Friday Fives - Series I Started This Year That I Want to Continue

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 read a lot of genres that tend to focus on series and while I have a series project where I focus on 10 series at a time there are always new series sneaking onto my reading list.  Here are 5 that did that this year that I'm really looking forward to continuing and focusing on when I clear off a bit of space on my current list!

1.  Beryl and Edwina Mysteries by Jessica Ellicot - This was one of my first books of the year and it was such a fun classic British village mystery with a oh so proper village resident and her not as proper school friend who suddenly arrives.  The mystery was fun, and I really enjoyed getting to know the characters.  I'm looking forward to seeing what trouble they get up to next.

2.  Rockton/Casey Duncan by Kelley Armstrong - I LOVED the first book in the Rockton series and am so looking forward to reading more in the series - or really anything else by Armstrong.

3.  Westcott Series by Mary Balogh - It'd been awhile since I read anything by this author so I was so excited to pick this one up and I so enjoyed it.  It's a great premise for a series and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens to the rest of the Westcotts.

4.  Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen by Marthe Joceyln - This is a middle grade mystery series loosely based on a young Agatha Christie with her very open Hercule Poirot sidekick.  I loved all the Agatha Christie mentions and the mystery was a good one!

5.  Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I have had this book on my shelf forever and am so glad I finally read it.  It had more depth than I expected, and I really enjoyed meeting all the characters.  I'm already looking forward to reading the next book.

Have you started any new to you series this year that you're looking forward to continuing?

Books from the Backlog - The Art of the Con

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 Art of the Con by Anthony M. Amore

Blurb:  Art scams are today so numerous that the specter of a lawsuit arising from a mistaken attribution has scared a number of experts away from the business of authentication and forgery, and with good reason. Art scams are increasingly convincing and involve incredible sums of money. The cons perpetrated by unscrupulous art dealers and their accomplices are proportionately elaborate.
Anthony M. Amore's The Art of the Con tells the stories of some of history's most notorious yet untold cons. They involve stolen art hidden for decades; elaborate ruses that involve the Nazis and allegedly plundered art; the theft of a conceptual prototype from a well-known artist by his assistant to be used later to create copies; the use of online and television auction sites to scam buyers out of millions; and other confidence scams incredible not only for their boldness but more so because they actually worked. Using interviews and newly released court documents, The Art of the Con will also take the reader into the investigations that led to the capture of the con men, who oftentimes return back to the world of crime. For some, it's an irresistible urge because their innocent dupes all share something in common: they want to believe.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has been on my TBR for ages and I've been especially fascinated with cons and forgeries lately so now seems like a good time.

Guilt and Ginataan - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Guilt and Ginataan (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #5) by Mia P. Manansala

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

Description:  Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms—the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and…dead bodies?

The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town’s biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest—but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze…and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician’s wife, and all signs—murder weapon included—point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn’t have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha…

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This series has been on my radar since the first book came out and this one looked good.  

My Impression:  I'm always a bit nervous starting a series this far in but I had absolutely no problem jumping in with this one and getting the who is who stuff all figured out.  I enjoyed all the fall fun happening in during the corn festival and the murder was an intriguing one.  The victim had some people who might have wanted to end her life and then there's her wife's position of mayor in the neighboring town to consider.  All Lila knows is that it was not her best friend Adeena who ended the mayor's wife's life in the middle of a corn maze even if she was found clutching the bloody knife.  The real question is who had the strong enough motive.  

The investigation was interesting with small town politics and personal secrets to be dug through as well as a motive for murder to be found.   I did struggle a bit with the writing style.  I like a good food description but the description of everything felt a bit bulky and slowed the pace down.  As well, I had a hard time warming up to Lila and Elena (especially Elena).  Luckily, I liked Adeena, Jae and the Aunties enough to make up for it.  This wasn't my favorite cozy I've read this year but overall, I did enjoy it and liked that it dealt with a cuisine I'm not that familiar with.  This is a series I'll continue with though it may not be at the top of my list.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Definitely!  While this wasn't perfect I did enjoy it and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you're a mystery fan this is a series worth trying - especially if you like lots of interesting and quirky characters with more than a few opinions!

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books on My TBR With Destinations in the Title

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 Ten Books with Destinations in the Title.  This was a bit of a challenge for me since I read a lot of cozies which usually are set in fictional small towns but it was fun to dig through my TBRs and find books with place names in their titles.

1.  The Lace Makers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri

2.  The Fleet Street Murder by Charles Finch

3.  Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn

4.  Murder on Brittany Shores by Jean-Luc Bannalec 

5.  To Scotland with Love by Patience Griffin

6.  A Nantucket Wedding by Nancy Thayer

7.  The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin

8.  The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

9. The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

10. Lost and Found in Paris by Lian Dolan

Do you have books with destinations in the title on your TBR?  

