Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Fall-ish Covers

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic from The Broke and the Bookish is all about the covers.  Fall covers to me have 2 types.  The first is all about the colors - orange, red, gold, etc - and falling leaves.  The second is spooky and Halloween-y.  I've tried to find a few of both!

The Betrayed by Heather Graham - It doesn't hurt that this book actually takes place during the fall but the spooky house and gloomy colors just scream Halloween.

Grave Errors by Carol J. Perry - This is another book that takes place around Halloween - in Salem, no less - and with the spooky cemetery, arched back cat and full moon it looks like the perfect Halloween read.

The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit - The colors on the cover just scream fall to me though the book really doesn't have much to do with the season.

Death in Abstract by Emily Barnes - If I remember right this book actually takes place during the winter but with all that fall foliage in the back the cover at least says fall.

Send in the Clowns by Julie Mulhern - Another fall foliage book and this one involves a masked figure lying in a leaf pile.  The book has a haunted house, trick or treating, and of course clowns!

Trick or Deceit by Shelley Freydont - Carved pumpkins and a spooky looking house with a purple sky! 

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson - Everything about this book is Halloween-y.  The creepy house, the bare branches and the glowing orange sky.

Cider Brook by Carla Neggers - The barn, the leaves, the title.  Really the word "cider" is enough to make me think fall.

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie - The pumpkin, the color, the full moon and then there's the title!

A Killer Crop by Sheila Connolly - The whole cover just screams fall harvest (even without looking at the sign!).  It makes me want to sip apple cider and pick out a pumpkin.

So apparently Halloween themed covers are a strong pull for me when looking for covers that say fall.  What do you look for?  Any favorite fall covers?

The Witches Tree - Cozy Mystery Review

The Witches' Tree: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton (Amazon)

Rating: Very Good
Source: NetGalley

Description:  Cotswolds inhabitants are used to inclement weather, but the night sky is especially foggy as Rory and Molly Devere, the new vicar and his wife, drive slowly home from a dinner party in their village of Sumpton Harcourt. They strain to see the road ahead―and then suddenly brake, screeching to a halt. Right in front of them, aglow in the headlights, a body hangs from a gnarled tree at the edge of town. Margaret Darby, an elderly spinster, has been murdered―and the villagers are bewildered as to who would commit such a crime.

Agatha Raisin rises to the occasion (a little glad for the excitement, to tell the truth, after a long run of lost cats and divorces on the books). But Sumpton Harcourt is a small and private village, she finds―a place that poses more questions than answers. And when two more murders follow the first, Agatha begins to fear for her reputation―and even her life. That the village has its own coven of witches certainly doesn't make her feel any better...

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book: I love Agatha Raisin.  She drives me crazy sometimes but I can't help but love her and the mysteries are always entertaining too.

My Impression:  If I was making a list of series that I really enjoy but sadly neglect Agatha Raisin would be high on my list.  This is a series that I'd love to go back and start at the beginning.  The mystery is good and Agatha herself is flawed, at times annoying, but always herself and I can't help really liking her.  I loved how she was brought into the mystery in this one.  There's quite a lot of curiosity, a little bit of deception and a surplus of vicar's wives.

This book starts out with a mention of Agatha Christie which is always a good sign and the mystery didn't let me down.  Just who was Margaret Darby and how did she get herself in the Witches' Tree?  Agatha gets involved in what seems like a fairly tame but bizarre village mystery which quickly turns sideways when the body count starts rising and the threats start appearing.  The mystery starts with a humorous note (never base a dinner party on a dinner party held in a Miss Marple mystery) and quickly turns intriguing.  I was immediately pulled in and flew through this one all the way to the end.

Agatha Raisin has a LOT of back story - 27 books worth at this point.  However, I've never had a problem jumping in at random places in the series and this book proved no different.  While I don't know all of the history between Agatha and Charles or Agatha and many of the other characters I had no problem getting the general idea very quickly.  Beaton makes Agatha so real that I don't feel like I need to know all the ins and outs to understand her as a character. 

