Reading What I Love - We'll Prescribe You a Cat

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:  We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida

Blurb:  Tucked away on the fifth floor of an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can be found only by people who are struggling in their lives and who genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, and occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.
Throughout these pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a hardened handbag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha learns to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients grapple with their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.

Why I think I'll love this one:  I have really enjoyed the Japanese cozy fiction I've read and the premise and cover of this one made me smile.

My Thoughts:  So the premise is fairly simple - a group of people who are dissatisfied by some aspect of their life one by one come to an out of the way mental health clinic.  There they are met by a cranky nurse, an unusual doctor and given a cat.  The results are interesting and at times unexpected and the cats are effective in different ways.   What made this book stand out from the other books I've read in this genre is the clinic itself.  There's something unusual about it and that takes a bit of time to get revealed.  This is a good slow pace read - one story at a time.  I enjoyed it and found it a calming and entertaining read.  I'm planning on picking up the next book in the series to see just what happens next.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

This Week in Reading - February 8

 

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:

The Moonsingers by Robin J. Pritzker - The cover caught my eye and I have been loving cozy fantasy.  (Publisher)

The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth - This sounds like a really fun cozy mystery (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly and The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews

Listening:  The Spitfire Murders by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley

Slow Read: Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo

Watching:  We are on countdown to Formula 1 starting back up so that will soon take over the bulk of our TV watching but until then we are watching Death in Pardise which we really enjoy though we only have a couple of seasons left.  

I had migraines most of the week which made for not much happening and now has me feeling pretty wiped out.  I'm able to at least get some reading done now which is good. I did take some of the downtime to make a list of places I want to visit or things I want to learn how to do this year so I'm looking forward to getting started on that.

Have a good week and happy reading!

My First Reading Recap of 2026 - My January Reading

Monthly Reading Total: 20 - I was really enjoying my reading in January - especially when it came to my print books.

Type:

Print: 8

Ebook:  6

Audio: 6

Genre:

Mystery - 12

Fiction - 4

Romance - 4

Favorite Books of the Month:

The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig tied for my favorite audiobooks

Monster in the Moonlight by Annelise Ryan was probably the book I physically read that I most enjoyed (that wasn't a reread)

Rereads:  

I'm trying to make sure I get some rereads in this year as I always enjoy it and I was in the habit of not letting myself pick up some old favorites.  Here is what I reread in January:

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts - Did not disappoint.  I always love when a group of characters are putting together a team and I'm not sure anyone does it better than Roberts.

The House on Blackberry Hill by Donna Alward - Meh.  It didn't live up to my memory of it.  Love the concept but didn't enjoy spending time with characters.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie - I'm not sure anytime I read Christie counts as a reread as I'm pretty sure I notice something different.  It goes without saying that this was a delight.

This Month's Armchair Travels:

Domestic Travel:  I visited California (twice), Idaho, Illinois, Wisconsin, Maine, and Michigan.

International Travel:  I visited England 7 times, 1940s Bahamas, Japan, Scotland, Greece, and 1960s Lebanon

How was your January reading?   Where did your books take you this past month?

Friday Fives - February 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 February, I'm planning my January TBR.  Here are 5 books I plan on reading in February. 

1.  The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly - I'm really looking forward to reading this first book in a series set in a Welsh village.  I've really enjoyed her Scottish series.

2.  The Lost Book of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne - I'm really looking forward to this one!  I typically really enjoy this author's books and the premise really grabs me for this one.

3.  Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman - I've been stalling on reading the last two Mrs. Pollifax books for awhile because I didn't want the series to be over but it's time to get reading!

4.  This Fallen Prey by Kelley Armstrong - It's been a year since I read the previous book in this suspense series and I'm really looking forward to reading more though I hopefully I read more than one book in the series this year!

5.  The Legend in Green Velvet by Elizabeth Peters - This is one of the few books remaining on my Wishlist in the Audible Plus catalog.  I'm trying to get them all finished by the end of the month so I can cancel my subscription.

Read Christie February Book:  Mrs. McGinty's Dead - It's been awhile since I read this one but it's the favorite of so many so I'm looking forward to the reread.

What are you planning to read in February?

Books from the Backlog - The Vanished Bride

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 Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis

Blurb:  Yorkshire, 1845. A young wife and mother has gone missing from her home, leaving behind two small children and a large pool of blood. Just a few miles away, a humble parson's daughters--the Brontë sisters--learn of the crime. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are horrified and intrigued by the mysterious disappearance.
These three creative, energetic, and resourceful women quickly realize that they have all the skills required to make for excellent "lady detectors." Not yet published novelists, they have well-honed imaginations and are expert readers. And, as Charlotte remarks, "detecting is reading between the lines--it's seeing what is not there."

