Books from the Backlog - The Simplicity of Cider

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 Simplicity of Cider by Amy E. Reichert

Blurb:  Focused and unassuming fifth generation cider-maker Sanna Lund has one desire: to live a simple, quiet life on her family’s apple orchard in Door County, Wisconsin. Although her business is struggling, Sanna remains fiercely devoted to the orchard, despite her brother’s attempts to convince their aging father to sell the land.
Single dad Isaac Banks has spent years trying to shield his son Sebastian from his troubled mother. Fleeing heartbreak at home, Isaac packed up their lives and the two headed out on an adventure, driving across the country. Chance—or fate—led them straight to Sanna’s orchard.

Isaac’s helping hands are much appreciated at the apple farm, even more when Sanna’s father is injured in an accident. As Sanna’s formerly simple life becomes increasingly complicated, she finds solace in unexpected places—friendship with young Sebastian and something more deliciously complex with Isaac—until an outside threat infiltrates the farm.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has been on my TBR since it came out and it sounds delightful.  

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst

At the beginning of the year, I made a list of authors that I've been saying I need to read and commit to reading at least one book by each of the authors in 2026.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.

Goodreads:  The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst

Blurb:  Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey haven't been close in years, but when the sisters are forced to come together to settle their mother's estate, they discover a secret. In an old trunk, they happen upon ownership papers for a house on the Amalfi Coast, along with a love letter to their mother from an anonymous man, promising to meet her in Italy during the summer of her sixty-fifth birthday.
Now they're questioning everything they knew about her history. In order to get answers about the woman they thought they knew, they'll have to go back to where it all started. The sisters embark on a trip to the stunning cliffside village of Positano, Italy, to track down the mysterious ex-lover, and figure out who their mother really was.

As Priscilla, Devon, and Bailey unearth the truth, they also experience the magic of Italy, the power of sisterly love, a little unexpected romance, and newfound hope for the future.

My Thoughts:  I really enjoyed this book.  I'm only child so of course I love books involving sisters and this really focused on relationships. Nothing is unicorns and rainbows between the sisters in general and in their personal lives.  They are very different women with different looking outlooks on life and finding common ground does not come easily to any of them but the results are worth it.  Pris was probably my favorite character and seeing her come to terms with her life and figuring out what she really wanted was really enjoyable.  I loved the Italian setting and the food mentions.  I enjoyed The search for the mysterious R but honestly that was secondary compared to the sisters themselves.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and more of her books set in Italy.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books For Armchair Traveling on My TBR

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 For Armchair Traveling.  Here are ten books from my TBR that I hope take me traveling very soon.W 

1.  The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Post-war Spain.  Probably not the best vacation destination but it does sound interesting.

2.  Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst - I could use a vacation to Italy about now.

3.  The Memory of Lavendar and Sage by Aimee K. Runyan - I also wouldn't turn down a trip to Lavender fields in Southern France.

4.  Peach Tea Smash by Laura Childs - Charleston, South Carolina is always a lovely place to visit but do avoid themed tea related events as there is usually a dead body.

5.  Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson - Iceland is really high on my To Visit list.   The book is probably a bit more murder-y and bleak than I'd like my visit to be but I'm willing to take some chances!

6.  The Enchanted Hacienda by J.C. Cervantes - This one has very mixed reviews but a visit to magical house in Mexico doesn't sound bad.

7.  Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey - A coastal island in North Carolina sounds like a perfect vacation right now.

8.  The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen - Bowen always does a fantastic job making her settings come to life and I've always wanted to go to Venice.

9.  What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand - I've been to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands and loved it so I imagine I would also love St. John.  Plus, it seems like it'd be warm and I'm currently very cold.

10. One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan - Back to France but this time to Paris!

What books are on your armchair travel list?

Book Buying Habits Tag

I found this Book Buying Habits Tag over at Zeezee With Books who got it from the creator, Booktuber Megan Olivier, who doesn't seem to be active anymore.  I thought it looked fun and a bit different from what I usually see.

Where Do You Buy Your Books?