If you enjoy a solid mystery with a character you love but sometimes want to reach into the book and give a Gibbs-style head slap  this is a mystery for you.  This mystery is quirky, page turning, and lots of fun!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I'd love to do a big binge read but until that happens I'll settle for reading a book in the series here and there.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy a mystery you really must try this series. 

This Week in Reading - October 8

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

This week has been Disney World week!  We actually are supposed to get back fairly late Saturday night but I'm guessing (this is written before we left) that I'm going to be tired and ready for bed and some quiet.

So next week I'll update on books gotten, read, and listened to and I'm sure sharing an overload of Disney pictures!

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  Reviews from the Children's Section - The Enchanted Castle

Tuesday: Ten Halloween Reads That Aren't Horror

Wednesday:  Sugar Pine Trail - Contemporary Romance Review

Thursday:  Splintered - YA Fantasy Review

Friday:  Last Christmas in Paris - Historical Fiction

Saturday:  The Key Trilogy - Contemporary Romance Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  The Witches Tree - Mystery Review

Tuesday:  Top Ten Tuesday: Best Fall Covers

Wednesday: Quackery - Nonfiction Review

Thursday: Cold As Ice - Cozy Mystery Review

Friday: Friday Linkups with Current Book

Saturday: Comfort Food Diaries - Foodie Book Review

Have a great week and happy reading!

Key Trilogy - Contemporary Romance Review

Key of Light by Nora Roberts  - This book starts with a mysterious invitation and 3 strangers traveling to a creepy and palatial house overlooking a small town.  We quickly learn that the 3 strangers are Malory - art gallery manager, Dana - librarian, and Zoe - hairstylist.  All 3 are of similar age and are in similar situations regarding employment status and they all very much want to own their own place.  Shortly after, mysterious and gorgeous Rowena and Pitte, enter the scene and the choice for an adventurous quest is offered.  Malory, Dana, and Zoe can choose to search for 3 keys to unlock the souls of the 3 Daughters of Glass and claim 1 million dollars if they succeed or lose a year of their lives if they fail.  If they agree to the choice they will receive $25,000 immediately.  A lot of the book is spent figuring out what is real and what is myth as well as getting to know the main characters.  The three women are shortly joined by Dana's brother Flynn and his two best friends, Jordan and Brad, who both have an unexpected connection to Rowena and Pitte and the Daughters of Glass. I enjoyed seeing the relationship between the men and watching the friendship grow between the women.  While the focus of this book is on Malory and Flynn and Malory's search for the key there is some setup for the next two romantic relationships.  This is a fun read.  Watching the characters scramble to get a handle on just what is going on and what they can believe is entertaining and kept me turning pages.  As soon as I finished this one I wanted to immediately pick up the 2nd in the trilogy!

Key of Knowledge - While I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy it was the second book that earned a place on my keeper shelf.  The first part of the quest is complete and now it's time for Dana to take center stage along with her ex-boyfriend Jordan.  There's enough unresolved issues between them to sink a ship and Dana's not so sure that she wants Jordan in her life again, much less taking part in this all important quest.  There are a lot of things that I absolutely love in this book. I loved the fact that both characters are very bookish and that this is very much a second chance romance. Both Jordan and Dana are huge readers and both have built their careers in book related fields.  Dana is a librarian with aspirations to own a bookstore and Jordan is a successful author.  There discussions about books and reading were wonderful and just feel like they were written by someone who actually reads which adds a little pocket of delight.  The quest itself was a fun read - different enough from Malory's to be entertaining but still similar enough that they all fit together.  I enjoyed seeing more of Malory and Flynn and seeing Zoe and Brad start to form a relationship.  And Moe is just awesome.  I mean I don't want to own him but I want to know the person who does!  Now I can't wait to jump into the third book which is a sign of a good trilogy!

