Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Characters I Wish Were Real

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 Characters I Wish Were Real.  I read a lot of mysteries so most of the characters I interact with fictionally aren't always the best people but there were still a few that I wouldn't mind knowing in real life.

1.  Meg Langslow and Family from the Donna Andrews cozy mystery series- I don't think I want to be a close friend or even an acquaintance as they tend to be murdered or suspected of murder but I would love to visit any event Meg's mom organizes, buy some of Meg's ironwork or visit the zoo run by her grandfather.

2.  Phee and the Book Club Ladies from J.C. Eaton's Booked 4 Murder series - I would love to hear Phee's everyday stories involving her mother and the rest of the crew.

3.  Dolly and Stewart from Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan - They were both just such lovely people I'd love for them to actually exist.

4.  Jane Marple from Agatha Christie's Miss Marple series - I would love to sit next to her on the veranda of some beachside resort.  Her observations and stories would be amazing.  I would even learn how to knit for that!

5.  Evelyn Sharpe from The Reimagining of Thornwood House by Jaleigh Johnson - I really want to visit a sentient building and this is my favorite one at the moment and Evelyn seems absolutely lovely with a good dash of brains and grit.

6.  Mrs. Pollifax from the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman - How many people can you get both gardening tips AND spy stories from?

7.  Pretty much every character Heather Webber has ever written - I love pretty much all her characters and would love to live - or at least visit - some of her worlds.

8.  Sonya MacTavish from the Seven Brides trilogy by Nora Roberts - I liked Sonya fine but I would 100% be using her to explore that house!

9.  Jessica Fletcher from the Murder, She Wrote series both in book and TV form - Again, I'm not sure I'd like to even be an acquaintance as the chances of being murdered or accused of murder are very high but I would like to hear all the gossip about what she's doing and I would definitely pick up her books. 

10. Molly Kimball from The Cambridge Bookshop series by Elizabeth Penney - This is another place more than person.  Molly seems nice but I really just want to visit the bookstore.

What characters from fiction do you wish were real?

Jay to the World - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Jay to the World (Meg Langslow #40) by Donna Andrews

Rating:  Really Liked It (4.25 Stars)
Source: Publisher

Description: The Christmas season is underway in Caerphilly. The members of the Hollingsworth clan, Meg’s mother’s family, are beginning to arrive in force, and Mother has several special projects underway this year. One is the playhouse she’s having built for Brynn, her two-year-old granddaughter. Brynn is a bright, lively child who loves animals, especially a wounded jay that she and Meg are trying to rehabilitate. She’s also hoping to play matchmaker and set up her cousin with an old friend of hers who was recently widowed.

But all is not going smoothly in Caerphilly. Someone vandalizes the playhouse and sets a dangerous trap that injures and could have killed Mother. She reveals that she has been getting nasty anonymous letters, and it’s obvious that someone is targeting her. Meg realizes she has to do something to figure out who could possibly have it in for her mom.

Meg juggles holiday preparations and celebrations while investigating these potential enemies – not to mention helping repair the damaged playhouse, taking her turn at nursing the wounded jay, and trying to coax Mother’s elderly cousin into a reunion with his long-lost love. When one of Meg’s suspects is found dead under suspicious circumstances, the family rejoices that Mother is out of danger. But Meg isn’t quite sure they’re out of the woods just yet.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed everything in this series that I've read and the holiday mysteries are always my favorite.

My Impression: This series always has a strong theme of chaos and this one is no different.  When I start a Meg Langslow book I know there are going to be a bunch of subplots and even more cousins and other random side characters with a helping of birds.  This was no different.  The mystery itself was a bit different though.  There's no dead body but there is quite a lot of mystery - someone is targeting Meg's mom and everyone is determined to figure out who it is and prevent them from doing their worst.  There are also missing angels, a sabotaged pollinator bed, blue jays both real and fake, and Meg's mom is busy matchmaking trying to fix a breakup that she feels shouldn't have happened.

The mysteries are entertaining and some touch on much darker issues. It was fun to watch everything unravel as the group rushes to make sure nothing worse happens.  I always enjoy this series and this was no different.  I love the main characters and the writing always pulls me in.  I liked that Minerva had a larger role than normal and I'm hoping that Lori and Graham will show up in future books.

