What I'm Reading - November 26

 I always have a few books going.  Here is what I'm reading and what I'm thinking about them.

Print:

A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle - I'm desperately trying to finish up my series reading for 2025 and this is the next book on the stack.  So far I'm enjoying it though I'm not very far in.  I've had some mixed results with this series so I'm hoping for the best.

Ebook: 

All My Bones by P.J. Nelson - I liked the first book in the series and am curious to see how the series develops.  

Audiobook:

Backseat Saints by Joshilyn Jackson - This is one of my must read authors for 2025 and this book is more than a little bonkers but so far a pretty good time.

Slow Read: 

The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers - This is proving to be a bit of a slog.  I'm not a fan of large quantities of dialogue written in heavy dialect and that is definitely slowing this one down for me.

What are you reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books That Take Place on Thanksgiving

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 Thanksgiving Freebie and I'm picking ten books (mostly cozies) that take place on Thanksgiving that I'd like to read.

1.  Drizzled with Death by Jesse Crockett - Pancakes and cozy mysteries sound like quite a good combination!

2.  Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower - I really enjoy this series and a Thanksgiving mystery sounds perfect.

3.  The Good House by Ann Leary - I have had this on my TBR for ages.

4.  A Deadly Feast by Lucy Burdette - Thanksgiving in Key West.

5.  Murder, She Wrote: A Fatal Feast by Jessica Fletcher and Donald Bain - These books are always so cozy so a Thanksgiving mystery sounds great.

6.  In the Blink of a Pie by Catherine Bruns - Pies, cozy mysteries, and the orange cat on the cover!  

7.  Feast of Murder by Jane Haddam - I haven't read anything by this author but I've been wanting to try something by her and this looks like a fun one.

8.  Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet - This looks a bit more classic mystery and this is a series I've really been wanting to read.

9.   The Diva Run of Thyme by Krista Davis - This whole mystery centers around a Thanksgiving meal.

10. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - Another non-cozy that takes place around family drama and Thanksgiving.

What books set around Thanksgiving are on your TBR?  

Vows and Villainy - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Vows and Villainy (The Cambridge Bookshop Series #5) by Elizabeth Penney

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

Description:  It’s wedding season in Cambridge, and Molly Kimball is thrilled that it's almost time for her best friend's special day. With the help of her boyfriend Kieran Scott, she is determined to be the best maid of honor for Daisy and Tim. Daisy’s heart is set upon a Shakespeare-themed wedding to be held at Hazelhurst House, Kieran’s family’s home. The Scotts are also hosting a Shakespeare troupe for the summer, and the actors have kindly agreed to be part of the festivities.

But all goes awry with the discovery of Sir Jordan Peck, a famous actor with a checkered past and present-day misdeeds, floating dead in the moat with flowers strewn around him, à la Ophelia. When Kieran’s brother Alan becomes a top suspect, Molly and company must investigate to uncover the ugly truth behind this picturesque scene . . . before more bodies keep piling up.

Can Molly solve the murders before Daisy and Tim say “I do”?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed the previous books in this series so of course I had to pick this one up.  

My Impression:  Molly is spending more time at the castle as she helps her boyfriend, Kieran's, family organize the library and prepare for the wedding of two close friends.  On a beautiful morning she and Kieran's mother, Lady Asha, and the bride to be, Daisy stumble upon a body in the moat in full Ophelia mode.  Molly is quickly pulled into the investigation both to get things settled before Daisy's wedding and to keep Kieran's brother, Alan, out of trouble.

This is a fun series that is so cozy it feels indulgent.  I mean there's a library in a castle, a 400 year old family owned bookstore, and a cat. What not to love?  Add in a hefty dash of Shakespearean actors (some with rather scandalous pasts and all with hidden agendas) and an assortment of likable main characters and I always enjoy my visit to Molly's world.  There's a side plot involving Molly's aunt which I very much enjoyed as well as some regular life scenes.  

The mystery is enjoyable and I always love catching up with the characters.  The series isn't one that really sticks with me but it is one I always look forward to reading.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Definitely!  I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author and look forward to reading more.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you are a cozy mystery fan this is definitely a fun series to try though I do recommend starting from the beginning of the series.

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

Friday Fives - Five Holiday Reads I'd Like to Read This Year

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.  Most of the time the new Christmas releases come out in October I've read them months before the tree is up and we are supposed to be thinking cozy holiday thoughts.  I never think to read some of the backlist books that have been on my TBR to add a bit of holiday coziness.  So I'm making a list and sticking it front in center on my desk so hopefully I'll remember this year!  Here are 5 of the books I'd like to read this year.  I'm also thinking it's time to give A Christmas Carol a reread.

1.  Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - This has been on my list for literally a decade but somehow I never quite manage to read it.  I'm hoping to fix that this year.

2.  Snow Kissed by RaeAnne Thayne - Her books are always so wonderfully cozy and full of holiday spirit.  This looks like a book that demands it be read tucked into a cozy blanket with a hot cup of tea.

3.  Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak - I'm not sure about this one as it does have the potential to be all unlikable characters but I love the premise.

4.  Let It Snow by Nancy Thayer - I've been wanting to read this author for ages and this looks so cozy and Christmasy.

5.  A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss - I love estranged sisters and inheritance tropes so I'm looking forward to this one.

What holiday reads are on your TBR?

