Friday Linkups: All the Little Liars

It's Friday linkup time!  I'm linking up with the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Coffee Addicted Writer, Book Beginnings of Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, and the Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice

This Week's Book Blogger Hop Question:
You come across an old library that has one book you've been searching for for years, but the library happens to be haunted by ghosts.  Would you go into the library to find the book?

My Answer:
I'm going to need more information on these ghosts!  If they're the weeping ladies in white I can definitely handle that - especially for a book that I've been searching for for ages.  However, if it's the type of ghosts who can actually harm me than I might have to give the old Amazon search engine another try and pay the ridiculous price someone has it listed at!  I can handle a good scare but I don't want to risk being driven mad and jumping off a balcony by some scary specter.

I'm so excited I can barely stand it about this week's book!  Pre-blogging days I stumbled upon Charlaine Harris and loved her Harper Connelly mystery series.  After I finished reading those I started looking for more books by her and struggled because at the time I wasn't really interested in anything paranormal other than the occasional ghost.  When I found her Aurora Teagarden series I was so thrilled and promptly got them all and thoroughly enjoyed them.  It was definitely a series I was sad to see come to an end.  Except it didn't!  Last week the 9th Aurora Teagarden book - All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris - was released and I'm so excited to be reading it!

The Beginning:
"They only made one mistake," I said, reaching over to the butter dish.  I applied butter liberally to my scone.  Yum.

My Thoughts:
Well now I want scones.  And lots of butter.

The 56:
"Yes, this is he," he said next.  "What happened?"
Then something terrible passed over Robin's face, and all the sleep left me as if I'd never closed my eyes.

My Thoughts:
I'm not here yet so I don't know what's going on but I have a sinking feeling just reading this.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

The Lightning Thief - Middle Grade Review

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson #1) by Rick Riordan (Amazon Link)

Rating: Very Good
Source: Library - Audio

Description:  Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse—Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena—Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

Genre: Middle Grade

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been meaning to read the book for years and when I saw that my library had it on audio I decided now was the time.

My Impression:  I am coming very late to the party on this one!  My daughter discovered this series shortly after it came out and has gone on to devour pretty much everything Riordan has written.  I love mythology and despite that and all the buzz about this series I somehow never managed to pick this one up.  I was thrilled when I discovered that my library had the audio on it's digital site and since this is the year I'm trying to take more risks and read books I've been meaning to read I decided now is the time.

I was a little worried that it was going to be Harry Potter with Gods but it really didn't feel like it.  While there are some similarities (a world hidden from regular people, 3 teenagers saving the day, a boy who has never fit in) the tone was so different that it definitely didn't feel like I was stepping into Potter land.  Percy is a challenging kid.  He's making his way through boarding school after boarding school and stuff just always seems to happen to him.  He's got a bit of a chip on his shoulder but he is never a bully and I couldn't help but like him.

Even before the quest gets going I never felt like the pace was slow or that we were bogging down in world building.  Annabeth and Grover are perfect companions for the impulsive Percy.  I loved how Annabeth always had to have a plan and is very confident in her own abilities.  I enjoyed seeing how the friendship between the three develops and I was on the edge of my seat to see how the quest played out.  I loved how Riordan wove in elements of Greek mythology to the modern world and I will certainly never look at garden statues the same way again!

I'm so glad I finally took my first visit to Half Blood Hill and this is definitely a place I'm looking forward to visiting again soon!  I have to know what happens next!

Age-wise I think this would be a great book for 4th grade or so and up.  While there is some suspense there really isn't any on the page violence and it would be a fantastic way to get kids interested in the myths!.  Jesse Bernstein did a fabulous job as narrator.  He just sounded like I would imagine Percy sounds.  My only complaint was that I didn't love his interpretation of the Gods' voices but that's such a small part of the book it wasn't really a problem.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  I'm already looking forward to picking up the 2nd book soon.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely.  This is a fun adventure story and I love the mythology elements and seeing how they were woven into a modern world.

Snowfall on Haven Point - Contemporary Romance Review

Snowfall on Haven Point by RaeAnne Thayne

Rating: Very Good
Source: Publisher

Description:  It's been two rough years since Andrea Montgomery lost her husband, and all she wants is for her children to enjoy their first Christmas in Haven Point. But then Andie's friend asks a favor—to keep an eye on her brother, Sheriff Marshall Bailey, who's recovering from a hit and run. Andie will do anything for Wyn, even park her own misgivings to check on her grouchy, wounded bear of a brother.
Marshall hates feeling defenseless and resents the protective impulses that Andie brings out in him. But when a blizzard forces them together for the holidays, something in Marshall begins to thaw. Andie's gentle nature is a salve, and her kids' excitement for the holidays makes him forget why he never wanted a family. If only he and Andie can admit what they really want—each other—their Christmas wishes might come true after all.

