Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Secondary Characters

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 Favorite Secondary Characters.  I love a lot of side characters but there are 2 that stand out as my least favorite so I had to include those too.

1.  Inspector Japp from the Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie - I love Japp and his interactions with Poirot.  He does a good job of being respectful and exasperated at the same time.

2.  Will in the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong - Will is such a good balance to Casey and Dawson's intensity but is still extremely capable.  I'm torn if I want spoilers or not on the fate of his character.  If it's going to be bad I think I probably do so can you warn me?

3.  Cas in The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - How can you not love a sentient spider plant with a cheerful nature and a bit of sass?

4.  Steve Wheeler in We Solve Murders by Richard Osman - I loved Steve and his willingness to help. His page time was some of my favorite moments in the book.

5.  Abigail in the Scottish Isle Mysteries by Lucy Connolly - I love Abigail and how intelligent and humble she is but also how she's starting to really relax into her new role.

6.  Ms. Cole in the Library Lovers series by Jenn McKinlay - Ms. Cole has one of the best character development journeys of any cozy mystery side character.

7.  Cherry Baker in The Mirror Crack'd by Agatha Christie - She's in at least one other book but his is where she makes her appearance.  I love how she deals with the companion Miss Marple's nephew has stuck her with especially.

8.  The puffin in Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan - How can any book featuring a side character of a puffin not be on this list?

Least Favorite Side Characters

9.   Queenie from the Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen - Queenie drives me crazy.  She's incompetent and unwilling to learn.  I get why Georgie still has her around but I'm happier when she doesn't have much page time.  She at least has a good heart so that's one (and only one) point in her favor.  

10. Jackie from A Year Round Christmas Mystery by Vicki Delany - Unlike Queenie above, Jackie doesn't have a good heart.  I do not understand why Jackie still has a job.  She's argumentative, disrespectful and overly flirty with male customers.  I've read every book in the series and have yet to find a redeemable character trait.  

Who are some of your favorite secondary characters?

Reading What I Love - Under the Stars

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  Under the Stars by Beatriz Williams

Blurb:  Audrey Fisher has struggled all her life to emerge from the shadow of her famous mother by forging a career as a world-class chef. Meredith Fisher’s glamorous screen persona disguises the trauma of the tragic accident that haunts her dreams. Neither woman wants to return to the New England island they left behind and its complicated emotional ties, but Meredith has one last chance to sober up and salvage her big comeback, and where else but discreet, moneyed Winthrop Island can a famous actress spend the summer without the intrusion of other people? Until Audrey discovers an old wooden chest among the belongings of her estranged bartender father, Mike Kennedy, and the astonishing contents draw the women deep into Winthrop’s past and its many secrets…attracting the interest of their handsome neighbor, Sedge Peabody. How did a trove of paintings from one of America’s greatest artists wind up in the cellar of the Mohegan Inn? And who is the mysterious woman portrayed on every canvas?

On a stormy November night in 1846, Providence Dare flees Boston and boards the luxury steamship Atlantic one step ahead of the law….or so she believes. But when a catastrophic accident leaves the ship at the mercy of a mighty gale, Providence finds herself trapped in a deadly game of cat and mouse with the one man who knows her real identity—the detective investigating the suspicious death of her employer, the painter Henry Irving. As the Atlantic fights for her life and the rocky shore of Winthrop Island edges closer, a desperate Providence searches for her chance to escape…before the sea swallows her without a trace.

Why I Think I'll Love This One:  Family issues AND a historic shipwreck plus an author I've had pretty good luck with in the past sounds like a win!

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book!  I liked Audrey as a main character and her relationships with both her parents was really interesting.  I also really enjoyed the other two timelines how they looped together.  I would have liked a little more from Meredith's - especially with how it carried into the present timeline - but all three were really interesting.  I really enjoyed the relationship between Sedge and Audrey as well.  She jumps to conclusion about him at first meeting and it definitely isn't instalove but it feels real.  I'm really looking forward to reading more from this author - and luckily she has a pretty good sized backlist!  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Who Knew Mood Was So Important - A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Goodreads: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

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

Description:  Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing .

