Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

 

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. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison - This was a surprise hit for me.  I'm a bit iffy on rom-coms and a Booktuber who I usually like the books she hates and vice versa really enjoyed this one.  As well, it was (very loosely) inspired by the movie Sleepless in Seattle which while I like fine isn't a favor.  However, I'm so glad I took the risk and went on and picked this one up.  I really enjoyed it.   Lucie is a fantastic and sympathetic main character and the developing of her relationship with Aiden is really fun to watch.  The slight involvement and pressure by the outside world was kind of fun and I loved all the side characters that make up Lucie's world.  Aiden is a little more standoffish but his motivations were interesting and I enjoyed getting to know him.  I loved the world of the radio station - especially Jackson.  There is one doors wide open lights on spicy scene that was a big much for my preferences but overall while I really enjoyed this one from beginning to in.  The audio was really well done, and I went on and reserved book 2 from my library before I even finished this one.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

2.  Inherit the Bones by Emily Littlejohn - This has been on my TBR for ages and I was so glad I finally took the time to pick up the audio.  It was a really interesting mystery involving a cold case, a missing person (kind of), and a whole heaping helping of possible corruption and influence.  The main character is Gemma Monroe, a detective who has a bunch of baggage and is also 6 months pregnant.  The mystery was a good one and while I guessed parts there were other parts that were still a surprise.  The world around Gemma is not always a nice one but has a lot of complicated characters that even though I wasn't always sure how I felt about them I do want to see more of them.  There were times that Gemma really annoyed me but never so much I didn't want to finish the mystery.  It's definitely a series I would like to continue with but not one where I must pick up the next book right away.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan - This took me a bit to get into but once I did I was absolutely hooked.  Joy Davidman is a fascinating person.  Brilliant, intense, a constantly questioning mind, desperately trying to be the best mother she can be and a bit of insecurity.  Her relationship with C.S. Lewis aka Jack was entertaining and interesting if a bit frustrating at times.  While the actual letters between the two were destroyed the characters were brought to life with a lot of research and a lot of respect for who they were as authors and as people. At the same time they are far from perfect and feel authentic and genuine.  Once I was pulled into the story I found it fascinating, frustrating and at times incredibly poignant.  I will say this is one of the few times where I felt like listening to the audiobook negatively impacted my feelings about the story.  The narrator's almost robotic narration was a bit distracting and undermined the emotions in the story.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

4.  The Guest List by Lucy Foley - This is the third Lucy Foley book I've listened to and it may be my favorite so far (over The Hunting Party and The Paris Apartment).  All of the people are either terrible or miserable or both.   The wedding is set to be beautiful, the bride and groom are equally gorgeous, and the remote island setting could not be more breathtaking.  The problem is that not all it is what it sounds and little by little things get revealed for how they are.  This is told in multiple POVs and I found each perspective interesting even if I didn't like all the characters.  The way it all worked out kept me absolutely hooked.  Foley doesn't really do extended ending so while the reader gets the conclusion of the story we don't get much of the fallout or what happens next.  The audio is fantastic with multiple narrators who all do a fantastic job.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston - I've heard good things about this author but none of her books had ever really appealed to me until this one came out.  At first, I wasn't sure what I thought of it.  I wasn't disliking it but I wasn't loving it but as the story went on I got more and more invested.  I really liked getting to know Sophie and watching her get to know the people and the gardens of Lilymoor.  I enjoyed her time both in and out of the golden hour garden (though to be honest I probably enjoyed the out part a bit more).  Time travel is on my list of least favorite plot points but this worked - probably because it's more of a time slip than actual travel.  I really liked getting to know all the characters and that ending had me absolutely enthralled.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4.25 Stars)

Recipe Thursday - Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Today I'm Sharing:  Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes from Life in the Lofthouse

Changes: I left out the red pepper flakes (because I forgot) and used smoked Paprika vs regular.

Thoughts on the Recipe: This came together really easily and pretty quickly without too many ingredients.

Cook Time:  Maybe 30 minutes?    

Served With: Salad and bread

Results:  This was good as long as you like Sun-dried tomatoes as that flavor comes through the most.  It makes excellent leftovers and could also be made vegetarian pretty easily by leaving out the chicken.  

