Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books That Have Been Important to Me

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 Book Titles That Describe Me/My Life.  I couldn't come up with anything that fit that so I'm going with Books That Have Been Important to Me (in the last 15 years or so).  I figure that's a pretty good window into me and my life!

1.  The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson - This is one of the first books that my husband and I discussed together.  We read very different things and very different amounts but it was still fun to discover that he read as well and that we had this book in common.

2.  Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas - I read this (and the rest of the Hathaway series) when I had a toddler and not much time to read and I remember it bringing such joy.

3.  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card - I read this for a very short lived book club I was in and it was one of the few books that really got a good discussion.  Then my husband read it and we still discuss it occasionally.  It's one I have such strong feelings about because I thoroughly enjoyed the book until a very unnecessary epilogue that kind of tanked how I felt about the book as a whole.  

4.  Where the Heart Is by Nora Roberts - This book collection taught me a very important lesson - that just because I love an author does not mean I'm going to love every book they've ever written.  After this one I gave up trying to read her early books.

5.  The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs - This is the first book I read on any kind of e-reader.  I had gotten a Kindle Fire and took it with me on vacation and discovered just how convenient it was not to have to haul around stacks of books.

6.  The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright - I adored The Four Story Mistake by this author as a kid but never knew of any other books by her.  I found my old copy when my mother moved and looked up the author up online and discovered a whole bunch more books in the Melendy family series.

7.  Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon - This is one of my early review books and it was such fun getting in early on a beginning cozy series.  

8.  Goodnight June by Sarah Jio - This book really cemented my love of letters and voices from the past in books.  I don't think I had really nailed that down and verbalized it until this point.

9.  Crushed Velvet by Diane Vallere - This is the book that showed me that reading a cozy mystery series in order really can improve my enjoyment of the book as a whole.  

10. The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen - This is the first magical realism book I ever read and it showed me just how much I enjoy that genre.

What books have been important in your life?

When the Wolves Are Silent - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads: When the Wolves are Silent (A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery #21) by C.S. Harris

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

Description:  London, 1816: When a notorious young aristocrat is burned alive on a windswept hill popular with neo-Druids, former cavalry officer Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, finds himself plunged into a murder investigation shadowed by tales of ancient human sacrifices and long-buried secrets.

The victim, Marcus Toole, was the only son and heir of a prominent nobleman. His closest friend—Sebastian’s own nephew, Bayard—claims to have passed out drunk before the attack and remembers nothing. But when Sebastian and his brilliant wife, Hero, delve deeper into the sordid activities of Bayard and his friends, they come to realize that Bayard may not be as innocent as he pretends. Following a tangled trail that leads from a disaffected former soldier-turned-highwayman to a beautiful, courageous journalist and a Jamaican-born fencing master with ties to a radical political movement, Sebastian begins to suspect that Bayard and his friends are being targeting in revenge, by victims who believe they have no other recourse.

Then two more of Bayard’s friends are killed, their murders staged to echo the ritual sacrifices of the ancient Celts. With the palace shaken by the fear of riots and one horrifying death following another, Sebastian must race to stop a ruthless plot that threatens the lives of innocents and could rip his troubled nation apart.

Genre: Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I have really enjoyed the other books that I've read in this series so of course I had to pick this newest book.

My Impression: I have really enjoyed this series even though I started it in the middle.  Sebastian is an interesting character with a complicated relationship with his family - especially his sister.  While he is heir to an earldom it is only following the death of his older brother and considering the Earl is not technically his biological father this makes things especially complicated.  While he has a healthy relationship with his father his relationship with his sister is anything but healthy and positive.  The book starts with Sebastian's nephew, Bayard, stumbling onto a body and Sebastian learns that this is the second of Bayard's close group of friends to be found dead under mysterious circumstances.  

This may be the most sympathetic group of victims to ever exist and while I never actively root for violence I wasn't sad when another few friends come to a not so nice end.  The mystery was interesting, complicating and at times infuriating as Sebastian followed one thread after the other always learning more but never finding the answer.  When everything comes to light it makes sense and is well explained though it is seriously grim and a bit heartbreaking.  

All of this is taking place against of background of extreme disparity of life and rumblings of uprising as well as actions from those in charge trying to control the situation using deception and violence.  This is incredibly well done.  Harris doesn't get preachy, heavy handed or info dump but instead weaves the issues through the story both with Sebastian's investigation and Hero's interviews.  This series in general isn't a cozy one and while there isn't on page violence the issues discussed are very dark but very well handled.  I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book and look forward to reading more from this series.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I will definitely pick up the next book and look forward to going back to the beginning of the series to read the ones I've missed.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, though I do recommend starting earlier in the series.  The characters have complex lives and relationships and the earlier you start the easier it is to make sense of it all.

