Friday, September 19, 2025

Friday Fives - Five Books to Read As We Head Into Spooky Season


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 like a spooky book which I consider meaning less scary as a scary book or a horror book.  Spooky is more eerie with lots of atmosphere and here are 5 books I'm hoping to read to help me prep for Spooky season!


1.  The Broken Girls by Simone St James - I'm not sure I can have a spooky book list without something by Simone St James on it!


2.  The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller - I loved another book from this author so I would love a book with that same level of atmosphere but spooky.


3.  Home Before Dark by Riley Sager - I've enjoyed what I've read by Riley Sager and this one looks extra spooky!


4.  Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett - This has been sitting on my shelf for years.  I read some great reviews for it and it involves the 1920s and ghosts so it seems like it'd be a win.


5.  The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox - A spooky library?  Yes, please!  Also, this is an author I've been wanting to read for ages and this one looks great and more than a bit spooky.

What spooky reads are on your TBR?

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Books from the Backlog - Darling Girls


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:  Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Blurb:  For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I read one book and really enjoyed it so of course picked up another book by her.  Then I heard some mixed reviews and saw this book touched on some darker topics so I kind of stalled out with the reading.  I need to go on and get this started to find out what I think!

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

How to Clean House While Drowning vs Outer Order, Inner Calm

 

Goodreads:  How to Keep House While Drowning by K.C. Davis

Blurb:  How to Keep House While Drowning will introduce you to six life-changing principles that will revolutionize the way you approach home care—without endless to-do lists. Presented in 31 daily thoughts, this compassionate guide will help you begin to get free of the shame and anxiety you feel over home care.
Inside you will learn:
· How to shift your perspective of care tasks from moral to functional;
· How to stop negative self-talk and shame around care tasks;
· How to give yourself permission to rest, even when things aren’t finished;
· How to motivate yourself to care for your space.

My Thoughts:  Most of this didn't apply to me. I'm not overwhelmed and by pretty much all standards my house is very neat.  However, I really liked her tone and her general message.  Just because your house is clean doesn't mean you're a better, happier, more worthy person.  Make your space serve you and not the other way around. There's a calming positive tone to the whole book and it is a quick easy read.  I'd say there's no new or groundbreaking information but these days with constant social media feedback I think an entire book saying "be kind to yourself" and "give yourself a little grace" kind of does feel groundbreaking.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)


Goodreads:  Outer Order, Inner Calm: Declutter and Organize To Make Room For Happiness by Gretchen Rubin

Blurb:  Bestselling author of The Four Tendencies and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin illuminates one of her key realizations about happiness: For most of us, outer order contributes to inner calm. In a new book packed with more than one hundred concrete ideas, she helps us create the order and organization that can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative.
In the context of a happy life, a messy desk or crowded coat closet is a trivial problem–yet Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of the stuff of life makes us feel more in control of our lives generally. By getting rid of things we don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love, as well as things that don’t work, don’t fit, or don’t suit, we free our mind (and our shelves) for what we truly value.

In this trim book filled with insights, strategies, and sometimes surprising tips, Gretchen tackles the key challenges of creating outer order, by explaining how to “Make Choices,” “Create Order,” “Know Yourself–and Others,” “Cultivate Helpful Habits,” and, of course, “Add Beauty.”

When we get our possessions under control, we feel both calmer and more energetic. With a sense of humor, and also a clear sense of what’s realistic for most people, Gretchen suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment–one that helps us to create the lives we yearn for.

My Thoughts:  I've read several books by Gretchen Rubin and like her kind of straightforward writing style.  While she's probably not for everyone, I find her take on life interesting and applicable for most people.  A lot of this reads like a checklist for ideas of tackling unmanageable spots in your home.  The advice is fairly simple and easy to follow with a heavy focus on do what works for you.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

My Thoughts on Both Books:  I'm not sure it's possible for these books to be more different in tone.  Davis is kind and warm and Rubin is blunt and straightforward.  However, their message is very similar - do what works for you.  Do what makes your life better and improves your days.  It's not about perfection but about improving in ways that are meaningful to you.  They actually work really well as a pair.  Davis's book for starting out when you're so overwhelmed you don't know where to start and Rubin for a list of action items once you've gotten started.  It was interesting to read them fairly close together and I would recommend them both.

Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday - Bookish Candles I Wish Existed


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 Bookish Candles I'd Make.  I'm a big fan of candle fragrances inspired by places - real or fictional so I love this topic!  Here are 10 candles I wish existed.


1.  At Bertram's Hotel by Agatha Christie - This isn't my favorite Christie story (or even close) but it takes place in a very traditional British hotel with tea and "proper seedcake" so I'm imagining a mix of tea and baked goods and maybe a touch of lemon oil.

2.  The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick - Obviously there needs to be a strong bookish note but also with a seaside note and ice cream (and maybe a touch of cotton candy?)

3.  Bodies and Battlements by Elizabeth Penney - The main character makes bath products and candles along with running a B&B that is on a cliff overlooking the sea.  So clearly we need another seaside salty note but this time with lots of herby spa scents as well.

4.  Picked to Die (and really the whole series) by Sheila Connolly - This series takes place in an apple orchard so a bit of fresh grass with a touch of apple would be amazing.

5.  Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand - They drink a lot of tropical drinks in this book so tropical fruit, a touch of sunscreen, and a rum note.


6.  Toxic Toffee (and the rest of the Amish Candy Shop series) by Amanda Flowers - I don't think I need to even describe it!

7.  Beast of the North Woods by Annelisle Ryan - A frosty woods scent - clean cold air with some pine and juniper notes and maybe something dark and spooky like a patchouli note or something just to add a little mystery.

8.  Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - These exist in many different forms and can be bought by the truckload from Etsy.  I may need to buy a few to test them out.  I think an Anne candle would require a bit of raspberry for the raspberry cordial and a floral note for the Ophelia scene but there are so many other notes required I can see why there are so many varieties.

9.  The Christmas Tree Farm Series by Jacqueline Frost - Snow, pine, peppermint and vanilla.  There probably are candles that smell like that and I want to find one!

10.  A Bakeshop Mysteries by Ellie Alexander - Coffee and baked goods with maybe notes of chocolate.  It would smell amazing!

What candles you like to have?

Monday, September 15, 2025

Authors I've Been Meaning to Read - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez


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 2025.  Here's my thoughts on one of those books/authors.


Goodreads:  Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez

Blurb:   After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.
While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

My Thoughts:  I have heard nothing but raves about Abby Jimenez so my expectations were high going in to this one.  And for the most part those expectations were met.  Daniel is a fantastic character and I think you pretty much have to love him from the moment he appears on the page.  Alexis is a little bit more of a challenge.  I connected with her from the beginning though she isn't always likable.  She has been raised with absurdly high expectations and a legacy that she has been made to feel that she has to live up to though she always disappoints a bit.  Alexis is smart, driven, and incredibly kind but has always felt that she wasn't enough and while it's not true it's hard to just flip a switch and let that go all of a sudden.  I very much sympathized with her even though at times I wanted to reach into the pages and shake her.  I did like her growing awareness of the world around her as well as the realization that not everyone around her are people she needs to keep around her.  I liked the book but I did feel a little frustrated at times as Alexis seemed paralyzed.  But that ending ... I listened to this and the narrators were fantastic but for the ending I wish I had a print copy because I would have liked to flip back reread a few scenes.   I'm really looking forward to reading the next book to see Bri's story and I will definitely be reading more from this author.  My Rating:  Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)

Friday, September 12, 2025

Friday Fives - Five Books I've Recently DNF'd


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.   Today I'm talking about 5 books I DNF'd recently.  I'm not much of a DNFer but it's a habit I'm trying to get better as since it does me no good to unhappily trudge through a book.


