Friday Linkups - The Woman in Cabin 10

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:
Can you read and watch TV or listen to the radio at the same time?

My Answer:
Sometimes.  If it's a TV show I have no interest in and that isn't too action packed I can typically block out the noise and focus on my books.  I can also watch baseball or football games if they aren't too exciting because I'll read awhile and then check in on the score and if nothing has really changed I'll go back to my book.  For music I typically can't listen to music with lyrics but there are times when I have to have classical music on if the house is too quiet!

This week's book is one I'm super excited about - The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware.  I absolutely loved her last book - In a Dark Dark Wood and have been anxiously awaiting the audio of this one since I first got on the wait list back in October.  I'm about 2/3 through with this one and I must say - it has me hooked!

The Beginning: 
"The first inkling that something was wrong was waking in darkness to find the cat pawing at my face."

My Thoughts:
While a cat pawing at your face in the middle of the night is never a good thing it's only going to get worse for Lo.  This was a scene I was glad I wasn't reading at bedtime!

The 56:
Everything was white.  The pale wood floor.  The white velvet sofas.  The long raw-silk curtains.  The flawless walls.  It was spectacularly impractical for a public vessel - deliberately so, I had to assume.

My Thoughts:
I just love the imagery here.  The all white luxurious room with a somewhat sinister feel lurking around the edges.

So what do you think?  Keep reading?

Blogging is Murder - Guest Post and Review

Today I'm super excited to welcome Gillian Baker to the Library to talk about her book Blogging is Murder and where she got her inspiration and how she made her character, blogger Jade Blackwell, come alive.  My review is right below it and I hope you enjoy this post as much as I enjoyed reading Gillian's post and the book itself!

Gilian Baker on Plot and Characterization Inspiration

Readers are always curious about how their favorite authors come up with their ideas, and though we don’t want to give all our secrets away, most authors are willing to divulge a little about their writing inspiration. Katherine graciously invited me to talk a little about how I came up with the characters and plot for my new book, Blogging is Murder, the first in the Jade Blackwell Mysteries series.

Jade Blackwell, my protagonist, started to develop in my mind about 15 years ago when I got the idea that maybe I could write cozy mysteries like the ones I loved to read. But it took years before I had the nerve to start putting it on paper. Jade never gave up though. She was like a ghost appearing occasionally to remind me that she wanted me to tell her story. She eventually got her way.

The impetus to write Blogging is Murder was NaNoWriMo 2014. I needed a creative outlet for the stress and frustration of life as a blogger. I just started writing. In the original draft, the reader meets former college professor turned blogger Jade in her home office, which was a natural place to start. After that, I let the story flow through me. I’d write for at least an hour early each morning and found myself thinking about plot twists and possible characters while worked my day job.

After NaNoWriMo, the story sat for almost two years. Even though I loved writing it, I had too much “real” work to do. But late in 2016, I decided to throw in the towel as a blogger and try my hand at writing fiction. I’d never forgotten the thrill of it. No other “job” compared. So, I dusted off Jade’s first sleuthing adventure and started where I’d left off.

I tried to outline the rest of the story, but I just sat staring at the page. It’s like I had to wait for the characters to tell me what came next. I now know this is called “pantsing”—where you write by the seat of your pants instead of planning everything out. I’d jot down random ideas that came to me as I prepared dinner or ran errands, never knowing when inspiration would strike. But when it did, I’d stop what I was doing and write, when I could. I continued to pants it, but had to go back to make many changes before it was ready to send to my publicist. I ended up cutting about 40,000 words from the original draft.

When I first started, I only knew the protagonist, the victim, the basic story about a cyber-stalker and the murder method. That was it. I’d had the idea to kill a victim with hemlock for a long time—maybe as far back as when I saw Arsenic and Old Lace on stage when I was in college.

The plot also developed through pantsing. I’d write until I couldn’t think of where to go next. Then I’d journal about it until the next idea came to me. It took me a long while to figure out whodunit. It had me stumped. That may sound funny to readers, but it was like the villain had to reveal themselves to me. And the red herrings were tough too. I used a couple of the characters I’d already written into the story as red herrings, but had to add others. Coming up with their motivation for looking guilty and why they weren’t took me several days of plotting. What fun!

