Books from the Backlog -

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 Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Blurb:  A grand baronial house on Loch Ness, a quirky small-town bookseller, and a single mom looking for a fresh start all come together in this witty and warm-hearted novel by New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan.

Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new life for herself and her son Hari. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where honking horns and shouting football fans keep them awake all night. If she doesn’t find a way out soon, Zoe knows it’s just a matter of time before she has a complete meltdown. On a whim, she answers an ad for a nanny job in the Scottish Highlands, which is about as far away from the urban crush of London as possible. It sounds heavenly!

The job description asks for someone capable of caring for three “gifted children”, two of which behave like feral wolverines. The children’s widowed father is a wreck, and the kids run wild in a huge tumbledown castle on the heather-strewn banks of Loch Ness. Still, the peaceful, picturesque location is everything London is not—and Zoe rises to the challenges of the job.

With the help of Nina, the friendly local bookseller, Zoe begins to put down roots in the community. Are books, fresh air, and kindness enough to heal this broken family—and her own…?

Why This Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Colgan is one of my absolute favorite comfort reads.  So much so in fact that I bought this one new AND it was one of the first 10 books I brought with me when we temporarily relocated to Memphis.  I figured this would be one of the first books read but somehow it came home with me after 6 months unread AND is still unread even several months of being home.  I need to get this read!

Year of the Series - A Likely Story + Tightening the Threads

 

After the calamity that was 2020 I didn't want to give myself serious reading goals but I did want to do something to help my book stacks get a little more under control.  I've tried getting rid of the ones I want to read but unfortunately I want to read all the books I own.  So I decided to focus on series.  There are so many I have that I abandoned halfway through or came in halfway and never read the first few.  I made a list of ten series and the next book I had to read in them and will be rolling in new books and series as I go along and catch up.  Here are two reviews from that list that I've read recently.

Goodreads: A Likely Story (Library Lover's Mystery #6) by Jenn McKinlay - One of the tasks library director Lindsay Norris likes best is delivering books to housebound residents.  This time she and kind of boyfriend boat captain are delivering books to the reclusive Rosen brothers when they come across a scene neither expected.  Not only is Stewart Rosen not at the dock to great them but after they make their way through the brothers' booby trapped home they discover Peter Rosen shot to death in his wheel chair.  This starts a search into the past but with lots of danger lurking in the present.  As well, there are lots of Briar Creek business with appearances from the crafternooners, Ms. Cole (aka the Lemon), children's librarian extraordinaire Beth as other old friends that were a delight to see.  I really enjoyed this read.  The mystery kept me involved and guessing and I really enjoyed spending time with characters that feel like old friends.  My Rating: Really Liked It!

Goodreads:  Tightening the Threads (Mainely Needlepoint #5) by Lea Wait - Angie Curtis' friend Sarah Byrne has been acting like she has a secret for the last month or so and Angie's been trying not to pry.  But finally Sarah spills the beans - Sarah left her native Australia to move to Haven Harbor, Maine to try and connect with family she never knew.  And that family happens to be her newly discovered uncle - Ted Lawrence, who just happens to be the son of famed artist Robert Lawrence.  He's so excited by this new connection that he decides to host a family weekend where he invites his three children and proceeds to drop a series of bombshells - Sarah's identity being the least of them.  When the weekend comes to a tragic end with Ted being poisoned and a second death following close on his heels the police (and Angie) start digging into the Lawrence family secrets.  This wasn't my favorite of this series.  While the Mainely Needlepointers do feature in this book they don't have nearly the page time they do in previous books and I missed them!  As well, there's a lot of setup in this one.  We meet Ted's children and learn the dynamics on the Lawrence family (and wow are they dysfunctional!) and the first death doesn't really occur until close to halfway through the book.  This mystery is a good one and the series is a strong one but this just didn't click quite as much with me.  One thing that Wait does in this series that I always enjoy is start each chapter with a quote from a sampler and gives a little bit of history on the sampler and the woman who created it.  My Rating:  Liked It!

Bookish Cozy Mystery Series on My TBR

 

Cozy Mysteries with a bookish theme are some of my favorite mysteries and while I've got several series going here are 10 that I still haven't tried!

1.  Mayhem at the Orient Express by Kylie Logan - I've enjoyed other books by Logan and the League of Literary Ladies about a book club (and with one an Agatha Christie in the title) sounds fun.