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

Soyangri Book Kitchen - Fiction Review

Goodreads: Soyangri Book Kitchen by Kim Jee Hye

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Library

Description:  With good books, good food and companionship, the Book Kitchen fills people's tired souls. Yoojin, who grew up in Seoul, opened the Book Kitchen by chance in Soyangri, a village two hours from Seoul by car. The Book Kitchen functions as a bookshop and cafe. The second function of the Book Kitchen is a Book Stay, where one can stay overnight in one of the building’s four complexes.

Over the course of one year, multiple characters each find comfort and hope at Yoojin’s Book Kitchen. From a music idol facing an identity crisis, to a promising lawyer beset by an unsettling medical diagnosis, to a young, failed music director who has had to rein in his dreams, they happen upon Soyangri at pivotal moments in their lives.

Genre:  Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  This just caught my eye on the library shelf so I decided to give it a try.

My Impression:  This was an absolutely lovely read.  The structure is very similar to What You're Looking For is in the Library with very loosely connected short stories all centering around the Soyangri Book Kitchen.  The stories are quiet with characters who need something in their life to change but the corner they turn is not always dramatic.  It is always meaningful, however.  The setting is beautiful and so calming.

The book is a bit surface level.  While the characters are frequently dealing with tough issues we don't know much more about them then their conflict.  Sometimes it was a little hard to keep track of who is who though I'm not sure if that's because of the translation or just the nature of the shorter stories.  That said reading this book really forced me to take a breath which I desperately needed.  It also made me think about my reading.  I'm very goal oriented and love a good check list and that's usually how I treat my reading.  In my head I have daily chapter goals and yearly objectives and all kinds of things and most of the time that suits me.  This isn't the kind of book you can do this with.  It's quiet and undramatic with a focus on books as healing.  Flying through it greatly diminishes it and kind of misses the point of it.  The book references alone were fantastic with several of my favorites mentioned and the attitude towards books in general was just delightful.

I'm planning on buying a copy of this book so that I can reread it and really savor it.  It's a good reminder that not every book is about rushing to the finish.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  If I see a book by this author at the bookstore I will be buying it.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, though I would keep in mind this is a slow read.  

Friday Fives - Five Quick Reviews for Series I'm Reading

 

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 working on catching up on series and decided to put a few reviews of them all together here.

1.  Heirs and Graces by Rhys Bowen - This is the 7th book in the Royal Spyness series around great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria, Georgianna (Georgie) Rannoch.  In this book Georgie has landed on her feet at an estate of a misbehaving Duke and his newly discovered heir.  When tensions finally explode there is a dead body found and an investigation begins.  Georgie and Darcy are quickly caught up in it as they try and keep the innocent from being accused.  This was a fun read with an odd mix of characters.  Thankfully, while Queenie, Georgie's maid, is present her role is very small.  If I made a list of top 5 least favorite side characters she would definitely be on it.  The reveal was well done and a bit of a surprise.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.  My Rating:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)

2.  A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle - This is a fun series with lots of gorgeous bookish mentions and talks of bookish restoration.  I like Brooklyn and Derek and how they work together.  This one focused on Brooklyn's sister, Savannah, who is a professionally trained chef and a group of former colleagues as one of them opens a new restaurant.  The mystery was an interesting one with an end that did surprise me a bit.  What kept me from enjoying this was basically that Savannah is a brat.  Brooklyn is trying to express perfectly reasonable concerns or ask logical questions and Savannah seems to almost always react like a cranky toddler.  If I was Brooklyn, I'd have left her to her own devices and let her restore her own book and figure out who the killer was.  This isn't one of my favorite series but I do enjoy it and look forward to the next book in the series.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

3.  Keeper of the Castle by Juliet Blackwell - This is book 5 in the Haunted Home Renovation series and Mel finds herself leading a reconstruction of an ancient Scottish castle being rebuilt to be a wellness retreat in California.  There's a couple of ghosts who are causing serious trouble and the who reason Mel is now in charge is because the previous lead is in jail accused of murdering a building inspector.  No one believes he did and nothing is making sense - including the ghosts.  I enjoyed the mix of historic restoration, ghost hunting, and investigation.  Mel's a fun main character and I like that she's genuinely good at her job and cares about those around her.  This was a quick read in a series I always enjoy though I'm very glad I don't have deal with unsettled ghosts!  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