So, I guess I’d have to say that my ideas started to form years ago when some strange thing stuck in my brain and kept nagging me. Then, when I needed a diversion, the Muses smiled on me and gave me the story. It really is magical. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. I’m usually meticulously organized and structured, but I can’t write fiction that way. When I try to force it, nothing happens. But when I give over to the creative spirit, that’s when the magic happens. I’ve already started giving over to the creative spirit again and am currently working on the second book in the Jade Blackwell series.

If you’d like to know who gives knocked off with hemlock and whodunit, pick up a copy of Blogging is Murder.

About Gilian Baker

Gilian Baker is a former writing and literature professor who finally threw in the towel and decided to just show ‘em how it’s done. She has gone on to forge a life outside of academia by adding blogger & ghostwriter to her CV. She currently uses her geeky superpowers only for good to entertain cozy mystery readers the world over. When she’s not plotting murder, you can find her puttering in her vegetable garden, knitting in front of the fire, snuggled up with her husband watching British mysteries or discussing literary theory with her daughter.

In her next life, she fervently hopes to come back as a cat, though she understands that would be going down the karmic ladder. She lives in Flagstaff, Arizona with her family and their three pampered felines.

Contact Gilian Baker directly at

mail to:Gilianbakerauthor@gmail.com
BLOGGING IS MURDER on Amazon
BLOGGING IS MURDER on Goodreads
GILIAN BAKER’S WEBSITE
BOOK TRAILER
FACEBOOK
TWITTER

My Thoughts:

I love a good murderer mystery especially if it's about something I am personally interested in.  So of course I had to read a book where the main detective is a blogger and the main suspect is another blogger!  When Liz's blog is hacked and the hacker shows up at her home she runs to her friend and fellow blogger, Jade, for support.  Things go down hill fast for Liz when the hacker is found murdered and Liz is the only suspect.  Anxious to prove her friend's innocence Jade gets pulled into the investigation.  

I very much enjoyed this mystery.  Jade's reasons for becoming an active participant in the investigation made sense as did the fact that witness's cooperated with her.  I liked that the police were an ally and not the enemy and especially enjoyed the new deputy, Crystal, not being quite what Jade expected.  The pacing kept it entertaining but not rushed and the investigation was well done with just the right sprinkling of clues.  There are some fun characters (I'm hoping to see more of Phyllis in the next book!) but it never crossed into over the top quirky territory.  The blogging talk was just the cherry on top as I really enjoyed watching Jade run her business and listening into her discussions with Liz.

If you're looking for a quick read with a solid mystery and likable characters this is a great choice!  At a pre-order price of $.99 you can't pass it up (find it here)  I will definitely be looking forward to reading more about Jade and her adventures and I'll be double checking next time I'm chopping up herbs to make sure they're hemlock free!  Rating: Good

Death and the Gravedigger's Angel - Cozy Mystery Review

Death and the Gravedigger's Angel (An Auction Block Mystery #3) by Loretta Ross
Rating:Good
Source: NetGalley

Description:  When former army medic Tony Dozier is accused of killing a member of the hate group that disrupted his wife's funeral, the prosecution charges premeditated murder and the defense claims temporary insanity. Former marine Death Bogart and auctioneer Wren Morgan think there's more to the story.
They're both led to the long-abandoned Hadleigh House, where Wren begins preparing the contents for auction but ends up searching for the story behind an antique sketchbook. As Wren uncovers the century-old tale of a World War I soldier and his angel, Death finds a set of truths that will change...or end...their lives.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really enjoyed this series so far and I love that there's always a history element involved because Wren's always clearing out an old house.

My Impression:  I love this series!  I almost clapped my hands with glee at the beginning because Wren, Death and Randy were going into a house that no one had lived in in close to 50 years and just the idea of all that stuff makes me giddy with excitement.  I loved the descriptions of the Hadleigh House and the cemetery and the tidbits about the man who had lived there until his death in the mid-60s.  I also thoroughly enjoyed Death's brother, Randy, joining the gang.  His interactions with Wren and with Death were hilarious and brought a lot of entertainment to the group.  It was also fun to see a lot more of the Keystones who own the auction company that Wren works for.  I had really missed them in the second book so it was a treat to see them playing a larger roll in this book - especially the grandmothers.