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book: RaeAnne Thayne is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors and I especially love her Christmas books.  I met both Marshall and Andie in the previous book and am really looking forward to seeing more of them.

My Impression: When we first met Andi and Marshall in the previous Haven Point novel I was very intrigued by both of them.  They both came off on the reserved side and people who aren't particularly comfortable with discussing feelings or letting people in so I was curious to see how a book that focused on the two of them worked.

I really liked getting to know Andie.  I knew from the last book that she had a lot of tragedy in her past but I didn't realize how hard her life had been prior to her arrival in Haven Point.  I enjoyed watching her really begin to make a home for herself and begin to relax around the townspeople.  Her children, Chloe and Will, are really cute though never too precocious and they added some sweetness and a little humor to the book.  She has a lot on her plate and her reluctance to get involved with Marshall felt pretty true to life.  I also found the peeks we get into her first marriage interesting as while she loved her husband she doesn't portray him as a saint and while she doesn't feel like she really is interested in a relationship she isn't completely ruling it out forever.

I also really liked Marshall.  He can definitely be more than a bit grumpy but he also realizes it and apologizes when it is called for.  He really hates being helpless and being dependent is not bringing out the best in him.  He is also worried about who is behind the accident that has him on medical leave and stuck on the couch and is trying to investigate it from afar.  As well he has some personal trouble he's trying to come to grips with and I felt for him as he struggled to do what he felt was the right thing.

The romance is definitely slow developing as the two get too know each other and become friends.  I love how Thayne really focuses on emotional connections and I enjoyed watching the relationship grow between Andie and Marshall.  I also was intrigued by the mystery element.  I really wanted to know what was going and who was behind it!

Once again Thayne delivers a wonderful holiday read with memorable and likable characters.  Plus, I'm beginning to look as forward to the annual boat parade as the people of Haven Point!


Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  I have another Christmas book by her that comes out next month and I'm already excited to read it!

Would I Recommend this Book?: Definitely!  If you're in the mood for a sweet Christmas romance that doesn't drift over to sappy than this would be a great choice

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I've Read Based on Recommendations

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is the Top Ten Books I've Read Based on Recommendations.  This was hard to narrow down because there are so many books that I want to read or have read because someone recommended them.  I tried to narrow it down to either books I didn't know anything about or wasn't drawn to in the first place!

1.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer - I don't read much sci fi, dystopian, or YA books so this book shouldn't have appealed to me at all.  At first it didn't though the cover did keep catching my eye but then I started seeing mentions of it either in review form or on favorites lists by some of my favorite bloggers and I couldn't resist. I'm so glad I took the risk because I absolutely loved it and have thoroughly enjoyed the 2nd book in the series as well!  I can't wait to read the rest.

2.  In a Dark Dark Wood by Ruth Ware - This was on my radar but I had hesitated to put it on my TBR because of the Gone Girl comparison in the blurb.  Now I enjoyed Gone Girl but I'm not sure I want to go revisit that level of craziness anytime soon.  Then I saw some great reviews and heard raves about the narrator on the audio book.  This is in my top ten favorite reads for the year!  If you listen to audio at all this is one not to miss.

3.  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - Disaster books don't appeal to me.  Disaster books with children appeal to me even less so I had no interest in reading it until I saw some great reviews by some of my favorite bloggers!

4.  The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - This was actually recommended to my younger daughter Emma shortly after it came out because she adored Harry Potter.  She ended up loving the series as well and has gone on to read basically everything Riordan has written.  She has recommended it to me a number of times as had a number of other bloggers and I finally caved this year and listened to the audio and they were all right.  It's fantastic!

5.  My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout - This book was on my radar but just barely.  The premise didn't grab me and the fact that the author is a Pulitzer Prize winner made me hesitate.  I was a bit afraid it would be one of those books that was just too proud of how clever it was that the enjoyment would be lost.  While this wasn't my favorite I did enjoy it and liked how it made me think.

6.  Deep Dark by Laura Griffin - I love romantic suspense but Laura Griffin was an author I didn't know much about. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I'm really excited that there's quite a backlist still to read!

7.  The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths- I had actually read a few pages of one of Griffiths books because I love the anthropology angle in a mystery but never quite past the use of present tense.  I saw some great reviews of her books and decided to give it another try and ended up really enjoying it.  It did take a little while to get past the tense issue but by chapter 2 I was used to it and no longer noticed.

8.  The Wanderer by Robyn Carr - I had seen the Carr's name around for awhile but none of her blurbs really called to me until of course I saw rave reviews everywhere I looked,  I don't think she's my favorite in the contemporary section but she's definitely an author I keep an eye out for now.