I'll Be Home for Mischief -- Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: I'll Be Home For Mischief (Christmas Tree Farm Mystery #5) by Jacqueline Frost

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

Description:  It’s Christmastime in Mistletoe, Maine, and the Historical Society has launched a widespread campaign to celebrate the town’s 150th anniversary. Descendants of the founding family, the Snows, have returned for the first time, and Holly is determined to make the family’s visit magical. In an attempt to put Mistletoe on the map, Holly’s mother, a respected local baker, attempts to break a record by baking the world’s largest gingerbread man, but her plans are whisked away when Mr. Snow’s body ends up in the batter.

When Mr. Moore, the local mistletoe farmer, is accused of the crime, Holly reprises her role as amateur sleuth to protect the sweet older man. Between hosting the inconsolable Mrs. Snow and other guests at the inn, receiving threatening messages telling her to stop her investigation, and preparing for her first wedding anniversary with Sheriff Evan Gray, she might need a Christmas miracle to survive.

When someone breaks into Holly’s office and scratches a warning into her desk, she knows she has little time left. Can Holly uncover the killer before someone else gets burned, or is her involvement a recipe for trouble?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really enjoyed every other book I've read in this series so of course I had to pick this one up.

My Impression:  I always look forward to my annual visit to the Christmas Tree Farm and the Reindeer Games.  Once again, the town of Mistletoe is gearing up for Christmas with the usual influx of tourists, events and this time a Victorian theme.  Over on the farm Holly's mother is also trying to break a World Record with the biggest gingerbread man.  Unfortunately, the return of the last remaining members of one of the founding families of Mistletoe isn't as jolly as expected - especially when a body is found in a very un-merry place.  

This series cannot be beat for setting.  It's so Christmasy and full of holiday fun with winter events and lots of yummy treats. The cast of characters is wonderful with Holly's family and friends.   These are always characters I'm glad to catch up with.  I also liked that they're not matter of fact about tripping over corpses on a weirdly regular basis.  Holly's mom especially worries about Holly's safety and Holly really tries to stay out of the investigation to keep her mom and husband from worrying.

However, that's frequently easier said than done and Holly can't help but getting involved a bit.  I did figure out a few things before Holly and Evan did but getting to the end was fast paced and kept me reading so I didn't mind.  This is a fun read and a great way to kick off the holiday season.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  This author is pretty much an auto-read for me.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozies this is a fantastic series.  While you could easily jump into the series with this mystery it's even better if you read the series in order.

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

Monthly Reading Recap - October 2024

 

Monthly Recap:

Monthly Reading Count - 19 -I had some books left over from September that got finished up and other than that I had a pretty good reading time!

Print - 6

Ebook - 6 

Audiobook - 7

Mystery - 14

Romance - 1

Nonfiction - 2

Fiction - 3

Favorite Books of the Month:

Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews - I love this series and while this Christmas mystery didn't have blue jays dive bombing unsuspecting family members inside like a previous book it was still a lot of fun!

Least Favorite Book of the Month:

Arsenic with Austen by Katherine Bolger Hyde - I really wanted to like this one because it had a great premise but an immature main character and an odd romance kind of killed it for me.

Where My Reading Took Me in October:  

While I had a good reading month I didn't travel to any new places!

Domestic Travel:  I visited Florida, California (twice), New York, Connecticut, Oregon, Virginia, and Massachusetts

International Travel:  I visited England and Scotland multiple times.

Where did your reading take you in October?  What were some of your favorite reads?

Friday Fives - We Got to Hang Out With Wolves!

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.  We went to Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Chipley, Florida before our cruise and it was such an amazing experience.  They are a rehab facility for wolves and various small animals and do guided tours where you get to interact with the animals (under very strict rules and guidelines).  We did a private tour and it was amazing and so interesting.  Here are five pictures from our time there.

1.  

This guy was very affectionate and quite determined to give me a kiss

2.  

Even wolves do big stretches!

3.  

Isn't this big guy gorgeous!  

4.  

This girl is actually a wolf/German Shepherd hybrid that had been surrendered.  She was a big of belly rubs.

5.  

This is Will and Pesto the possum.  Pesto got shaken by a cat at an early age and his back end is paralyzed but he is the absolute sweetest.

If you're ever near Chipley, Florida I highly recommend visiting Seacrest Wolf Preserve.  You can only take a tour with a reservation and the dress code is very strict.  If you're in the mood to splurge a bit I can't recommend a private tour enough.  I learned so much and the animals were just fascinating to watch.