As they investigate, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne are confronted with a society that believes a woman's place is in the home, not scouring the countryside looking for clues. But nothing will stop the sisters from discovering what happened to the vanished bride, even as they find their own lives are in great peril...

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This has been on my review shelf for far too many years and the premise is interesting.  I'm trying to clear some books off that overdue review shelf!

What I'm Reading - February 4

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

Ebook

The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander - This is the 22nd in the Bakeshop Mystery and as always I'm enjoying it.  It's maybe not a standout cozy series to me anymore but it is delightfully cozy.  Perfect comfort reading for the weather we've got going on right now!

Print Book

The Blind Side by Patricia Wentworth - This is a very traditional Patricia Wentworth mystery.  There's a family with some serious issues, a plucky heroine and a nice but capable leading man.  This is apparently the first Ernest Lamb book (he's a Scotland Yard detective) but I'm only 25% in so he hasn't shown up yet.

Audio Book

Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - I was a bit hesitant going into this as I'm a bit iffy with this author in general (I've loved 1 book by her and DNF'd another) and the reviews have been decidedly mixed.  I decided to give it a try after I saw a review from someone I follow who loved the book I DNF'd and didn't like this one.  So far I'm really enjoying it.  I'm about 25% in so it could go off the rails but 

Slow Read:  

Stella Mia by Rosanna Chiofalo - I pulled this off my overdue review shelf (and it is WAY overdue as it looks like it came out in 2014).  I'm not very far into it but so far I think it has potential.  

What are you reading today?

Top Ten Tuesday - Books on My TBR with Interesting Typography on Their Covers

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 Covers Featuring Cool/Pretty/Unique Typography.  I did a deep dive in my TBR and here are 10 covers that stood out.

1.  The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sacher

2.  Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill

3.  The Killer Question by Janice Hallet

4.  The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong

5.  The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

6.  The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

7.  I See You've Called In Dead by John Kenney

8.  Rules for Ruin by Mimi Mathews

9.  The Lost Books of First Loves by RaeAnne Thayne

10. The English Masterpiece by Katherine Reay

Overdue Reviews - Hardcastle's Quartet + Brought to Book

 

Goodreads:  Hardcastle's Quartet by Graham Ison

Blurb:  Accident . . . or murder? Detective Inspector Hardcastle’s seemingly simple investigation turns more complicated, in his latest case
June 1918. A patrolling constable discovers the body of Georgina Cheney, wife of a naval commander, in the basement area of a house in Westminster. At first it is thought to be suicide or even a tragic accident. But as Divisional Detective Inspector Ernest Hardcastle of the A or Whitehall Division of the Metropolitan Police begins to investigate – ably assisted by Detective Sergeant Charles Marriott – they soon discover a different story. It is clear that the woman was murdered, and revelations about the victim’s previous life in Malta arouse Hardcastle’s interest.

But things are destined to get even more complicated for Hardcastle, when he is assigned two further murder cases by Detective Chief Inspector Frederick Wensley, head of the CID at New Scotland Yard. Could they be connected? This may be a puzzle too tricky even for Hardcastle to solve . . .

My Thoughts:  This mystery was really a delightful surprise.  This is a nice straightforward police procedural set during World War I.  There's no real angst or heavy emotion - just curmudgeonly DDI Hardcastle, his hardworking staff, and a complex and entertaining mystery.  I loved the dynamic between all the characters and seeing them unravel the complicated threads of the mystery.  This is definitely a series I'd really like to read more of and will definitely be on the lookout for more books in this series and by this author while I'm book shopping.  My Rating: Really Liked It! (4.25 Stars)

Goodreads:  Brought to Book by Anthea Fraser

Blurb:  Mystery and intrigue with a decidedly literary bent, from the bestselling crime writer When successful biographer Rona Parish is asked to write the life-story of a bestselling author, recently deceased, she is intrigued - to say the least. After all, Theo Harvey led a very colourful life, and died in mysterious circumstances. But Rona's husband Max is wary and, it soon becomes apparent, with good reason...As Rona begins to delve into Theo Harvey's life and death, and to interview his friends and family - some more willing than others - she realises that she has taken on a poisoned chalice.

