the sixtysomething Sheldon, who starts helping out at the store.
Since a little rain never hurt anyone, Nora rides her bike over to the flea market one sodden day and buys a bowl from Danny, a Cherokee potter. It’ll make a great present for Nora’s EMT boyfriend, but the next day, a little rain turns into a lot of rain, and the Miracle River overflows it banks. Amid the wreckage of a collapsed footbridge, a body lies within the churning water.

Nora and the sheriff both doubt the ruling of accidental drowning, and Nora decides it’s time for the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to spring into action. When another body turns up, it becomes clearer that Danny’s death can’t be blamed on a natural disaster. A crucial clue may lie within the stone walls of the Inn of Mist and Roses: a diary, over a century old and spattered with candle wax, that leads Nora and her friends through a maze of intrigue—and onto the trail of a murderer . . .

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I've read the first two in this series and really enjoyed them.  This is a series I really need to read more from.

What She Saw - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  What She Saw by Mary Burton

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

Description: Cold case reporter Sloane Grayson has come to a small mountain town in Virginia to solve a mystery.

Thirty years ago, her mother was one of four women who vanished during a music festival. The event’s promoter was eventually convicted of their murders, and Sheriff CJ Taggart closed the case. But for Sloane, it’s still open. Because the bodies were never found.

With Taggart now long dead, Sloane must make do with questioning the victims’ families and the few remaining witnesses once again. If they’re still willing to dredge up memories of a crime that made their town notorious. As for the incarcerated killer, he has always maintained his innocence. Sloane isn’t entirely convinced he’s lying.

Somewhere nearby, unmarked graves conceal the bones and secrets of the dead. Sloane will do anything to find them and unearth the truth, even if that means playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with someone determined to stop her…

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been wanting to read something by this author and the premise (and the cover) really caught my eye. 

My Impression:  Mary Burton is a pretty prolific author and her books frequently catch my eye (and I have more than a couple on my shelves) but somehow I've never picked up any of her books - until this one.  I do love a good cold case and especially one that involves either a PI or investigative reporter.  In this case we have the latter and not only is Sloan an investigative reporter but she is also the daughter of one of the missing women.  

The book goes back and forth between several characters and two different time periods.  It isn't the fastest paced book but the back and forth between the timelines kept me feeling like progress was being made even if it was just a little at a time.  As well, I never really cared for Sloan but it wasn't a story where that was really a problem.  I could definitely understand her motivation and I was interested to see how the story developed.

While this wasn't the fastest paced mystery it was a solid mystery with twists and turns and I had no idea how it would wrap up until the end.  I'll be on the lookout for more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I don't think she's a must read for me yet but I enjoyed this one enough that I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If the premise interests you and you're good with a slower unravel this is a great choice.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - The Ten Books Randomly Chosen From My Library List

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 The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf.  I've done this relatively recently with my bookshelves so instead I'm looking at my library and using a random number generator to help.  I love this doing this occasionally because it's a great way to make sure that every book on my list is still one I want to read.  Here are 10 library books the fates selected for me!

1.  Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliott - This sounds really fun but I've had mixed results with romcoms so I'll either enjoy it or it'll be a quick DNF.

2.  Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower - This is the next book in a cozy mystery series I'm really enjoying so good job fates!

3.  The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb - I've really loved books by this author and I love her writing style so I'm curious about this one.

4.  Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me by Alexandra Kuykendall - I love what the title says so I figure I should try it.

5.  The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Conman and the Invention of Christmas in New York by Alex Palmer - This has been on my TBR for ages.  Maybe this is the Christmas I read it!

6.  The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton - I really enjoyed another historical fiction by this author and this sounds like a good read.

7.  The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Kate Lumsden - I know nothing about this one but the title sounds fun.

8.  The Apartment by Ana Menendez - Another one I know nothing about.  I'm not sure how it landed on my library list but I'll give it a try.

9.  The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton - I love this author and can't wait to read this one!

10. The Librarianist by Patrik deWitt - Another one I don't know anything about but it sounds interesting.

Have you read any of these?  Do you ever use an element of randomness to pick your next reads?

The Forget-Me-Not Library - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber

Rating: Loved It! (5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.

Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.

When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed other books by this author so of course I had to pick this one up!

My Impression: I loved this book and it has fully cemented Heather Webber as a favorite author (not that there was much doubt there).  The book starts with Juliet's car breaking down right in front of Tenn's house just as he is looking for his granddaughter. And from there Forget-Me-Not's magic pulled me in and wrapped me up with all the warm cozy feels.

The two main characters are Tallulah and Juliet, both very different women with very different pasts who are both looking for more than they realize.  I really enjoyed getting to know both of them and watching them come into their own.  The town of Forget-Me-Not is wonderful filled with quirky opinionated characters.  Normally, when a book has multiple narrators I tend to gravitate to one more than the other but that wasn't the case here.  I enjoyed both Juliet and Tallulah's perspectives and their voices.  I loved Katy and Tenn and Callum and Jake and all the other characters that populate their world.  My very favorite was Deckle the library cat who is so much more than a library cat and I enjoyed Tallulah's resistance to the whole thing.

I read this book in essentially one sitting thought that sitting ended in the wee hours of the morning and I loved every page of it.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I've loved every book by this author that I've read and am looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy heartfelt fiction with a bit of magical realism this book and this author are must reads.