1.  Go Ask Fannie by Elizabeth Hyde - This book really had me thinking about my reasoning for DNFing books.  It's been on my TBR for ages with a premise that sounds right up my alley.  I read about 100 pages of it and found the writing and pacing well done.  That said I was absolutely not enjoying reading it at all.  For starters all three siblings were rather dreadful.  I don't mind characters with flaws but the more I read the less I liked them and the less connected I felt with them which is not the direction I care to go. But I wasn't hating it so I was going to slog my way through it.  Then I had a sit down with myself and did some thinking.  This isn't a review book or a nonfiction book - this is supposed to be a fun read and I am very much an escapist reader.  With that in mind  -what is the benefit for making myself finish a book I'm not enjoying?  And with that I put this one down and picked up a book that I enjoyed much more!  DNF'd Page 107


2.  All the Water in the World by Eiren Caffall - This is a dystopian novel that takes place after the glaciers melt.  The weather has become very unstable and Nonie who is a young teenager is trying to survive with her family   This isn't my usual type of book but I thought I would give it a try as the premise did sound interesting.  Unfortunately, the author's writing style never clicked with me.  Nonie's narration felt emotionally distant from even the most dramatic events that happened which made it impossible for me to connect with what was happening.  From the posted reviews it looked like while there were people who loved the book and found the writing style the readers who found it boring found it boring all the way through to the end.  DNF'd Page 93


3.  Accused by Lisa Scottoline - I picked up the audio from the library as I've been interested in reading something by this author for some time.  The mystery is a bit unusual as a suspect has already been tried and convicted but the victim's 13 year old sister isn't convinced the right guy is sitting in jail.   The concept of the book about whether the client can be trusted and what really happened in this case was an interesting one.  However, the primary character, attorney Mary DiNunzio, was hard to warm up to and it was difficult to believe she had made partner in a big law firm as it didn't seem like she could make a major decision to save her life.  Her family drove me crazy and I just didn't care to keep them all straight.  After a little while I realized I just didn't care about any of the characters or how it turned out.  This wasn't terrible but wasn't for me.  DNF'd 37% (audio)


4.  Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy -
This isn't a permanent DNF but it is a reminder that while I'm not really a mood reader there are sometimes when my mood does impact my enjoyment of a book.  I've been teetering on the edge of a reading slump due to just a frantically busy schedule.  This book is character packed and slow paced with some truly dreadful characters.  I think I will enjoy it as a slow read at a later time but as a regular read when I'm exhausted and distracted it just didn't work.  Instead of forcing myself through it and probably sliding into a full on slump I've put this down and will maybe pick it up again in few months.  Soft DNF'd Page 61


5.  Renegade by Marissa Meyer -
If this had been a standalone I probably would have finished it.  The writing style and world building were pretty good, and I liked the characters enough to see where the story went.  However, it's a trilogy and when it really came down to it I decided I wasn't interested enough to make it through 3 books.  If you're a super hero/YA urban fantasy fan I think this would be an interesting and enjoyable series.  This has been on my TBR list since it first came out as I did enjoy the first two books in the Lunar Chronicles but I think when it comes down for it this world just isn't for me.  DNF'd 29%

Thursday, September 11, 2025

Books from the Backlog - The Life She Wants


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 Life She Wants by Robyn Carr

Blurb:  In the aftermath of her financier husband's suicide, Emma Shay Compton's dream life is shattered. Richard Compton stole his clients' life savings to fund a lavish life in New York City and, although she was never involved in the business, Emma bears the burden of her husband's crimes. She is left with nothing.
Only one friend stands by her, a friend she's known since high school, who encourages her to come home to Sonoma County. But starting over isn't easy, and Sonoma is full of unhappy memories, too. And people she'd rather not face, especially Riley Kerrigan.

Riley and Emma were like sisters—until Riley betrayed Emma, ending their friendship. Emma left town, planning to never look back. Now, trying to stand on her own two feet, Emma can't escape her husband's reputation and is forced to turn to the last person she thought she'd ever ask for help—her former best friend. It's an uneasy reunion as both women face the mistakes they've made over the years. Only if they find a way to forgive each other—and themselves—can each of them find the life she wants.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I started this years ago when it first came out and was enjoying it but had to put it up to read something else and never got back to it.  I would really like to actually finish this at some point!