4.  Panic Button by Kylie Logan - I am not a crafty person and my grandmother finally gave up on teaching me how to sew or quilt after multiple attempts.  My interest in buttons is also pretty low but I thoroughly enjoy this series.  Josie runs the Button Box and is in the middle of appraising an heirloom button string when the owner changes her mind and demands to take the string home.  When the owner is found dead her mentions of a curse suddenly don't seem quite so silly.  With some help from her police detective maybe boyfriend Nev, Josie dives into the victim's past and investigates all who knew her.  It turns out the victim wasn't exactly who she seemed and almost everyone who knew her has a motive to kill her.  Josie does cross the line into overly nosy a time or two but it worked with the premise and the characters.  This was a fast paced read and a fun cozy.  I have one more book in the series and am looking forward to reading it.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews - Meg is back with her signature chaos and hijinks.  While I was not a huge fan of the previous book in this series this was has reconfirmed this series as one of my favorite cozy mystery series.  This time Meg is temping at her brother's tech company trying to figure out if there is a mole among the group.  Things quickly go off the roles when the office prankster is found dead on the mail cart.  There's also rogue therapists, an assortment of animals, Meg's dad, and a cast of rather quirky programs - some with a secret or two.  The mystery was a fun one and I love that we meet Chief Burke who becomes a regular in the series moving forward.  There were some red herrings and a surprise reveal.  This series has a big cast of characters and while you don't need to read all of them it would probably make this one more enjoyable if you read at least the first book just to understand who is who.  I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and will be keeping an eye out for new books.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Books from the Backlog - Swept Away

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:  Swept Away by Beth O'Leary

Blurb:  Lexi is looking for no-strings-attached fun with a stranger. She deserves one night for herself, doesn't she?
Zeke is looking for love. But for one night with a woman like Lexi, he'll break his rules . . .

Sparks fly at the pub, one passionate kiss leads to another and they end up stumbling home to the marina together.

The next morning, hungover and shaken by an amazing night together, Lexi is more than ready for Zeke to leave. There's just one small problem . . . the houseboat they stayed on has been swept out to sea.

As their supplies start to run dangerously low, and the waves pick up, Zeke and Lexi soon realise there's much more on the line than their new relationship.

How long can they really survive on a drifting houseboat in the North Sea? Will search and rescue find them? And who will they be if they both make it back to dry land?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  It's been high up on my TBR since it came out and it looks like a fun bit of escapism.

What I'm Reading - April 8

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

Ebook

Too Close to Home by Seraphina Nova Glass - I'm enjoying this one but it is a bit stressful.  I really don't love thrillers or tense mysteries where children are even loosely involved.

Print Book:

Soyangri Book Kitchen by Jee-Hye Kim - So far, I'm really enjoying this one.  It's set up in a connected short story format and I love all the book references.

Audio Book:

The Mother-in-Law by Sally Hepworth - This took me a little bit to get into but I'm about 24% in and am hooked.

Slow Read:  

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna - I'm really loving this though I had to take a break from it while I was struggling through a couple of books.  I'm hoping to finish it soon or I'll have to take another break because I'm starting a new book that sounds like it has a similar feel.

What are you reading today?  

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books Set in Places on My Bucket List

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 Books Set in Places on My Bucket List.

1.  Prince Edward Island, Canada - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - PEI is on my Bucket list because of the Anne books.  It also looks incredibly beautiful!

2.  Torquay, England - So many Agatha Christie books as well as being the area where she grew up.

3.  Greenway Estate in Devon, England - Christie based the setting of a number of her books here and I would just love to visit here.

4.  Amsterdam, Netherlands - Midnight Blue by Simone van der Vlugt - I more want to see the Netherlands in general but of course I would start with Amsterdam.

5.  Scotland - Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters - Scotland is so stunningly beautiful.  I'd love to explore it one day.

6.  Japan - We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida - The diversity of experiences in Japan is really interesting -  from stunning nature to Disneyland Tokyo and everything in between.  

7.  Ashland, Oregon - Sticks and Scones by Ellie Alexander - There's actually a cozy mystery festival in this small Oregon town.  I'd love to visit the Shakespeare Festival as well as see all the places that feature in this cozy mystery series.

8.  Newport, Rhode Island - Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell - I'd love to tour all the Gilded Age cottages in Newport (and revisit the Biltmore which is decidedly not in Newport but maybe I could take a detour on the way).

9.  Seoul, South Korea - Soyangri Book Kitchen by Kim Jee Hye - South Korea is just fascinating.  It's definitely a place I would love to visit.

10.  Ireland - Tara Road by Maeve Binchy - There are so many places I want to visit in Ireland I think I could easily stay there a month.

11. Iceland - Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - Granted the book itself is a bit grim but Iceland is high on my list.

This could easily be a Top 100 list.  There are so many places I want to visit both in the US and outside it!