A mix of places.  I try and visit my local bookstores - an indie, Barnes and Noble, and a couple of different used bookstores regularly because I want them all to stay in business.  I also use thriftbooks and occasionally Amazon as well.

Do You Ever Preorder Books, and if So Do You Do This Online or In-Store?

Very rarely and when I do I typically preorder online because I'm lazy.

On average, how many books a month do you buy?  

I'd say maybe 5 a month though I tend to run pretty feast or famine.  Sometimes I'm buying books by the dozen and then I might go a month or two without buying any or only one or two.  I'm trying to read more from my shelves and from the library this year so that number may drop.

Do you use your local library?

Yes!  I love my library and use it regularly.  It's easy to get books transferred from other branches to the one closest to me and right now I have 4 books on the way.  I especially use the audio programs (both Libby and Hoopla) and get a lot of cookbooks from them as well.   The website will also store lists and you can categorize them and I spend WAY to much time doing that!

If so - how many books can you/do you borrow at a time?

I think the cap for physical books might be 30 but I tend to borrow around 5 at a time - inclduing cookbooks.  For audio I think the limit might be 10 but I'm one at a time there so it doesn't really matter.

What is your opinion on library books

Love them! Especially cookbooks.  My only issue is when a book is really bulky it's not a good book to read in bed or in the bath but that's not really library book specific.

How do you feel about second-hand books?

For the most part I love them though I have had a few that smelled really strongly of smoke or mold and those don't even come in the house.   I haven't had that issue in a longtime though but it happened occasionally when I was doing paperbackswap.com years ago.

Do you keep your read and TBR pile together/on the same shelf or not?

Not really.  I don't keep that many of my read books but when I do they're usually separate from the books I'm going to read.

Do you plan to read all the books you own?

That's the plan and I also plan to read all the books on my library lists and all the new ones that catch my eye and I'm not stopping shopping anytime soon.  I'm not sure how realistic of a plan it is but it is the plan!

What do you do with books you own that you feel you'll never read/felt you didn't enjoy?

Typically once I finish a book I'll trade it in to one of the used bookstores for credit.  If it's not something I think they'll take I'll usually donate it or give it to someone I think will like it.  I don't keep the majority of the books I've read unless I feel like I'll reread them or they're special for whatever reason.  I'm not great about admitting I won't read something but when I do it's usually the same result.

Have you ever donated books?

Sometimes but usually not unless the library is taking donations.

Have you ever been on a book-buying ban?

Not really - at least not an official one.  My focus sometimes changes to reading my own books so I take a break from buying but then sometimes I really want to go buy books.

Do you feel that you buy too many books?

No.  As long as I have shelf space I'm not going to worry about it!

What are your book buying/library habits?

This Week in Reading - February 15

 

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

What I Got:

A Neighbor's Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish

When You Loved Me by Beatriz Williams 

Currently:

Reading:  The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti by Jennifer Probst and Booking for Trouble by Jenn McKinlay

Slow Read:  The Queen Who Came in From the Cold by S.J. Bennett

Listening:  The Judas Monk Murders by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley

Watching:  I've been watching Chase Bridges try to solve the mystery of Pretty Little Liars on YouTube.  I've never watched Pretty Little Liars and have no desire to watch the show but I have completely fallen down the rabbit hole here.  I love his channel and watching him try to solve the mysteries of various TV shows.

It's been a fairly quiet week which was very much needed.  I've really enjoyed the bulk of the reading I've done this year so focusing on reading what I love seems to be working.  I'm also working on my 26 in 2026 list.  Right now the goal is to finally learn how to eat with chopsticks - next up make a roulade.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Murder at Hazelmoor - Classic Mystery Review

 Goodreads: Murder at Hazelmoor (also published as The Sittaford Mystery) by Agatha Christie

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

Description:  M-U-R-D-E-R. It began as an innocent parlor game intended to while away the hours on a bitter winter night. But the message that appeared before the amateur occultists snowbound at the Sittaford House was spelled out as loud and clear as a scream. Of course, the notion that they had foretold doom was pure bunk. Wasn't it? And the discovery of a corpse was pure coincidence. Wasn't it? If they're to discover the answer to this baffling murder, perhaps they should play again. But a journey into the spirit world could prove terribly dangerous—especially when the killer is lurking in this one.