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone... and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

Genre: Fiction - Cozy Fantasy

Why I Picked This Book: I didn't love it when I first read it so I wanted to give it another try.

My Impression: This was a reread for me and when I originally read it I gave it 3 stars and was kind of meh about the whole experience.   Part of the issue is when I first picked this up I had it in my head that it was going to be a sequel to Mandanna's first book.  It was not and it took far too long to get my head around that concept.  As well, I tried to read this book in a rush and I have learned that cozy fantasy is not a genre to be rushed.   Cozy fantasy needs to slow read as the reading is the point not the solution.  

So in a different frame of mind I picked this one and got a very different result.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I liked Sera even which she was prickly and annoyed.  She was doing her best to keep everything going all while living with the loss of her magic as well as the frustrations of her absent parents.   She's devoted and loyal to those around her - especially her Aunt - and never hesitates to take people in (even if she does complain).  I loved watching the relationships evolve as the journey went along and looked forward to picking up this book every day.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  Though I will go into the next book by this author in the right headspace!

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you are looking for a slow (but not slow paced) cozy read with a quirky and likable group of characters this is a good choice - provided you don't make the same mistakes I did.

Friday Fives - Five Books I'm Planning on Buying For My Birthday

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.  May is my birthday month and my favorite month of the year as I celebrate the whole month (plus a little planning time in April and a wind down time at the beginning of June).  Here are 5 books I'm thinking about buying as part of my birthday celebrations.

1.  The Shippers by Katherine Center - I loved the one book by this author that I've read and this sounds fantastic!  The only question is do I buy it in print or audio?

2.  Five-Star Summer by Sarah Morgan - I've really enjoyed the most recent books I've read by this author and this one sounds like a lot of fun!

3.  Thistlemarsh by Morea Corrigan - I want to buy this mostly for the gorgeous cover but luckily it also sounds like a fantastic read.

 
4. The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer - This sounds so fun and I'm really looking forward to reading it.

5.  The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sacher - I love the cover of this one as well and I've seen some fantastic reviews for it.  I haven't read enough middle grade lately so this one really appeals to me.

What would book would you buy for your birthday?

Books from the Backlog - The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria

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 Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria: The Sinking of The World's Most Glamorous Ship by Greg King and Penny Wilson

Blurb:  In the tradition of Erik Larson's Dead Wake comes The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria , about the sinking of the glamorous Italian ocean liner, including never-before-seen photos of the wreck today.
In 1956, a stunned world watched as the famous Italian ocean liner Andrea Doria sank after being struck by a Swedish vessel off the coast of Nantucket. Unlike the tragedy of the Titanic , this sinking played out in real time across radios and televisions, the first disaster of the modern age. Audiences witnessed everything that ensued after the unthinkable collision of two modern vessels equipped with radar: perilous hours of uncertainty; the heroic rescue of passengers; and the final gasp as the pride of the Italian fleet slipped beneath the Atlantic, taking some fifty lives with her. Her loss signaled the end of the golden age of ocean liner travel.

Now, Greg King and Penny Wilson offer a fresh look at this legendary liner and her tragic fate. Andrea Doria represented the romance of travel, the possibility of new lives in the new world, and the glamour of 1950s art, culture, and life. Set against a glorious backdrop of celebrity and La Dolce Vita, Andrea Doria 's last voyage comes vividly to life in a narrative tightly focused on her passengers – Cary Grant's wife; Philadelphia's flamboyant mayor; the heiress to the Marshall Field fortune; and many brave Italian emigrants – who found themselves plunged into a desperate struggle to survive. The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria follows the effect this trauma had on their lives, and brings the story up-to-date with the latest expeditions to the wreck.