My Thoughts:  This is the first book in the Rona Parish series and focuses on her doing the setup for a biography of a polarizing recently deceased author -and it's apparently a book someone doesn't want to see published.  I liked Rona and thought her relationship with her husband was interesting.  I did guess a pretty big part of the setup but there were some surprising twists.  My main issue with the book was that I couldn't stand Rona's twin sister Lindsey and she got way more page time than I would have liked.  She's really just a truly awful person and I inwardly groaned every time she appeared on the page.  The pacing was a little slow as well.  The mystery is solid with some good twists but I'm not sure that I'm motivated to read more in the series.  My Rating: Liked It (3 Stars)

This Week in Reading - February 1st

 

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:

Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs - I have mixed feelings about this series but I love the setting and all the food mentions so I can never resist it.  I'm hoping I love this one.  (Publisher)

Booking For Trouble by Jenn McKinlay - This is a favorite cozy mystery series and I'm looking forward to this one.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander and Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts

Slow Read:  And Then They Were Doomed by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli - so far this one is just okay but the story does seem to be gaining some traction so I hope it starts improving.

Listening:  The Spitfire Murders by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley

Watching:  I finished season 8 of 911 and have moved over to 911 Lonestar.  I don't like it as much but I am enjoying it overall.

The first month of 2026 is finished and for the most part was a good one.  I made a list of all the places locally that I want to visit or things I want to learn this year.  I cleaned out all the overstuffed drawers.  I made my list of books I want to read.   I'm hoping for a more intentional and focused 2026.  As well we celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary and Will had a successful yearly checkup at St. Jude.  So all in all it was a pretty busy month!  

Have a great week and happy reading!

The Body in the Library - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

Rating: Loved It (5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  It’s seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks.

But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?

The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery… before tongues start to wag.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This is the January pick for the Read Christie Challenge.  The theme this year is Best/Favorite and this was the pick for the category of "Best Opening".

My Impression:   This is Miss Marple at her best.  There's a mix of time in St. Mary Mead and a ritzy hotel.  Sir Henry Clithering is there as are Colonel and Mrs. Bantry.  Even Griselda Clement makes an appearance so all my favorite Marple side characters are present.  I loved how both Dolly Bantry and Sir Henry regularly ask Miss Marple for village parallels.  

The mystery is one of Christie's best with lots of possible suspects and lots of unexpected twists.  The opening is definitely one of the best and definitely deserves it's spot on the list.  I also really loved both Dolly and Miss Marple's reasoning for getting involved in solving the mystery.  Their understanding of Colonel Bantry's personality really softens and humanizes a type that is often played as a fool in mysteries from this era.  This is always a favorite reread and this time was no different.  

The TV adaptation staring Joan Hickson (who is probably my favorite Marple) is good though the direction they take Mr. Jefferson is a bit bonkers.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I'm already excited for the February pick.

Would I Recommend this Book? Of course!  This one is probably best read after Murder at the Vicarage but both are a delight so it's no hardship.  

Friday Fives - Five (Plus 4) Series I Enjoyed the Most in 2025

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 listing the 5 series (plus 4 - I had a hard time narrowing it down) I enjoyed the most in 2025.  There are lots of other series that I enjoyed but these were the ones that seem to have stuck with me the most.

1.  Her Majesty the Queen Investigates by S.J. Bennett - I haven't read the earlier books in the series but I've really enjoyed the two most recent books and I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

2.  Rockton by Kelley Armstrong - I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed the first two books in this series and now I need to get reading because this author has a ton of books I need to read!

3.  Sebastian St. Cyr by C.S. Harris - I love historical mysteries and this one keeps getting better.  I'm looking forward to going back and reading the early books.

4.  Hardcastle Mysteries by Graham Ison - I picked this one off my overdue review shelf.  I typically enjoy historical mysteries but was surprised how much I enjoyed this one.  The characters were really interesting and the mystery was very solid.

5.  Pen and Ink Mysteries by Krista Davis - I've really enjoyed this series and I like that the main character uses her sketching as a way to help her process her thoughts on the mysteries she gets involved in.  There are only 2 books left in the series but I'm looking forward to reading them.

6.  The Noodle Shop Mysteries by Vivien Chien - This is such a fun series.  I love the mysteries and the family dynamics.  

7.  Fethering Mysteries by Simon Brett - I enjoyed this mystery with a more classic feel and it has stuck with me more than I expected.  I'm looking forward to revisiting the characters.

8.  Hidden Legacies by Ilona Andrews - This is decidedly not my genre but I enjoyed the story development so much that I'm looking forward to continue the series.   I do wish the covers were a bit less shirtless.

9. Kate Hamilton Mysteries by Connie Berry - I love this English mystery series involving an American antiques dealer and her detective husband.

What series did you enjoy in 2025?