9.  Guaranteed to Bleed by Julie Mulhern - This is a cozy series set in the 1970s and at first I had zero interest in it until of course I saw the rave reviews for the 1st book.  I couldn't resist the 2nd book when it came out and now Mulhern is on my auto-buy list.

10. Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Kinsley - I was pretty sure I didn't like graphic novels and I was pretty sure I didn't like Lucy Kinsley after feeling lukewarm at best over her previous graphic novel, French Milk.  However, when I saw some reviews from several people who had felt the same way about French Milk as I had and they couldn't say enough good things about Relish I decided to take the plunge.  It was fantastic!

So what books have you read based off recommendations?

Before the Fall - Fiction Review

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley (Amazon)

Rating:Very Good
Source: Borrowed

Description:  On a foggy summer night, eleven people—ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter—depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs—the painter—and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.
With chapters weaving between the aftermath of the crash and the backstories of the passengers and crew members—including a Wall Street titan and his wife, a Texan-born party boy just in from London, a young woman questioning her path in life, and a career pilot—the mystery surrounding the tragedy heightens. As the passengers' intrigues unravel, odd coincidences point to a conspiracy. Was it merely by dumb chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something far more sinister at work? Events soon threaten to spiral out of control in an escalating storm of media outrage and accusations. And while Scott struggles to cope with fame that borders on notoriety, the authorities scramble to salvage the truth from the wreckage. (from Goodreads)

Genre: Fiction 

Why I Picked This Book: I really didn't expect to want to read this one but I had heard some great buzz from some trusted blogger friends and when I saw this laying on a table when I was visiting family I knew it was a sign!

My Impression: I'm not typically drawn to disaster books.  They don't appeal to me in either fictional or nonfiction versions and when I first saw the blurb for this book I was definitely not interested.  A plane crash?  Involving 2 children?   Absolutely not!  However, then I started seeing the reviews for it and it started slowly climbing up the rungs of my TBR until one day I happened on a copy and could resist it no more and I'm definitely glad I took the chance!

There's a lot of back and forth and jumping heads but it never got confusing.  While the characters were never really developed I did get a sense of their own back story and their place in the story of the plane crash.  I also had no problem keeping track of whose head I was in and where I was in the story.  I wasn't surprised to see that the author has been involved with a number of TV shows (including Bones) because the pacing was fantastic.  It definitely kept me turning pages without feeling too frantic.

I liked that while we did get back story for all the characters I didn't feel too emotionally connected to them which meant what happened to them was tragic but not devastating for me.  My heart did break for the little boy who reminded me a little too much of my own Tornado but I will say without too much explanation that by the end of the book I felt like he was going to be okay.  I was also satisfied with the ending in other ways and felt like I got the answers I wanted.

I really enjoyed this one and am glad I stepped out of my usual comfort zone and picked this one up. There was a few subplots that I felt like weren't explored quite enough (especially Rachel's) I did feel like I was really getting a good feel of the people on the plane.  This was a compelling read that didn't make light of the crash but didn't lapse into angst.   This is definitely a good read for people who like compelling stories told in an unusual way though I don't recommend it if you or a loved one will be getting on a plane anytime soon!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  Loved the pacing and the twist of perspective.  I was not surprised to see that Howley has worked with a number of television shows with all his quick changes.

Would I Recommend this Book?:  I would to just about any reader.  While it is a disaster story I don't think it reads like a typical disaster.  If you're interested in media or public reactions or just interesting characters I think you'd enjoy this book.

This Week in Reading - October 9

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:

Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey - I heard about this one on the podcast All the Books from Book Riot and knew I couldn't resist it.  Between Liberty's raves about the book and the author and my own fascination I just couldn't pass it up.  I can't wait to read it!

A Gala Event by Sheila Connolly - This is a favorite cozy series that I am of course way behind in.  I couldn't resist a pre-order and hope to start catching up very soon.  Especially since we've been visiting apple orchards lately.  It has me wanting to get caught up in this cozy mystery series that takes place in an orchard!

Lovers and Newcomers by Rosie Thomas - Thomas' Iris and Ruby is still one of my favorite reads from this year so I jumped at the chance to review this newest one from her!  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  A Charming Voodoo by Tonya Kappes (just started - no opinion yet) and All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris (so excited about this one!)

Listening: I'm still listening to A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley.  I'm really enjoying it but just haven't had much listening time this week.

Watching: We are finishing up The Blacklist (hopefully this week).  It's gotten better but season 3 is definitely my least favorite.  I'm good with never hearing the word "Cabal" again.