2.  Double Booked for Death by Ali Brandon - The Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries take place in New York is set in New York which sounds a bit different from the usual small town cozy.

3.  The Christie Curse by Victoria Abbott - The Book Collectors Mystery series has been on my TBR for a seriously long time and I love the sound of this series about collecting classic mystery authors.

4.  Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flowers - The Magical Bookshop series has been calling my name since it first started and I can't wait to try it.

5.  Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae  - The Highland Bookshop series is set in Scotland so how can I resist that?

6.  Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley - The Raven's Nest Bookstore series features a bookstore containing coveted books and some psychic powers!

7.  A Killer Read by Erika Chase - I know very little about the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries other then it involves murder, a bookstore, and a book club so I figure I can't go wrong!

8.  Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly - I really enjoy Kelly's books under the name of Sofie Ryan and how can I resist this series about a librarian when the title is this one?

9.  Bait and Witch by Angela M. Sanders - The Witch Way Librarian Mysteries sound really fun with some books and some supernatural.

10. Pride, Prejudice, and Poison by Elizabeth Blake - This is a Jane Austen themed book club set in England which sounds fantastic!

Do you enjoy bookish fiction?

Phantoms and Felonies - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Phantoms and Felonies (A Haunted Mansion Mystery #2) by Lucy Ness

Rating:  Really Liked It!
Source: Publisher

Description:  When a local theater troupe puts on a new play at the club, manager Avery Morgan is excited. This is just the sort of event that's destined to bring in potential new members. Okay, millionaire banker Bob Hanover has more bucks than talent and has used his position to grab the lead role, but that seems like a small price to pay...until Bob is found dead backstage.

Bob rubbed many people the wrong way, but would anyone want him dead? The short answer to that is: Who wouldn't want him dead? His long-suffereing wife had to put up with years of womanizing. The show's playwright has been tricked out of his one great idea by Bob, who claimed it as his own work. And Bob bankrupted one of the town's small businessmen. The choices are many and the time to find the killer is running short.

Avery is working overtime to keep the club open and find the killer. Fortunately, she has help with the latter task. Clemmie Bow was once a singer in the speakeasy in the club's basement. Now she's a ghost who's also a top-notch detective. Together Clemmie and Avery will find the killer—even if it kills one of them.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the first book in the series so I couldn't resist spending more time with Avery and Clemmie Bow.

My Impression:  The first book in this series reminded me a bit of a grown up Nancy Drew with ghosts and this one is no different except we are digging a bit more into the characters and the club.  As well this one has Avery's Aunt Rosemary from Lily Dale showing up with quite an entrance.  Avery talked quite a lot about Aunt Rosemary in the first book but seeing her in action was quite the experience.  

On the surface Bob Hanover seems like an okay guy who is excited about being in the dinner theater and not really willing to be pushed around by the playwright with the inflated ego.  It's not shocking that the playwright doesn't like him but after Avery observes several tense conversations or moments between him and a whole host of people she starts to wonder - especially when Bob turns up dead in the middle of the play.  Between pleas from family members, her relationship with the detective in charge, general nosiness, and feeling the responsibility of keeping the club going heavy on her shoulders she can't help but get involved with the investigation.  

I liked seeing a bit more of Clemmie, Avery's relationship with her aunt, and the minutia of club business in this book.  It gave it a sense of place and community feel.  I think this series is a fun one with a lot of potential and I'm really excited to see what happens next with these characters.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  This is a fun series and one I am looking forward to continue reading.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would but I would recommend starting with the first book because there's quite a bit of setup in that one.

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

Life with Leukemia (And Some Reading) - April 11

 

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

Another good week!  Will was having some pain due to a particular chemo drug that causes muscle tightness but the wonderful physical therapist showed us some stretches he can do that really really help.  Because his immune system is so low he can't take any kind of pain medicine that can reduce a fever because sometimes that fever might be the only sign that something's really wrong.  I really like that the stretches are something that he can do and that he controls.  So much of this is out of our hands that I really want to give him any sense of control that he can have.  His energy level has been a little lower but it's mostly because he was on steroids last week and now that they're getting out of his system he can finally get some sleep so he's trying to catch up.  But when he's awake he's been in a great mood and we've been back into school and video games and other games.  It feels amazing to see him actually have fun again.