The mystery got off to a fast paced start with questions about who the last occupant had been, who the dead guy in the Civil War uniform found on the trail was, and how did the son of a funeral protesting minister end up dead in the car of a veteran who had recently lost his wife.  I enjoyed watching Death and Randy work on the upcoming murder trial of the veteran and watch the characters try and figure out just where the Civil War uniform had come from and how the dead man had gotten a hold of it.  I felt both of those mysteries were wrapped up very satisfactory and I really enjoyed the read.  I love Wren's character. While at times she comes off as shy and almost meek there's also a hidden toughness to her and it's nice watching her show she can take care of herself.  

My main complaint was that I wanted more from the mystery involving the angel and the last occupant of Hadleigh house.  There were so many tantalizing pieces that I didn't feel were satisfactorily wrapped up.  I love historical mysteries where the tale is told through dusty letters and found drawing and I just wanted more from this subplot.  As well, this is one of the few mystery series where I feel like it's really important to read the books in order.  A lot happened in the last 2 books that explain Death's backstory and the events that occurred with Randy and I think it could be confusing to a new reader to dive in here.  Plus the other 2 are really great mysteries so you'd be missing out if you didn't read them!

If you enjoy a good cozy mystery read and the idea of exploring old houses makes you giddy this is a series you really must not miss!  This was an incredibly entertaining addition to one of my favorite cozy mystery series!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?: Absolutely!  There's a hint dropped about the next mystery at the end of this book and I can't wait to see how that plays out.

Would I Recommend this Book?: Yes!  If you enjoy a cozy mystery then this is a great series though start with the first book.  If you've read the last two books already I think you'll really enjoy this one.

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Romance Tropes I Love and Hate

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is Romance Tropes I Love and Hate.  This was a fun topic because there are certain things I look for in books and certain topics that set my teeth on edge just reading the blurb.  So here are 5 tropes I love and 5 tropes I hate.

Tropes I Love

The fake engagement/courtship/boyfriend - I love this one!  The best thing about a fake relationship is that it forces a lot of one on one time that the couple wouldn't ordinarily have which means lots of banter, getting to know each other, and developing an emotional connection.  Then there's also the moment when one or both people realize that the fake relationship isn't so fake and they have to deal with it.  Love it!  Example - The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

The marriage of convenience - This pretty much only works in historicals but it's still a favorite.  I think it sort of brings a contemporary element to a historical in that the couple no longer has to deal with social restrictions in their relationship and can do as they wish. Example - The Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

The forced team - Road trip?  Snowbound?  Forced to work together for a best friend's wedding or for a super important work project?  I'm completely on board! - Example - All I Want by Jill Shalvis

The best friend's little sister/brother's best friend - I love this kind of old friends meets forbidden love style relationship!  Example -Tears of the Moon by Nora Roberts

The second chance - I love when characters have a history as it makes the quick relationship that's so normal in romances actually feel normal.  They've already done the getting to know each other portion of the relationship.  Plus, I love seeing character growth and 2nd chances are always great about that. Example - Somebody Like You by Donna Alward

Tropes I Hate

The love triangle - I can't stand 99% of love triangles.  They always feel so unfair to one of the characters and I find my sympathy goes to the one not chosen or left at the altar instead of the couple that I'm supposed to be rooting for.

The misunderstanding - Seriously just communicate!  That woman you saw him with at dinner may be a sister or a cousin for all you know.  Just because she's has an inheritance of some known amount doesn't mean she's a mean rich girl like all the others who were mean to you before.  Seriously just talk to each other!

The revenge story - I hate revenge stories or any other type story where one person is misrepresenting themselves and their motives to the other.  It's just icky.

The secret baby/unexpected pregnancy - I hate this one so much and really never seen the romantic aspects of it.  I'd keep going but I've had to delete 3 rants so far so I think I'm just going to leave it at that.

Anything that even vaguely hints at cheating - Nope, nope, nope.  If one of the characters has not clearly ended things with the former significant other I'm just not okay.  Planning on ending it doesn't count.  I also don't like when one character is clearly not over their past significant other.  While that's not actually cheating it isn't a good sign for the relationship!

What romance tropes do you love?  Which ones do you hate?

Reviews from the Children's Section - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1 and 2

One of my favorite genres and one that is the easiest for me to push aside is middle grade fiction.  This year to make sure I get a little more children's and young adult fiction I thought I would designate the first Monday of every month Middle Grade Monday (except for February which will be the 2nd Monday).