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

Ghost Business - Paranormal Romance Review

Goodreads:  Ghost Business (Boneyard Key #2) by Jen DeLuca

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

Description: Boneyard Key, Florida, is the only home Sophie has ever known. Her love for its supernatural history has flourished into a career, as she guides the one and only ghost tour through the town’s can’t-miss haunted spots. And while her bank account isn’t full by any means, her heart is. Or at least, it was.

But there's a newcomer in town. The son of a Fortune 500 businessman, former theater kid Tristan has grown his tours from a fraternity fundraiser to a multicity ghost tour conglomerate. It’s doing well, but not well enough—if he can’t prove that he’s solidly in the black by the fall, Dad’s going to pull his funding, spelling the end of his career. Boneyard Key, with its haunted reputation, seems like the perfect place to boost his bottom line.

When the two ghost tours clash, Sophie’s expletive-filled rant goes viral, and the rivals strike up a deal. Whoever has the most successful business by summer’s end stays, while the loser must ghost. But the more Tristan comes to appreciate Boneyard Key, the more Sophie comes to appreciate Tristan, and what starts as begrudging respect becomes something spicier. Can they put their feuding businesses aside to make room for a chance at love, or is Boneyard Key too small for two ghost tours?

Genre: Romance - Paranormal

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the first book so I was looking forward to this second book.

My Impression:  I love the community of Boneyard Key.  Between the ghosts, the community, and the history that is such a big part of life in the book.  Sophie is a great character.  She's a hard worker, a local with strong connections around her, and a true love for what she does.  I also really liked seeing past characters from the previous book both main and side characters as well as reading about how the events of the first book impacted the lore around town.  

DeLuca's writing style really works for me.  The pacing is good and her characters jump off the page.  There's a sense of humor woven throughout of the scenes that I really enjoy.  This is very much a case of it's not you it's me with this book.  I'm just not a fan of most enemies to lovers tropes and I really don't love the main characters in competition - especially when there is so much at stake.  As well, in this situation there is a character who is well established in town and the other character is coming in by their own choice and trying to disrupt the first character's business.   I've read another book with a similar plot this year and in both books I find it really hard to root for a relationship between the two characters - no matter how good they might be for each other and how much I like them.  I think it is safe to say that this particular trope does not work for me but if it isn't one of your issues I think that you'll really love this one.  

There's a lot to enjoy here.  The setting is fantastic, the characters are fun and who doesn't enjoy a good ghost-y book?  The fact that this story contained one of my least favorite tropes and I still enjoyed it is a good sign.   I can't wait to read more from this author.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  While this wasn't my favorite I really enjoy this author's characters and writing style and am looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Yes, with reservations.  If, like me, you're not a fan of this trope this may not be your favorite.  That said I really recommend reading the first one and I bet you won't be able to resist picking this one up.

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

Tuesday, September 9, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday - Villains from Films


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 Villains freebie.  Very few of my books tend to have villains - murders, yes but not characters I would really consider villains but when it comes to movies I love a good villain.  Here are 10 of my favorites from movies.


1.  Humperdinck (played by Chris Sarandon) from The Princess Bride - Is there any villain slimier than Prince Humperdinck?

2.  Gregory Anton (played by Charles Boyer) in Gaslight - This whole film gives me chills and is really an astonishingly astute depiction of emotional abuse and cruelty.  Boyer places the role to perfection and it's Angela Lansbury's debut film which is also a big plus.

3.  Cruella de Vil (voiced by Betty Lou Gerson) in the 1961 version of 101 Dalmatians - She wants to skin puppies to make a coat.  Not only is she incredibly evil but she is also incredibly ineffective and unorganized.  

4.  Dr. Herman Einstein (played by Peter Laurie) in Arsenic and Old Lace - Peter Laurie plays just the creepiest characters and he is just terrifying in this one.   The movie itself is hilarious in a bit of a twisted way but anytime Laurie is on screen there is a decided mood shift.