Off the Blog:

We are back from vacation and had a fantastic time!  While we've visited family pretty regularly this was the first time in awhile we've actually had a stay in a hotel do touristy stuff kind of vacation.  We hiked some and went to an aquarium and did bunches of other stuff.  We walked miles everyday and my feet are still exhausted but it was such fun!  We got back Tuesday night but J decided to take the whole week off work and we've kind of turned this week into a mini-staycation.  We've been getting some catch up done (so much laundry!) but doing at least one fun thing everyday.  So far we've gone to a movie (Storks - it was okay), to a local pumpkin patch with hayrides and all that, and to a living history museum.  Not sure what we're doing today (Sunday) but we've got a couple of ideas.  It's going to be a difficult to go back to reality tomorrow!

One of my favorite pics from the trip.  They are deep in conversation about something!

I've decided it's time I actually tackle making photo albums of all my digital pictures so they don't stay on my phone/PC forever.  I thought since I have a decent number of pictures from the trip but not an overwhelming amount that I'd start there.  Anyone use any particular site to make albums?  Any preference?  

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: The Girl in the Castle - Blog Tour Historical Fiction Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - All About the Villains

Wednesday: Masking for Trouble - Blog Tour Cozy Mystery Review + Giveaway

Thursday: Crepe Factor - Cozy Mystery Review and Giveaway

Friday: Friday Linkups featuring teasers from The Graveyard Book

Saturday: Christmas Comes to Main Street - Contemporary Romance Review + Recipe

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Before the Fall - Fiction Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - Books I've Read Based on Recommendations

Wednesday: Snow Fall on Haven Point - Contemporary Romance Review

Thursday: TBD

Friday: Linkups with Teasers from Current Book

Saturday: Charming Voodoo - Blog Tour Review

Have a great week and happy reading!

Christmas Comes to Main Street - Contemporary Romance Review + Recipe

Christmas Comes to Main Street (The Briar Creek Series #5) by Olivia Miles (Amazon link)

Rating: Good
Source: Publisher

In this 5th book in the Briar Creek series Miles gives us Kara Hastings, a woman who has a fairly flaky past but is desperate to get her cookie bakery off the ground to prove to everyone she can stick to something and has grown up.  New to town is Nate Griffin, nephew of the owner of the local B&B and permanent Christmas Grinch.

I really like Kara.  She's so determined to make the bakery work that she's working past exhaustion and it doesn't feel like she has much support.  While she has friends and family that love her they don't take her ambitions very seriously because of her past behavior.  She's never been particularly irresponsible but she doesn't have a history of sticking to things.I admired Kara's determination to make it work on her own even when it crossed into stubbornness.

I found Nate a little harder to connect to.  He's definitely guarded and has a chip on his shoulder about growing up in poverty.  I could understand his desire to prosper and take care of his parents but his hangups seemed a little much at times.  I really didn't love his reaction to Kara using her inheritance to start her bakery.  The word "inheritance" doesn't mean millions of dollars.  His assumption that Kara is just an idle rich girl even when he sees nothing to confirm that she is and everything to confirm that she is working her butt off annoyed me at times.  That isn't to say I didn't like him.  I loved how loyal he is to his Aunt Maggie even when he thinks she's nuts.  I loved how he acted with Kara and how much he was really trying to help her.

Overall, I really enjoy this series.  It's not all light and fluff.  The characters have real troubles and real worries that while aren't always hugely dramatic make them feel very real.  While the book is definitely a romance there is a lot of focus on the town of Briar Creek as a whole and on Kara's struggles with getting her business off the ground.  The focus is mostly on the emotional connection and while there is a little heat it's mostly the fade to black kind.

Oh and the cookies!  How can I not talk about the cookies?  Because Kara isn't just starting up any business - she's starting up a cookie business!  And there's lots of talk about cookies.  There's gingerbread, oatmeal cookies, scads of cream cheese sugar cookies and just every kind of cookie you could think of.  The ones that really made my mouth water were some she was making called Red Velvet Cream Cheese Candy Canes.  Anyone have a recipe for something like that?  They sound like cookie perfection!

Since I don't currently have the Red Velvet Cream Cheese Cookie recipe (there's no recipes at the back of the book - I double checked)  I thought I'd look up some of my favorite Christmas cookie recipes and share one.  These Tender Toffee-Chocolate Rounds from King Arthur Flour's Cookie Companion looks like they can fill the void for a little while!

Tender Toffee-Chocolate Rounds

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup toffee bits

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In the microwave, or in a saucepan set over very low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth.  Set mixture aside to cool to lukewarm.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, baking powder and salt.  Beat in the melted chocolate, then stir in the flour, toffee bits, and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake the cookes for about 12 minutes, or until the tops are cracked and dry but the cookies are still soft to the touch.  Don't overbake these; they'll become firm as they cool.  Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

I haven't made these yet but they're on my list of holiday cookies to make this year.  I think a little taste testing might be in order very soon though!  I love chocolate and toffee.  What are your favorite holiday cookies?

I'm linking up with Weekend Cooking hosted by Beth Fish Reads