This is a long running series with a huge cast of characters.  This one may be an easier one to jump in with as long as you don't get too caught up on figuring out who all the minor characters are.  I've enjoyed all the books I've read so far in this series though I'm missing most of the middle books and it is a series that's getting more enjoyable as it goes on.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I'm looking forward to the next book and am excited to catch up on the earlier books in the series.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozy mysteries, I would definitely recommend this series and while this is one you could start with the more in the series you read the more invested you are.

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

This Month in Reading - October 2026

Monthly Reading Total: 15

Type:

Print - 5

Ebook - 4 

Audio - 6

Genre:

Mystery - 9 

Fiction - 4

Nonfiction - 1

Romance - 1

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan - This police procedural was such a page turner and I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author.

Favorite Audio:  The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - I'm not a big fan of time travel but this was more of a timeline slip and it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Monthly Armchair Reading:  

Domestic Travel:  I visited Washington for the first time this year and revisited Arizona, Maine, New York, North Carolina, and Massachussetts.

International Travel:  I went to England 4 times, Ireland, Scotland, and Austria

Friday Fives - November TBR

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. Since this is the first Friday in November, I'm planning my November TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in November.

1.  Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts - This is the first in Nora Roberts' latest trilogy and I'm so excited to read it.

2.  The Luck Runs Out by Charlotte Macleod - This is the next book in the Peter Shandy series and I really enjoyed the first one so I'm looking forward to it.

3.  A Gala Event by Sheila Connolly - I'm on the downhill slope of this series with only two left.  This is one of the first cozy series I started reading and it'll be nice to finish it.

4.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - This month I'm focusing on books I've been meaning to read and this book is at the top of that list.

5.  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - This is another book I've been meaning to read and one I've heard nothing but good things about.

What are you hoping to read in November?

Books from the Backlog - Daughter of Egypt

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:  Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict

Blurb:  1920’s London was enthralled by the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. Filled with priceless statues, jewels, and the gold-encased mummy of the boy Pharaoh himself, the burial site unleashed a fascination with the ancient world and revolutionized the world of archeology.
The discovery was made by Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle and his associate, famed archeologist Howard Carter. What no one knows is that without the pioneering spirit of Lady Evelyn Herbert, Carnarvon’s daughter, the tomb might never have been found. As a young woman, Evelyn was fascinated by the story of Hatshepsut, a woman who had to assume the guise of a man in order to rule Egypt. Although she brought peace and prosperity to Egypt, her male successors ruthlessly and thoroughly erased her name from history.

Lady Evelyn’s ambition to find the tomb of Egypt’s first woman ruler exposes her to life-threatening danger and pits her against archeologists who refuse to believe the tomb can be found―and certainly not by a woman. Refusing to give up, Evelyn is on the verge of success when she is suddenly forced to make an agonizing choice between loyalty to her beloved father and Carter and realizing the dream of a lifetime.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf: This has been on my TBR since I first heard about it.  I really like this author and love the sound of this one so I need to read it soon!

What I'm Reading Right Now - November 4

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

Ebook:

Birth of the Witch by Nora Roberts - I just started this so I don't have an opinion yet but I have high hopes.

Print Book:

Charisma by Jo Bannister - So far I'm enjoying this straight forward police procedural pretty well.  It's not outstanding and I don't know that I will be moved to track down the rest of the series but I am curious to see how it ends.

Audio Book:

The Lieutenant's Nurse by Sara Ackerman - I'm not fully hooked on this one yet but I am enjoying it and am looking forward to seeing how the characters develop.

Slow Read:

Asylum Hotel by Juliet Blackwell -This was one of my most anticipated read last year that I never really got into. So far, I'm liking it okay, but it is definitely not this author's best work.

What are you reading right now?

Top Ten Tuesday - One Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I've Read

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 One Word Reviews for the Last Ten Books I've Read.  This is a topic I always enjoy!

1.  Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter - Fine

2.  Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney - Unsettling

3. The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - Lovely

4.  After Midnight by Daphne du Maurier - Uneven

5.  The Saint Mary's Cipher by Anna Elliot and Charles Veley - Fun

6.  Sauvigone for Good by J.C. Eaton - Okay

7.  The Claus Conspiracy by Tamara Berry - Fun

8.  The Third To Die by Allison Brennan - Suspenseful

9.  Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry - Fascinating

10. The Vanished Sister by Sherry Thomas - Compelling