5.  The Queen of Hearts (voiced by Verna Felton) in the 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland - She is absolutely unhinged and I love the movie and her with my whole heart.


6.  The Wicked Witch of the West (played by Margaret Hamilton) in The Wizard of Oz - She's such an iconic villain I couldn't leave her off the list.  I've read a number of interviews with her and she seems like she was an absolutely delightful woman with a fantastic sense of humor.  She (and her stunt double) were both severely injured during filming and after this movie she refused to do any films with fireworks.

7.  Mr. Potter (played by Lionel Barrymore) in It's a Wonderful Life - Oh he's just the worst.  Not only is he mean but he is sneaky and dishonest and petty.

8.  Cody Jarrett (played by James Cagney) in White Heat - The movie is a bit cheesy but Cagney created the film gangster in this movie so it has to be mentioned - also Virginia Mayo is stunning.

Book/Movie Villains

9.  Josie Pye (played by Miranda de Pencier in the 1985 version) in Anne of Green Gables - Josie Pye is one of my least favorite fictional characters.  I don't want her to have a redemption arc or really anything redeeming.  I want her to have a comeuppance and stay there!  And that goes for both book and film version.

10. Mrs. Danvers (played by Judith Anderson) in Rebecca - I'm not afraid of many people but Mrs. Danvers terrifies me.  The scene where she talks the unnamed main character into wearing a particular costume is perhaps the cruelest action of any fictional character ever.  She just radiates malice in all forms.

Who are some of your favorite villains?  

Monday, September 8, 2025

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jonasson

Rating: Just Okay (2.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  One winter evening bestselling crime author, Elín S. Jónsdóttir goes missing.

There are no clues to her disappearance and it is up to young detective, Helgi, to crack the case before it's leaked to the press.

As he interviews the people closest to her – a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge – he realises that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than her stories.

As the case of the missing crime writer becomes more mysterious by the hour, Helgi must uncover the secrets of a very unexpected life . . .

Genre:  Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've heard good things about this author and the premise caught my eye.

My Impression:  I haven't read many books set Iceland and I was pleasantly surprised to find this to be a more straightforward mystery than a dark noir-y story.  Helgi is a detective who adores reading - especially Golden Age detective stories and I loved the bookish references.   There are three major plot points running through the story - the missing writer, the story of a police detective who went missing a number of years prior, and Helgi's personal life involving his girlfriend and his incredibly toxic ex.  All three have fairly equal page time though only one is truly resolved at the end.

This was a fairly quick read with an even pace.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me.  I don't know if it was the translation or the writing style but I found it fairly clunky and while there was progress made in each story I found I just didn't fully care about any of it.  As well, there's an interview sprinkled throughout the story that didn't quite fit and while it did make sense by the end it wasn't enough of an ah-ha moment for me to really care.  

This is a series with more multi-book plots than the usual mystery series and the storyline involving Helgi's personal life ends with a bit of cliffhanger.  Unfortunately, because of my lack of connection to the story or the characters I have very little interest in continuing with the series.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?   Probably not.  I did enjoy the feel of the story but the lack of connection doesn't have me wanting to spend more time with Helgi.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Not really though it is fairly popular so I may be the odd one out.  If you are curious about the series I would recommend starting with a different book.

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

Saturday, September 6, 2025

Monthly Reading Recap - August 2025


Monthly Reading Total: 17 -
I feel like I'm slowly getting back into my reading groove which is nice.  I've missed being able to sink into a book.

Type:

Print: 7

Ebook:  5

Audio: 5

Genre:

Mystery - 10

Fiction - 3

Romance - 1

Nonfiction: 3

Favorite Books of the Month:


The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center - This was absolutely adorable and such a good listen.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews - This cozy mystery series is bonkers in the best way and this was a fun addition.


Bookish Armchair Travel

Domestic: I visited Idaho and Georgia for the first time this month and revisited Virginia (twice), California (three times), New York, North Carolina, and Ohio

International Travel: I visited England (three times), Ireland, and France

How was your reading in August?  Where did your books take you?




Friday, September 5, 2025

Friday Fives - September TBR


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. Since this is the first Friday in September I'm planning my September TBR.