Key of Valor - Finally we come to Zoe's journey.  Zoe is a single mother from a hard background who has worked incredibly hard to get where is today.  She's smart, talented, and not exactly sure how to accept help from anyone - especially not heir to the Vane fortune and a home improvement retail empire.  But Brad isn't a spoiled rich boy but a hard worker in his own regard.  He has a vision for what he wants professionally and as soon as he meets Zoe and her son, 9 year old Simon, he has a vision of what he was in his personal life.  This book was less about Kane, the villain, and the quest in general and more about Zoe herself.  How she got to where she is now, her feelings, her decisions, and finally what she wants.  I liked the relationship between Zoe and Brad.  He's always there for her and completely believes in her but he isn't always calm and patient.  If she pokes at him he has no problem poking back which was fun.  The relationship between Brad and Simon was very special and was a nice element of the book.  The conclusion tied up all the threads from the trilogy in a very nice way and left me smiling and maybe a little teary eyed.

This was a strong trilogy where each book really held its own.  There was no story to suffer through to get to the next one and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know each couple.  This is a trilogy that I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting and would really love to check back in with the characters.  Maybe Simon can get his own story one day?  I really think Nora Roberts' books from the late 1990s and early 2000s are some of her best and this trilogy is one of my favorites.

Last Christmas in Paris - Historical Fiction Review

Last Christmas in Paris by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (Amazon)

Rating: Loved it!
Source:   Blog Tour

Description:  August 1914. England is at war. As Evie Elliott watches her brother, Will, and his best friend, Thomas Harding, depart for the front, she believes—as everyone does—that it will be over by Christmas, when the trio plan to celebrate the holiday among the romantic cafes of Paris.

But as history tells us, it all happened so differently…

Evie and Thomas experience a very different war. Frustrated by life as a privileged young lady, Evie longs to play a greater part in the conflict—but how?—and as Thomas struggles with the unimaginable realities of war he also faces personal battles back home where War Office regulations on press reporting cause trouble at his father’s newspaper business. Through their letters, Evie and Thomas share their greatest hopes and fears—and grow ever fonder from afar. Can love flourish amid the horror of the First World War, or will fate intervene?

Christmas 1968. With failing health, Thomas returns to Paris—a cherished packet of letters in hand—determined to lay to rest the ghosts of his past. But one final letter is waiting for him…

Genre: Historical Fiction

Why I Picked This Book: So many reasons!  World War 1, Paris, Hazel Gaynor, the cover, a final letter!  How could I resist it?

My Impression:  This is my second book by Hazel Gaynor and I was not quite sure if this book could live up to my love of The Cottingley Secret.  With its epistolary format I just didn't see how it could be quite as magical.  But it was!  The personalities come out so strong in the letters that I felt like the letter writers were real.  I could imagine Evie sitting at Will's writing desk alternately writing the letter and looking out the window.  I could see Thomas taking a break from training or taking a a little time away from his men once they got to France to dash out a letter to Evie.  I could sense Evie's frustration and forced good cheer as well as Thomas' fatigue and desperation for a connection to home.  There are a number of other letter writers.  There is Evie's brother Will as well as the occasional family member or friend and while their voices are distinct Evie and Thomas are the characters I connected with the most.

This isn't a book that I can really go on and on about but not because I didn't love it but more because in its own way it's a quiet book.  The world is falling apart around the characters and my heart hurt for them but at the same time this isn't action oriented book.  The letters catch snapshots of fear, pain, love, and hope through the perspective of the letter writer.  I became completely immersed in the world they created and I was sad when the time came to leave. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Yes!  I want to read more books by either Gaynor herself or this writing team right now!

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes!  This is a wonderful read.  If you enjoyed The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society I think you'd love this one.

Splintered - YA Fantasy Review

Splintered (Splintered #1) by A.G. Howard

Rating: Very Good
Source: Library (Audio)

Description:   Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

Genre: YA - Fantasy

Why I Picked This Book: I love an Alice in Wonderland retelling and the cover is so eye catching. 

My Impression: First a disclaimer - while I have read the original Alice in Wonderland I'm not a fan.  I love the Disney movie (the original) and have enjoyed some of the recent story adaptations but I'm not devoted to the original story.

Okay, that being said - that book was absolutely bonkers!  The imagery was insane and wonderful all at the same time and I loved this particular spin on the original Alice story.  Alyssa is a good narrator for this bit of madness.  She's smart and seriously motivated to get this all figured out.  She's not at all sure of herself which did get a little annoying at times but she was definitely a realistic 17 year old (minus the talking bugs and flowers of course).