Genre:  Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book: This was the December pick for the 2025 Read Christie Challenge  

My Impression:  This is an interesting mystery with what seems to be an impossible murder.  A suspect is almost immediately arrested and charged but Emily, his fiancé, is convinced they have it wrong and with the help of a reporter, Charles, is determined to figure it out.  

While the murder is unique the setup for the investigation is one Christie uses occasionally - the scrappy girl investigator determined to prove someone innocent.  It's a fun one and this was a good mix of the old and the new - old Army colonels in a small English village and young bright independent people.  Throw in a blizzard, an escaped convict, and some seriously sketchy house guests and it makes for a solid enjoyable mystery. 

Side note - the Miss Marple episode featuring Geraldine McEwan under this title is completely bonkers and bears only the slightest resemblance to the book.  It does make for a fun watch though.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  I've already started the Read Christie Challenge for 2026

Would I Recommend this Book? Yes, definitely.  This is what I consider one of the mid-range mysteries.  It's not the most memorable but it's a solid read.

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

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.  The Seventh Sinner by Elizabeth Peters - This is the first book in the Jacqueline Kirby series and I enjoyed it.  Jacqueline is a fun character who always manages to surprise the reader.  There's also an interesting cast of characters with a group of students from all of the world studying in Italy.  This isn't the most memorable read but it is a lot of fun and the audio is a good one.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

2.  Someone to Care by Mary Balogh - This is the 4th book in the Westcott series and focuses on the former Countess of Riverdale, Viola.  After the death of her husband the very proper Viola discovers that her husband was in fact not her husband and her children were illegitimate.  Everything she thought was real was a lie and she and her children are desperately trying to figure out their new futures.  I really enjoyed that this was a bit of a second chance romance with two older characters (she is 42, he is 39) who have some life experience.  While this is a romance and does focus on that there is also a lot of Viola trying to navigate her new life with her family and coming to terms with her feelings.  I really enjoyed this one and am looking forward to reading more of this series.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

3.  The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst - I read and absolutely loved the previous book in this series so I was so excited to pick this one up and was not disappointed.  This is a lovely story with lovely people and stunning sounding greenhouses.  Terlu was mentioned in the first book so I was thrilled to see her getting her own story.  She's such a sweet natured person and I loved her relationship with Yarrow and all the sentient plants as well as her increasing drive to save the greenhouse.  This is a fairly quiet story with lots of discussions, trial and error spellcasting, and exploring the greenhouses but I never felt like the story lagged.  The audio is wonderful and I highly recommend going that route if you are interested in this one.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

4.  The Murders of Mrs. Austin and Mrs. Beale by Jill McGown - This police procedural was published in the early 90s so there's a lack of reliance on cell phones and internet which makes for an interesting investigation.  Unfortunately, I didn't love this one.  The mystery is good and the connections are interesting with an interesting twist in the conclusion.  Unfortunately, I really didn't like any of the characters - especially the lead investigators - and the writing style just didn't work for me.  It felt so mired in details that I often missed big reveals.  By the end this was probably because I really didn't care.  This is the 4th in a series so it's possible I would have enjoyed it more if I knew the characters better but by the end of this book I didn't really want to know the characters better so I think I'm one and done with this series.  My Rating:  Just Okay (2 Stars)

5.  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - I almost didn't read this one as the premise didn't appeal to me at all but then I saw some good reviews from people who have similar reading tastes so I added it to my Audio TBR jar - and then the jar told me it was time to read it.  I almost DNF'd it in at around 10% as I didn't care for Nora and I just didn't see how this premise was going to work but decided to keep going with it and pretty soon after I was absolutely hooked.  This is a unique premise beautifully executed with a main character who doesn't feel like anything is going right in her life.  As she spends time with in the Midnight Library and with all the different versions of herself she finds herself realizing what really matters in a way that is true to her.  I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this and I'm pleased to see there's a second book coming out in May.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)