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car by Ian Fleming (Amazon link)
I downloaded the audiobook Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on a whim.  I hadn't seen the movie but I'd heard about it and the audiobook was short and available which was exactly what I needed in an audio at that moment.  Then I discovered that David Tennant was the narrator so another win.  I typically like middle grade fiction so I was prepared to enjoy the story but I ended up being completely and utterly charmed.  The book is written by Ian Fleming of James Bond fame and isn't someone I think of as warm and fuzzy but there is a very paternal air about the book.  I can easily imagine him telling this one chapter at a time as he's writing it to whatever young children were in his life.  There are some explanations that are done in an offhanded manner that were so fun and frequently funny.  The story itself is pretty simple.   An adventurous family with the last name Potts ends up with a battered motor car that they rescue from the scrap yard.  After they fix it up and shine it up a trip to the beach turns into a trip abroad with a run in with some international gangsters.  There's a car chase and an explosion and lots of fun.  It has the simplicity that I've come to expect from Fleming in the James Bond books but with none of the coldness.  The 160 pages are well used.  There's no downtime but the story doesn't feel rushed at all.  I wanted more but not because the story was left untold but because I was so in love with the family, the car and Fleming's writing style.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell Boyce (Amazon Link)
Wanting more led to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again by Frank Cottrell-Boyce - another library audio book and another one narrated by David Tennant.  This book has a very different style than the first book.  It's still an adventure story but it's way more over the top with a lot more moving parts than was in the original.  Time has passed and the Potts have been replaced by the Tooting family who discover an old engine up in a try that fits into the body of the camper van they're restoring.  They don't know that that engine was once in an unusual car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  So begins a whole series of adventures that the adventurous family couldn't have expected.  There's a lot more going on here than in the original with multiple villains, several different countries, and a car that may or may not be being helpful.  There's also a period of time when the kids are out on their own which I think most younger readers would enjoy.  This is decidedly more modern with cell phones and computers and other mentions of technology.  The characters of the children are more fleshed out and I absolutely loved Lucy who adores all things black, gloomy, and tragic but is also incredibly funny.  There's a lot more adventure in this book but not quite as much charm as in the original and the writing doesn't include the little asides that Fleming excels at.


I was surprised by how enjoyable both books were and that the original book which was published in 1964 in no way feels dated.  I think children from early elementary school ages up would enjoy this.  While there is a lot of adventure and a few tight spots it isn't scary at all and there's a bit of humor mixed into both.  I'm planning on adding these to the bedtime book stack for the Tornado (just turned 7) and I imagine that soon he'd enjoy reading these himself.  However, I enjoyed both books tremendously and think they'd work well for adults who enjoy middle grade fiction or a reader with a tired brain who just wants a fun story to read!

As for the narrator I think David Tennant should narrate everything from now on.  He's absolutely amazing and both audiobooks featured a short interview at the end where his enthusiasm for the books shone through and made it even more special.

This Week in Reading - February 12

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:

Nothing!!  I didn't get any books and don't even have an requests pending!  This is very exciting.  We are going to a movie this afternoon (Saturday) which happens to be right next door to a bookstore which we'll probably go into and there's a distinct chance I might pick something up but that'll go on next week's list so it doesn't count!

Currently:

Reading: Still reading Still Life by Louise Penny and The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn.  As well I have a fun cozy mystery going called Blogging is Murder by Gillian Baker 

Listening: Yes, My Accent is Real by Kunal Nayyar (Raj on The Big Bang Theory) and absolutely LOVING it!  I should get my notice that it's my turn for The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware any day so that will be next.

Watching:  I'm finally getting around to watching the latest Sherlock season and not sure what to think of it.  Because of the audio book I'm listening to I've started watching early episodes of The Big Bang Theory and have really been enjoying them.

Off the Blog:

We are officially recovered from whatever bug that hit the house last week.  I don't think I felt quite right until earlier this week.  I don't get sick very often but this definitely knocked me for a loop!  One good thing is I'm really appreciating being healthy again!

I had a follow up appointment with my allergist this week which was interesting.  In my allergy testing back in November I discovered that I was allergic to cats which at the time wasn't a big issue since we had just had to put our older cat to sleep and were currently cat-less.  I have discovered that when I'm staying in the same house as a cat I'll be fine for a day or so but after that my eyes swell up and I'm miserable.  The problem is that we've promised the Tornado a kitten and I don't want to disappoint him but I also don't want to be miserable.  Apparently the solution is allergy shots started off with a "rush" procedure which is basically a whole lot of shots in one day.   Has anyone had allergy shots before?  Any side effects or problems?  I'm not a big fan of shots but it sounds like the best option.