Drawing on in-depth research, interviews with survivors, and never-before-seen photos of the wreck as it is today, The Last Voyage of the Andrea Doria is a vibrant story of fatal errors, shattered lives, and the triumph of the human spirit.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  One of my goals this year is to read at least 5 nonfiction books and at the moment I'm at one nonfiction book.  This has been on my TBR for ages and I'm especially intrigued with the comparison to Dead Wake which was one of my favorite books.

Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early

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

Description:   Jessica Fletcher and friends Seth Hazlitt and Maureen and Mort Metzger team up for pub trivia and crush the competition, then are stunned to learn that the prize is a chance to appear in a five-day trivia tournament filming in LA.

No one expects life-or-death stakes! But on day one of the tournament, a crew member is murdered. Who would benefit from derailing the show? Jessica has to come up with the ultimate answer.

In a metafictional twist, the investigation takes Jessica and the gang to the filming locations of their favorite mystery shows, where they discuss how Columbo, Monk, or Jim Rockford might go about solving the case.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book: I really enjoy this series so of course I had to pick this newest one up.  

My Impression:  This series is really high up on my cozy reading list and I always enjoy spending time with Jessica Fletcher.  This book was no exception.  While my favorite books are set in Cabot Cove this was really fun in that we had the Metzgers and Seth accompanying Jessica and the tie-ins to TV and movies was really fun.  I also loved her niece's house with all the falling down old Hollywood mansion glamour and things that go bump in the night.  I also really enjoyed we got some insight into Jessica's feelings regarding some personal things.

As is pretty common for this series it takes awhile for the mystery to really get going.  But the setup to the actual murder was fun as the Cabot Cove crew land in LA and get settled in their temporary lodging.  I really liked the focus on Maureen and Mort away from his sheriff duties.  The tv show premise was entertaining and provided a good reason for a wide group of people being stuck together.  I was especially interested in Victoria's house and that subplot as well.  

This is the newest in a long running series but can easily be jumped into here - especially if you are even vaguely aware of the show premise.  It's not the fastest paced book (or series in general) but it is delightfully cozy with an entertaining mystery.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Yes, definitely.  I always enjoy spending some time in Jessica Fletcher's world and I really like this author's version.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like cozy mysteries this is a fun series to read and this is a fun read.

* 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 I'd "Pick" at a Bookstore/Library

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 May Flowers.  I've done a lot of flowery covers and titles so I decided I'd look at 10 books I'd "pick" if I was getting books at a bookstore or library.  I'd rather have a bouquet of 10 books than a bouquet of 10 flowers any day!

1.  The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst - I have thoroughly enjoyed this author's books and this one is a bit different from her Spellshop series but still looks like a gorgeously cozy read.

2.  The Midnight Train by Matt Haig - I did not expect to enjoy The Midnight Library but I really loved it so I'm looking forward to this kind of sequel.

3.  The Shippers by Katherine Center - I loved the last book I read by this author and I love books set on cruise ships.  The last book I read with a cruise ship setting was such a disappointment so I'm hoping this redeems the whole setting a bit.

4. Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett- This looks wonderful and magical and like a fantasitc read.

5.  Terror in Topaz by A.M. Stuart - I read the first three books in this historical mystery series but for whatever reason never read the last book.  

6.  The House of Hidden Letters by Isabelle Broom - The premise sounds like my favorite kind of story and I've seen some great reviews for this one.

7.  The Codebreaker's Secret by Sara Ackerman - I really loved the previous book I've read by this author and this sounds like an amazing read.

8.  The Killer Question by Janice Hallet - I've heard really good things about this author and this looks like such a fun read.  

9.  The Lily of Ludgate Hall by Mimi Matthews - I've really enjoyed the previous two books in this quartet and am looking forward to Lady Anne's story.

10. Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell - I've heard some mixed reviews of this one but I usually enjoy her books and I like the premise.  If I stumble upon it at a bookstore than I'm taking it as a sign.

What books would you pick for your book bouquet?