Verdict: 

The Bone Woman - Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton

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

Description:  The desert runs through Hazel Dylan’s marrow. She grew up on the edge of The Wild, an untamed expanse outside her hometown of Black Vulture, Arizona. She became fascinated with bones as a child while observing her taxidermist father, Wilmot, until he disappeared without a trace decades ago. Now, after years of study and countless cases, she’s known as the Bone Woman. She can read the dark stories that bones tell.

When a hiker makes a disturbing discovery in The Wild—bleached human bones arranged with surgical precision into a taxidermy-like sculpture of a coyote mid-howl—Sheriff Calloway summons Hazel to the scene. Not just for her formidable expertise but because it looks like it could be Wilmot’s work. Could Hazel’s father be behind this twisted creation? Are these his bones?

Hazel doesn’t want to believe either is true, but after another sculpture is found and Wilmot’s well-known talisman—a rogue finger bone—is discovered amid both sets of remains, she can’t deny the optics.

As the case takes Hazel deep into her past, she unearths long-buried secrets. And with time running out, she’ll have to risk her own skin to catch the killer.

Genre: Mystery 

Why I Picked This Book: I've enjoyed other books by this author and this sounded intriguing.

My Impression: I really liked the writing in this one.  Shelton does a fantastic job making the setting come alive and setting a grim and forbidding atmosphere.  I also think the add-in of the killer's POV was well done.  It was enough to get a sense of the madness but not so much it took over.  I liked Hazel and the community of Black Vulture.  They're a little odd but they're supportive without being over the top with it.  The mystery itself was interesting especially when combined with the mystery in Hazel's past.

While there were a lot of positives the book didn't fully connect with me.  For starters while the writing did keep me engaged the story doesn't progress very quickly.  By 50% there are only 2 skeletons, and I didn't feel like I knew very much more than I did at the beginning.  As well, I found the attitude towards Hazel's father being a taxidermist a bit odd.  She mentions harassment and things like that like he had been a serial killer and not an actual trade - especially since he had a reputation for being an ethical one.  Also, I would have liked more evidence of Hazel's gift for "reading bones".  It's mentioned a lot but with very little explanation.  

While not perfect this was an enjoyable mystery.  I like this author and like how she tackles grittier subjects without it getting too violent or over the top grim.  It this is a series I will definitely pick up the next book.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Yes, while not perfect it was overall enjoyable and I've liked everything I've read by this author.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would with some reservations.  If you're interested in a unique mystery this is a good pick though I wouldn't expect a slightly slower pace.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - Halloween Freebie

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 Halloween Freebie so I'm picking ten books I'd like to stay in and read on Halloween night (with candy - of course!).

1.  Dracula by Bram Stoker - Somehow I never read this but my husband just finished it and is obsessed so I should probably give it a try!

2.  The Witches by Roald Dahl - I'm a total wimp when it comes to spookiness so this looks my speed.

3.  Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn - I loved this book when I was a kid even though it completely creeped me out.  It'd be fun to do a reread.

4.  A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness - This would be starting not a full read as it's a billion pages but I've heard such good things about it Halloween would be a good time to start.

5.  Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris - Harris is so creepy and this one has been on my TBR for ages.

6.   Home Before Dark by Riley Sager - This sounds like such a fun creepy read.

7.  Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews - I really enjoy this series and I love her Christmas books so I bet the Halloween mystery would be super fun.

8.  Wicked Autumn G.M. Malliet - This is more autumn than Halloween but it still sounds perfect for a nice fall night read.

9.  A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James - A haunted house (maybe?) and a creepy author sounds perfect for a Halloween read.

10. It Could Have Been Here by Lisa Jewell - I do love a dilapidated house and Jewell is one of my go-to authors for creepy reads.

What would you read on Halloween night?

A Haunting on the Hill - Creepy Fiction Review

Goodreads: A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

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

Description: From three-time Shirley Jackson, World Fantasy, and Nebula Award-winning author Elizabeth Hand comes the first-ever authorized novel to return to the world of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House: a suspenseful, contemporary, and terrifying story of longing and isolation all its own.