We're not really big Valentine's Day celebrators but I do like to make a special meal for the Tornado.  I found a recipe for heart shaped calzones that look really fun and I thought I'd make a chocolate cream pie with Valentine's Day sprinkles.  This weekend we're decorating a box for school for their Valentine's Day party Tuesday and I have to put together Valentine's for his class.  I remember being a kid and Valentine's were just the cards but when the older kids were little they had to have a treat attached and now it seems like everyone puts together little bags.

I'm trying to get caught up on all the blog stuff I've left unattended for an embarrassingly long time.  This week I'm hoping to get back in the habit of replying to comments and am planning on starting today.  I've thought about using Disquis or something for comments.  Has anyone tried it with Blogger?  Any tips or hints?

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday: On Second Thought - Women's Fiction Review
Tuesday:  Ten Books I Wish Had More/Less X in Them
Wednesday:  The Fifth Petal - Mystery Review
Thursday:  Close to Home - Contemporary Romance Review
Friday: Friday Linkups with Teasers from Still Live
Saturday:  My Milk Says I'm 36 - Thinking About Food Trends

What's Coming Up:

Monday: Middle Grade Monday - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1 and 2

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday  - Romance Tropes I Love or Hate

Wednesday: Death and the Gravediggers' Angel - Cozy Mystery Review

Thursday: Death by Blogging - Cozy Mystery Review

Friday: Friday Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

My Milk Says I'm 36

Lately I've been thinking about how the time period we grew up in affects our eating preferences.  There are things like availability of ingredients and different methods of cooking but it seems like even more important are the food trends and just random circumstances that influence our preferences years later.

It all started with a gallon of milk.  You see I do about 99% of the grocery buying in the house and even when J picks something up it's usually with a specific list from me.  But I had had to unexpectedly go out of town for a few weeks and J and the Tornado were left to fend for themselves which required food which required a trip to the grocery store and the purchase of a gallon of milk.

Now I'm not much of a milk drinker but I do have a fairly serious Frosted Mini Wheats habit and after I'd been home a few days I made myself a bowl.  As I poured the milk in I knew instantly that something was wrong.  It didn't pour right and I knew as soon as I took a bite that it had ruined my bowl of cereal.  The flavor was weird and the milk coated the inside of my mouth.  I suffered through that bowl and checked the label of the milk as soon as I finished (I'd already checked the expiration date so I knew it wasn't that) and sure enough there it was - 2%.  I was born in 1980 and somewhere in the time I was developing taste buds and milk preferences everyone became afraid of fat and by the time I was 10 all the milk that could be found in my house and my friends' houses was skim.  To me milk is supposed to be colored water that wets the cereal and basically nothing more and for it to have flavor or texture is just plain wrong.  It tastes like drinking straight up cream.

To J a child of the 70s milk is supposed to have flavor and texture - he grew up on whole and only switched to lower percentages in his late teens.  His taste buds were well developed long before everyone became afraid of fat.  That being said he has his own fear - the casserole.  You see while I grew up in the fear of fat he grew up in the dawn of the Cream of Chicken Soup can and the rise of the casserole.  To him and his older brother it was a scary time.  Everything was casseroled and there was one particularly loathed dish that they both swear was made at least once a week called Hamburger Bean Pie.  This featured ground beef, some tomato paste, canned green beans, and little biscuits baked on top.  To this day both he and his brother are deeply suspicious of ground beef if not in hamburger, meatball, or meatloaf shape.  His brother won't eat food that is mixed together and J doesn't eat anything that is called a casserole.

My dad who grew up in an earlier decade will only drink "fresh" milk.  When he was a kid the price of milk was controlled by the state dairy board that kept the prices artificially high.  My Grandmother who had 4 teenage boys would use her Army widow status to go to the commissary on a nearby Army base and stock up on food - but especially milk.  What wasn't drunk in the first few days would go in the freezer to come out at a later time.  Apparently when frozen the milk fats separate and when you pour a glass from a half thawed gallon of milk you only get the skim as the fats are still solid and then because some of the skim is gone when the milk finally does completely thaw the texture is off.

How have eating trends and other circumstances of your childhood affected the way that you eat or think of food now?

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