Books from the Backlog - A Murder of Magpies

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:  A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders

Blurb:  It's just another day at the office for London book editor Samantha "Sam" Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with gossipy author Kit Lowell, whose new book will dish the juicy dirt on a recent fashion industry scandal. Little does she know the trouble Kit's book will cause-before it even goes to print. When police Inspector Field turns up at the venerable offices of Timmins & Ross, asking questions about a package addressed to Sam, she knows something is wrong. Now Sam's nine-to-five life is turned upside down as she finds herself propelled into a criminal investigation. Someone doesn't want Kit's manuscript published and unless Sam can put the pieces together in time, they'll do anything to stop it.
With this deliciously funny debut novel, acclaimed author Judith Flanders introduces readers to an enormously enjoyable, too-clever-for-her-own-good new amateur sleuth, as well Sam's Goth assistant, her effortlessly glamorous mother, and the handsome Inspector Field. A tremendously entertaining read, this page-turning novel from a bright new crime fiction talent is impossible to put down.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf: I read and enjoyed the second book in this series and thought "Wow - I bet I'd have enjoyed this way better if I had read the first book".  So I purchased the first book and the promptly forgot about it.

From Cradle to Grave - Cozy Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads:  From Cradle to Grave (A Royal Spyness Mystery #19)

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

Description:  Georgie may not have much in common with your average new mother, but she does have one a new nanny she despises. Knowing she must find a nanny more suited to her young son, Georgie travels to London to see her old friend ZouZou, only to find her about to depart for a funeral, after the unexpected death of a young man. It quickly becomes clear there’s more than one mysterious death around town, when another friend, Georgie Gormsley, reveals he’s just returned from the funeral of a school friend, who seemingly drowned while swimming. And then Georgie's best friend, Belinda, receives a telegram informing her that the son of family friends has died tragically. It begins to seem like too much of a coincidence to Georgie. Yet the victims didn’t seem to have any connection to one another.

Georgie returns to ZouZou, who puts the final nail in the coffin—she’s sure that the deaths were not an accident and begs Georgie to solve the case. As Georgie begins investigating, she can’t help worrying that her own husband, Darcy, may be next. She begins to suspect there might be a serial killer at work and as she delves deeper into the case, realizes that the young men may all share a link to a crime many years ago. Will Georgie solve the murders before it’s too late for Darcy, and manage to find the perfect nanny all at the same time?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read the most recent books in this series and am enjoying catching up on the earlier books so of course I had to pick this one up!
 
My Impression:   I felt a bit sorry for Georgie in the beginning of this.  She basically wants to be left alone with her family at her home in the English countryside.  Things are quickly turned on their ear when a formable woman appears at the door to be the nanny to Georgie's 7 month old son James.  Soon after,, the reason for the nanny appearing in the first place also turns up a the door.  Georgie isn't the most outspoken confident person and Nanny and Fig most definitely are so I couldn't help but feel sorry for her as she tried to stand up for what she actually wants while trying not to offend anyone.  I did kind of want to shake Darcy for not being more supportive.

In all the household chaos the mystery kind of sneaks in as the death of one young man after the other gets mentioned and bit by bit begins to stack up.  It's an interesting concept and proves to be an interesting mystery.  I enjoyed how Georgie gets involved as well as more time with ZouZoe who we haven't seen very much of in the last few books.  I also love what the author has done with Queenie who was easily one of my top 5 least favorite cozy mystery side kicks.  She has a valuable role in the household but is only a side character in Georgie's life and normally the chaos she unleashes impacts some of the unlikable characters visiting the house (in this case Fig and Nanny).  

I really enjoyed this book and wasn't sure how any of the various plots would work out.  There is a lot about Georgie's life which as a long time reader of the series I really enjoyed but may be a bit much if you start the series with this one.  If you're starting the series from the beginning just remember while Fig doesn't get better Queenie most definitely does.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series and finishing up the books in the middle of the series that I've missed.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I've enjoyed everything I've read by this author and am looking forward to reading more.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I recommend this series but do recommend starting earlier in the series so you can get to know the characters.

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

Ten Books I Want To Read By The End of The Year

Today's Top Ten Tuesday Topic over at That Artsy Reader Girl is Modern Books That I Think Will Be Classics.  Honestly, I don't think many of the books I read will become classics though I'm very curious to see what everyone has on their lists.  Instead, I'm going to do a topic I've seen bouncing around on blogs and on YouTube - Ten Books I Want to Read By the End of the Year.  I can't believe we are coming towards the close of 2025 and to be honest I am not ready!  I'm iffy on what goals I'm going to complete as I've had a weird year with reading slumps or slowdowns.  That doesn't mean I haven't been looking at my shelf and library shelves and bookstore shelves and thinking about books I want to read though!  Here are 10 I'd like to get read by the end of the year.

1.  Shady Hollow by Juneau Black - I have a few books in this series and it looks wonderfully fall-ish.

2.  The Belle of Bellgrave Square by Mimi Matthews - I read this a few years ago and read the first book in the series earlier this year which made me want to continue with the series and reread this second book.

3.  We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - I picked this one up earlier this year and really want to read it.  It sounds like a nice cozy read.

4.  The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - The first book by this series was one of my favorite reads last year and I'm so looking forward to reading this one.

5.  A Happier Life by Kristy Woodson Harvey - I love this author and this one looks fantastic.

6.  The Woods are Waiting by Katherine Greene - I read another book by this author and really liked it and this one looks super creepy.

7.  Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn - I liked the first book in this series and I really enjoy everything I've read by this author.  I'm curious to see how the author continues this storyline.

8.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - This was the first book that brought this author on my radar but somehow while I've read lots of other books by this author I still haven't read this one.

9.  Along the Infinite Sea by Beatriz Williams - I read the second book in this trilogy earlier this year which kind of ended on a cliffhanger so I need to read the third book.

10. Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher - This has been on my end of the year reading list for several years so hopefully this is the year.

What are some books you want to read by the end of the year?