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

Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read 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. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  The Curse of the Pharaoh by Elizabeth Peters - This is the second book in the Amelia Peabody series and takes place 5 years after the first book.  Amelia and Emerson are married and have a son but are far from settled and staid and when the chance comes to return to Egypt to run a dig that is supposedly cursed they jump at the chance even if it means leaving their precocious toddler at home.  Soon they are in the middle of a dig trying to figure out some very mysterious happenings - including the death of the previous dig leader and the disappearance of his assistant.  Elizabeth Peters is actually Barbara Mertz who actually was an Egyptologist of some renown which makes this book extra fun.  The mystery is an intriguing one with some good twists.  If you are a fan of Deanna Raybourn's Veronica Speedwell you must meet Amelia Peabody.   The pacing is a little slow but the story is a fast read and enjoyable. My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

2.  The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner - This was a random pick and my expectations were not super high.  I'm embarrassed to admit it but I'm not the biggest Jane Austen fan.  I enjoy her books but I don't love her as so many people do.  This was an interesting read.  There's a group of Austen lovers from very different walks of life who are united in their love of Austen and appreciation for history.  This takes place towards the end and immediately following World War II.  I loved the insight both into Austen's work and to why people love her as much as they do.  The connections to Austen herself added an extra bit of interest.  I picked up the audio book and the narrator did a wonderful job and enhanced my enjoyment of my story.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  She Doesn't Have a Clue by Jenny Elder Moke - This was a fast read with pretty much all the characters involved somehow in book industry - either in writing them or publishing them.   It's definitely very much a rom-com but the "com" part of the rom-com didn't really fit with my preferences.  I'm not a big fan of farce or physical comedy and this was very much both of these.  I think it was a well-done example of those particular subgenres but it just isn't something I really enjoy.  If you like quirky rom-coms and love a book with bookish characters this is a fun one.  If you suffer from secondhand embarrassment, you may want to tread carefully.  My Rating: Just Okay (2 Stars)

4.  Tiny Little Things by Beatriz Williams - This is the second book in the Schulyer Sisters series and the one I was the least excited to read.  Tiny seemed a bit too perfect and stiff in the first book so I wasn't that interested in her story.  Once I got into this I enjoyed it way more than I expected.   From the time she was very young Tiny had an inordinate amount of pressure on her to be perfect and do what was expected.  Her parents are pretty much disasters (though her mother seriously redeemed herself in last half of this book) and Tiny didn't have the rebellious spirit of her sisters. As I got to know her more I couldn't help but root for her and like her quite a bit.  There is a subplot that seems a bit pointless but when I read the blurb for book three it seems it's a setup for the next book.  I don't think I enjoyed this as much as the first book or as much as I expect to like the next book but I'm very glad I got to spend some time with Tiny and get to know her.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

5.  The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen - This is the second book in the Tales from Ivy Hill fiction series set in an 1800s English village.  The story continues from where the first left off with Mercy and Rachel (side characters but with major parts) taking the lead.  Jane Bell and the main characters from the first book have large roles in this story as well and I enjoyed seeing their stories continue.  This is Christian fiction which is normally not my cup of tea but I do like the messages of love, forgiveness, kindness, and grace without getting preachy.  This was a nice listen with real problems and characters that seem like real people.  I will be reading the next book in the series and I've really enjoyed the listening experience of this book and the first book.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - Murder Road

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:  Murder Road by Simone St. James

Blurb:  July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to be a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchhiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.
When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I don't have time to read it before Halloween this year but Simone St. James is one of my favorite spooky authors and this looks super creepy!

At Death's Dough - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  At Death's Dough (Deep Dish Mysteries #5) by Mindy Quigley

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  It’s February in the swanky resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and love is in the air—along with a whiff of danger. Pizza chef Delilah O’Leary is gearing up to celebrate her first Valentine’s Day with her hunky police detective boyfriend, Calvin Capone, great-grandson of the legendary Chicago mob boss. But their romance is put on ice when a chilling discovery plunges Delilah and Capone into the heart of a century-old crime with ties to Capone’s notorious forefather.

As old secrets begin to surface, Delilah realizes that nearly everyone in town—from Calvin’s cagey cousin to her own eccentric customers—has something to hide. With the pressure mounting and the past closing in, Delilah must help Capone untangle a web of deceit that could lead them to a priceless treasure... or a heart-stopping finale. Will Delilah and Capone solve the mystery before history repeats itself? Or will they spend their first Valentine’s Day together sleeping with the anchovies?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a couple of the other books in the series and enjoyed them and I couldn't resist the premise!

My Impression:  I've read the first and fourth book in this series and enjoyed them though Delilah isn't always my favorite cozy main character.  In this book Delilah meets a bit more of the Capone family when her boyfriend Calvin's obnoxious cousin appears on the scene.  While Calvin is always very reticent about his great-grandfather, the famous Al Capone, the cousin can't shut up about his famous relative.  

Delilah is stressed about the upcoming Valentine's Day and concerned that she still has tables available.   It doesn't help when a body is discovered and nothing is quite as it seems.  I really enjoy the ensemble cast in Delilah's life.  Delilah gets on my nerves a bit and the fact that I enjoy so many of the other characters helps soften that.  Butterball is a bit of a menace but a fun cat sidekick.  I also know more about ice fishing than I ever thought I would but it wasn't information overload.  

The mystery was entertaining but Delilah does drift over into TSTL territory which isn't unusual for her.  I do love the untangling of past secrets and of hidden motivations - and I'm now craving a deep dish pizza.  This is a fun read in an enjoyable series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would and I need to read the books in the series I've missed.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a cozy mystery reader this is a fun choice and it's a bit of a different spin on the usual foodie cozy.  Like most cozy mysteries - especially one with an ensemble cast - this book is best read in series order though it can easily be read as a standalone.

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