My back pain is finally better from last week.  I pretty much discovered that sitting is my worst enemy.  I either needed to be resting or moving and now I'm pretty much back to normal though I'm being careful about lifting anything.  I got my first Covid vaccine last Friday and I was a little worried because my daughter had had a pretty bad reaction to both - it was short lived but I was prepared to be out of commission for a day or two.  Luckily, I just had a bit of a sore arm but was otherwise fine.  I have my next one in a couple of weeks and I've heard that can be tough but I'll just be relieved to have it done with.  

Currently:

Reading:  Murder on Wall Street by Victoria Thompson and She Came Back by Patricia Wentworth

Listening: The Pearl Sister by Lucinda Riley

Watching:  I finished up The Con which is ABC series about scams which I find absolutely fascinating.  I'm not sure if it's still going on but I've been loving it when it shows up on YouTubeTV.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Brat Farrar - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey

Rating: Liked It
Source: Purchased

Description: In this tale of mystery and suspense, a stranger enters the inner sanctum of the Ashby family posing as Patrick Ashby, the heir to the family's sizable fortune. The stranger, Brat Farrar, has been carefully coached on Patrick's mannerism's, appearance, and every significant detail of Patrick's early life, up to his thirteenth year when he disappeared and was thought to have drowned himself. It seems as if Brat is going to pull off this most incredible deception until old secrets emerge that jeopardize the imposter's plan and his life.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I wanted to expand my classic mystery reading and since I love Tey's Daughter of Time I wanted to try this one.

My Impression:  This is a different kind of mystery.  In fact it's not so much a mystery but more the inside view of a crime in progress.  We are in on the con (for lack of a better word) from the very beginning and inside Brat's head for most of the book.  Brat is the most likable conman I've ever come across and I couldn't help but connect with him from the beginning.

But while I connected with Brat and liked most of the characters I had a hard time really feeling pulled into the story.  I found it a bit odd how prosaic the whole family was about Patrick's death and how calm they were to have him back.  There's a distance kept between the characters and the reader that I think kept me from getting pulled in.  I wasn't involved in the story but more of a detached observer.  It is also a slower read without the primary structure of a classic murder mystery.  That isn't to say this is a bad read.  Tey is brilliant at surprising complicated simple plots and this one played out in an intriguing way that is unlike anything I've ever read before.  Despite the distance and slowness this was a book I enjoyed reading and was always one I looked forward to picking up.

I have now read two books by Josephine Tey and each were completely different.  I can't wait to read more from her and see what else she comes up with.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  This is an author that keeps me guessing.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, though be prepared that this is not a classic murder mystery.

Friday Fives - Classic Mystery Authors Whose Books Are On My List to Collect

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  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 have finally faced facts that I am a collector.  Minimalism seems to be very much in fashion and in theory I'm all for it but when it really comes down to it I like my stuff and I get a lot of joy from collecting and arranging.  One of my favorite things to collect is books by specific authors.  There's something oh so fun about the list making and the hunt for the next book.  Sometimes that can come back to bite me as back in college I decided a particular historical mystery series would be my favorite thing and I made it my mission to buy all the books.  The problem is I hadn't actually read them.  And when I did read a few it turns out I disliked the author's writing style intensely.  So now I try to read a book or two BEFORE I go on a collecting spree.  Here are 5 classic mystery authors whose books are on my list to start collecting.

1.  Patricia Moyes - I read a few Patricia Moyes books when I was a teenager because my Grandmother had a few hiding on her shelves but somehow completely forgot she existed.  I stumbled across her name recently and remembered just how much I enjoyed her books and decided it was collection time!

2.  Catherine Aird - I've read a few Aird books now and desperately want to read more.  I have the book above coming up on my TBR for this month and will be hunting down the rest of her books soon!  

3.  Dorothy L. Sayers - I don't think it's a secret that I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan but somehow I've never read much by Sayers.  I did read the first book several years ago and I'm planning on reading the second soon so I might wait until I get three books by her read but then the collection will be on!

4.  Dorothy Gilman - This is an author I'm already working on and so far every book of hers that I've read has been an absolute delight.  Mrs. Pollifax is working her way into my favorite fictional characters rubbing shoulders with Miss Marple and Miss Silver.  I'm looking forward to trying some of her standalone books as well.

5.  Dorothy Simpson - Apparently I have quite the surplus of Dorothys on this list!  I read a few books from this author as a teenager (raiding my Grandmother's shelves again) and remember enjoying them but nothing else.  I have one book by this author on my shelf so I'm going to give this a try before I go full collection mode.

Are you a collector?