Holly Sherwin has been a struggling playwright for years, but now, after receiving a grant to develop her play, The Witch of Edmonton, she may finally be close to her big break. All she needs is time and space to bring her vision to life. When she stumbles across Hill House on a weekend getaway upstate, she is immediately taken in by the ornate, if crumbling, gothic mansion, nearly hidden outside a remote village. It’s enormous, old, and ever-so eerie—the perfect place to develop and rehearse her play.

Despite her own hesitations, Holly’s girlfriend, Nisa, agrees to join Holly in renting the house out for a month, and soon a troupe of actors, each with ghosts of their own, arrive. Yet as they settle in, the house’s peculiarities are made known: strange creatures stalk the grounds, disturbing sounds echo throughout the halls, and time itself seems to shift. All too soon, Holly and her friends find themselves at odds not just with one another, but with the house itself. It seems something has been waiting in Hill House all these years, and it no longer intends to walk alone . . .

 
Genre: Fiction    

Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed The Haunting of Hill House so of course I had to pick up this one - especially since it's the first authorized novel from the Shirley Jackson estate.

My Impression:  The original Hill House story is frequently billed as a horror story which I don't think is the most accurate description.  It is a horror story but not in a way that is always obvious.  There are no jump scares or violence or blood and gore.  Instead, the atmosphere is off and as the book progresses it becomes more and more wrong and claustrophobic.  None of the characters are the most likable but as the story goes on their behavior slowly changes and becomes more and more irrational.  It's only when you finish the book do you realize just how creepy it is.  

This authorized visit back to the world of Hill House mirrors the original in a lot of ways.  The characters are unlikable and not only did I as a reader not like them (especially Nisa) I'm not exactly sure they liked each other.  While there are a few creepy events or sights nothing much happens for most of the book however like Jackson, the author does a good job of making the atmosphere become more and more unsettling until the finale.  It's only when I finished the book did I realize just how creepy the story was. 

The chapters are very short and it read very quickly.  Hand did a good job recreating the atmosphere of the original book and I ended up enjoying this one.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? I would if I see another story that interests me.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you are a fan of the book version of The Haunting of Hill House then absolutely.  If you're looking for a full on scary book this might be a bit more subtle than what you're looking for.

Friday Fives - Five Spooky Reads I've Read and Enjoyed

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'm reading spooky books in October and here are five spooky reads I've read and really enjoyed.  Now keep in mind I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spooky so what may be spooky for me may be pretty light weight for everyone else but here we are.

1.  The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware - I loved this book and there is an early scene in the book that made me scared to open a door in an empty house for days.

2.  I See You by Clare Mackintosh - This was the first book by this author that I've read and by far my favorite.  The whole premise and the fact no one believed the main character kept me hooked and looking over my shoulder.

3.  The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart - Rinehart excels at creating a creepy atmosphere and this was a fun early 20th century American thriller.

4.  The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James - I can't make a list of spooky reads without a Simone St. James book on the list.

5.  Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris - This book was at the limit of creepy/spooky/scary for me.  It's not bloody or gore-y but the cruelty made me want to close my eyes through some of it.

What are some spooky or creepy books you've enjoyed?

Road Trip Thursday - Books Set In Mississippi

Every year I track the states and countries that I visit in my reading.  I'm trying to visit a few more states and countries so I'm looking for places I haven't visited yet this year.  Last month was Washington which is pretty much at the exact opposite end of the country from me.  Now I'm taking a look at a place much closer to home though not one I visit anymore because I no longer have family there - Mississippi.  

1.  The Beach Tree by Karen White - This takes place in Biloxi which is right on the coast and near some areas where I've spent quite a lot of time.

2.  The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty - I feel like I need to include a classic Mississippi author and Falkner and I are not on speaking terms.  This does look like an interesting read with a touch of the bizarre.

3.  Classified as Murder by Miranda James - I've really enjoyed the more recent books in this cozy series set in a college town (which I'm betting is based on Oxford, MS) so I need to go back and read the earlier books.

4.  Can't Judge a Book By Its Murder by Amy Lillard - This was a fairly short-lived cozy series that I never got around to picking up but I would like to try it.

5.  Them Bones by Carolyn Haines - I've read one more recent book in this series and it is completely bananas but a lot of fun.  I'd like to read some of the earlier books so I can keep track of who is who.

And here's a picture of a pre-cancer Will running down the driveway of my grandparents' house in Southern Mississippi the day we moved them out.