1.  Ghost Business Jen DeLuca - I enjoyed the first book in this series and am looking forward to seeing how what happens next on Boneyard Key.


2.  Heir and Graces by Rhys Bowen - This is the next in the Royal Spyness series.


3.  Wild Ride by Hayley Arceneaux - This has been on my Priority Reads list and since September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this seems like the time time to read it.


4.  Every Single Secret by Christina Dodd - This is a fun romantic suspense series and this should be a nice bit of escapist reading.


5.  The Collector's Apprentice by B.A. Shapiro - The blurb on this one caught my eye literally years ago so I snapped it up and then let it sit on my shelves.

What are you planning on reading this month?

Thursday, September 4, 2025

Books from the Backlog - Year One


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:  Year One by Nora Roberts

Blurb:   The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed--and more than half of the world's population was decimated.
Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river--or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I skipped this one when it came but I've read several of Roberts more fantasy/paranormal books lately and enjoyed them.  I feel like I need to give this trilogy a try.

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Reading For Fun - The Kamogawa Food Detectives


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.  Here is one that I've read recently.


Goodreads:  The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai

Blurb:  What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

My Thoughts: This was a lovely read.  I really enjoy this format of essentially connected short stories with the same "food detectives" and setting but a different main character with their own story.  I found the details of the food fascinating but not as fascinating as the details of the investigation - and why this particular person wanted this particular dish.  This was a quiet read that I really enjoyed and am looking forward to reading more from this author.  My Rating: Loved It (4.75 Stars)

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books with Occupations in the Title


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 with Occupations in the Title.   This was hard!  I had to search through all my booklists to find ten titles.


1.  The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl -  While not complimentary a bookaneer was actually what the called book pirates and forgers in the nineteenth century which I found really interesting.

2.  The Coroner by Jennifer Dombush 

3.  Radio Girls by Sarah Jane Stratford

4.  A Nun in the Closet by Dorothy Gilman 

5.  The Winemaker's Wife by Kristin Harmel


6.  The Thief Knot by Kate Milford

7.  The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton

8.  The Cartographer's Secret by Tea Cooper

9.  The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

10. The Author's Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams 

Do you have books on your shelf or on your TBR with occupations in the title?

Monday, September 1, 2025

Death in the Countryside - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Death in the Countryside by Maira Malone

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

Description:  Sergeant Ali Wren has recently returned to her charming Yorkshire hometown of Heft, accompanied by her trusty canine companion Officer PD Wilson, a Springer Spaniel with a nose for trouble. Together they are the police force quietly serving the town.

When Brian, an older resident, reports his wife, Melody, missing, Ali at first suspects a routine case. Melody, tired of playing dutiful wife to an inattentive husband, may simply have left. But suspicion soon begins to mount when it emerges that Brian’s first wife died under tragic circumstances and Ali uncovers evidence of Melody’s recent puzzling behavior.



Genre: Mystery 

Why I Picked This Book:   Honestly, the dog on the cover completely sold it and I can't resist the first book in a new mystery series.

My Impression:  I thoroughly enjoyed this read.  It's somewhere between a cozy and a straightforward mystery with a small-town police officer and her working dog Wilson.  There was a certain old-fashioned flavor to this one that reminded me a little of Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh with a lot of village business and a slow reveal of the mystery. 

Ali has quite a lot going on.  She's the sole police officer in a little town where the residents don't have many boundaries when it comes to involving her in their squabbles.  With all of that she's pulled in a million different directions all the time.  When Brian, an older reserved resident reports his wife, Melody, missing Ali at first dismisses it as a woman running from a bat situation.  But as the investigation continues the clues seem to be pointing in two separate directions and Ali suspects there are things that Brian isn't telling her.

This was a solid mystery with a likable main character and a fabulous dog sidekick.  It's not the fastest paced read but I enjoyed the slower unraveling that reminded me a bit of the classic mysteries I really love.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  This was just a delight and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?   If you enjoy the classic mystery feel this is a must read.

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