This version of Wonderland is much darker than the original (not that the book version is exactly all rainbows) and there's quite a bit of danger and more than a little sadness lurking in the shadows.  The adventures are on the nail biting side and while there is a time or two that luck is a factor it's more often than not either Alyssa figuring something out or using her training.  I loved that they also refer to the original book occasionally for clues.

There's a bit of a love triangle here which is typically something I hate but it really worked here.  There's human world Jeb who has some serious baggage and whose protective attitude towards Alyssa drove me crazy frequently.  He meant well but there were times he needed to just take a breath and step away.  I did like that he was clearly on her side and proud of her accomplishments.  On the Underworld side is manipulative deceptive Morpheous whose motives are never quite clear and no one can quite trust.  He reminded me a little bit of Jack Sparrow from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies but younger and with wings and much much smarter.

There were a few pacing issues at the beginning but when the quest got going I was pulled along and really didn't want to quit listening.  I loved how this wrapped up and am super curious to see what happens next.  I've seen some complaints on how the mental health care of Alyssa's mother is represented and it definitely feels inaccurate and primitive.  However, it isn't the focus of the book and works with both the overwrought atmosphere and as a motive Alyssa's action so I felt it worked.

Audio Note:  Rebecca Gibel does the narration and she is amazing. Her voicing for Alyssa and the rest of the characters is spot on and I loved her accents.  If you have a chance to listen to this I highly recommend it.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next in this series and I want to try the new series by Howard as well.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy an Alice in Wonderland retelling I think you'd like this one.  I'm not a big Fantasy or YA reader but I really enjoyed this one.

Sugar Pine Trail - Contemporary Romance Review

Sugar Pine Trail (Haven Point) by RaeAnne Thayne (Amazon)

Rating: Very Good
Source: Publicist

Description:  Librarian Julia Winston is ready to ditch the quiet existence she's been living. She's made a list of new things to experience, but falling for Jamie Caine, her sexy military pilot neighbor, isn't one of them. Julia's looking to conquer life, not become the heartbreaker's latest conquest. But when two young brothers wind up in Julia's care for the holidays, she'll take any help she can get—even Jamie's.
Happy to step in, Jamie reveals a side of himself that's much harder to resist. Not only is he fantastic with kids, he provides the strength Julia needs to tackle her list. She knows their temporary family can't last beyond the holidays, but the closer she gets to Jamie, the more she wonders if things could be this merry and bright forever…

Genre: Romance - Contemporary

Why I Picked This Book:  RaeAnne Thayne writes my very favorite Christmas books so there was no way I could resist this one!  Especially not with that cover and a librarian as the main character.

My Impression:  RaeAnne Thayne's Christmas stories are usually the equivalent of a warm blanket, a cozy fire, and a nice steaming mug of hot chocolate.  Sugar Pine Trail did not let me down.  I loved Julia.  She's smart, she's interested, and she's feeling terribly alone this holiday season.  But she still doesn't want to get involved with her new lodger Jamie and doesn't really believe he'd be interested in anyway. 

Julia's been a side character for awhile and it was really good to see her have her own story.  She can be a little standoffish at times but I found it impossible not to like and sympathize with her.  My heart broke right along with hers as she begins to get involved with 2 boys who have taken refuge in the library. 

Jamie's a little easier to like but not quite as easy to connect to - especially at first.  He's a nice guy who at first glance has gotten through life on his looks and charm.  But there is more than meets the eye with him as well. 

I loved the family they created and I loved the growing bond between Julia and Jamie.  These are 4 characters that need it each other very much even if they don't always realize it and I found it impossible not to root for them. 

This was a wonderful heartwarming book with characters I loved which is really what I expect from an RaeAnne Thayne Christmas story and she has yet to let me down!  While this is part of a series you can jump in here without any problems as the story focuses almost entirely on Julia and Jamie.  There was a thread or two that didn't get quite as resolved as I would have liked but it in now way impacted my reading experience.  If you're looking for the perfect Christmas-y romance look no further!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I always look forward to a new RaeAnne Thayne book and she has a back list I'd really like to explore.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy romance that is more about the emotional bond than hot and steamy Thayne is an author you should not miss.