Books from the Backlog - The Ivory Dagger

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!  This week's book is a Patricia Wentworth book that I somehow own but haven't read.  

Goodreads:  The Ivory Dagger by Patricia Wentworth

Blurb: When Lila Dryden is discovered standing over the dead body of her irritating fiance with a dagger in her hand, Miss Silver is called in to investigate. What her patience and particular genius uncover is Lila's talent for sleepwalking, the return of her former lover, and the victim's entire staff and circle of acquaintances - all of whom occasionally wished him dead.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I'd like to try to read all the Patricia Wentworth books and this is one I already own!

Reading When Sick

This month has been a month of headaches - literally.  I'm not sure what exactly has been the issue - weather, allergies, just a cosmic bit of bad luck - but I've definitely not been feeling my best and my reading has taken a serious hit. 

I started this month with a big stack of my favorite topics that I was looking forward to diving into.  So far I've read about 2/3 of one and honestly I'm not loving it.  It could be that the book is actually just a bit flat.  Even worse my interest in reading is just about nil.  I've managed to keep my interest in audio books but that's about it. 

Basically, I just want to go bed and pull the covers over my head and sleep which is making reading incredibly unappealing.  I know there are some people who can curl up under a blanket and just plow through a stack of books when feeling under the weather but I'm definitely not one of them!  Can you read when sick?  Can you maintain interest in reading when you're not feeling so great?

Top Ten Tuesday - Favorite Page to Screen Adaptation

This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic hosted from That Artsy Reader Girl is a Page to Screen Freebie.  I'm always a bit nervous when favorite books or books I've enjoy even slightly are turned into TV shows or movies but here are a few I've enjoyed.

1.  Anne of Green Gables - The 1980s Disney Channel version - So this isn't the most accurate adaptation but it's my favorite.  Megan Follows is the best Anne and I can watch this one and the sequel for ages.  We're not going to talk about the third one though. 

2.  The Alienist on TNT - So this is only a guess because while I read this book it was years ago and I only barely remember it.  But I did enjoy the mini series and it had the same creepy feel that I remember the book having.

3.  Gone Girl - I loved the casting and the story really translated well into film.

4. The first two seasons of Shetland - So this is cheating a bit because I haven't actually read the books but I really loved the seasons that were based on the actual books by Ann Cleeves.  The characters are fantastic and the mysteries kept me hooked.

5.  Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Pretty much any of the film adaptations are pretty good.  Douglas Adams' brand of humor translates well and his time as a screenwriter for Doctor Who is very clear in his style of writing.

6.  Aurora Teagarden series on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries - These are so different from the series by Charlaine Harris but they're such fun and I love Candace Cameron Bure as Aurora.

7.  Murder, She Baked on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries - This is another one that isn't really like the book series but it is such fun and carries the same spirit as the book.

8.  Hercule Poirot BBC adaptations with David Suchet - Suchet is the perfect Hercule Poirot and his love for Agatha Christie's books make it even better.

9.  Casino Royale with Daniel Craig - Almost all of the earlier James Bond movies are just straight up ridiculous but this one not only follows the book pretty closely (with some changes to keep it from seeming too dated) but keeps the feel of the book.

10. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - I forgot how much I loved the movie adaptation of this favorite until we rewatched it recently.  The casting was wonderful and they did such a good job with the movie.

What are some of your favorite page to screen adaptation?

Island of Glass - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads:  Island of Glass (Guardians Trilogy #3) by Nora Roberts

Rating:  Very Good
Source: Purchased

Description:  As the hunt for the Star of Ice leads the six guardians to Ireland, Doyle, the immortal, must face his tragic past. Three centuries ago, he closed off his heart, yet his warrior spirit is still drawn to the wild. And there’s no one more familiar with the wild than Riley—and the wolf within her…
An archaeologist, Riley is no stranger to the coast of Clare, but now she finds herself on unsure footing, targeted by the dark goddess who wants more than the stars, more than the blood of the guardians. While searching through Irish history for clues that will lead them to the final star and the mysterious Island of Glass, Riley must fight her practical nature and admit her sudden attraction to Doyle is more than just a fling. For it is his strength that will sustain her and give her the power to run towards love—and save them all…

Genre: Romantic Suspense - Paranormal

Why I Picked This Book:  I loved the first two in this trilogy so I had to read the conclusion and of course I can never resist a Nora Roberts book.

My Impression:  This was a fantastic conclusion to a thoroughly enjoyable trilogy.  Not only does the main plot wrap up nicely but the connection between the six was explained as well and all without being too trite.  To be honest this was my least favorite romance.  While I like Riley and found her character fascinating I just never quite felt connected to Doyle.  He's got so many walls and is so angry that I couldn't quite buy his letting everything go all at once.   The book made up for that issue though because I loved seeing the six really working as a team and I loved the descriptions of Bran's house.  I  need a house like that with towers and libraries on the Irish coast though without the demons and whatnots coming to kill me.  It was a fun read and one I flew through.  I'm a bit sad to see the last of these characters though it did make me want to reread the first book so I'll get a bit of a revisit.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  Nora Roberts is an auto-buy/read for me.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would though you really need to read the first two books in the trilogy first or you'll be very lost.

This Week in Reading - May 12

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:

Murder She Wrote by Jessica Fletcher and Jon Land - The Murder She Wrote books have been a pleasant surprise so I'm looking forward to this new one.  (Publisher)

The Duke is But a Dream by Anna Bennett - I've been wanting to read Anna Bennett for awhile and this one has an amnesia plot which I haven't read since an old Lisa Kleypas years ago so I'm excited about this one.  (Publisher)

One Minute Later by Susan Lewis - I love a book involving a crisis which starts the main character with finding herself and reevaluating her whole life.  I couldn't resist this one!  (Blog Tour) 

Currently:

Reading:  I'm finishing up The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright and Ghost Moon by Heather Graham

Listening:  I finished up The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart and am now almost done with Blood Magick by Nora Roberts.  Not sure what's up next.

Watching:  I haven't been watching a huge amount of TV but I caught up on this season of NCIS which I've been enjoying.

Off the Blog:

I haven't been feeling very well this week so there wasn't much going on here.  The weather has been gross with lots of storms which cuts down on pretty much everything I had on my to do list.  So this week wasn't exactly a winner but I'm hoping that next week will be better.

On the Blog:

What Happened:

Monday:  The Printed Letter Bookshop - Fiction Review
Tuesday:  My Favorite Books at the Moment
Wednesday:  Dying for Devil's Food - Cozy Mystery Review
Thursday:  Reviews from the Children's Section - The Wizards of Once
Friday:  Friday Fives - My Favorite Things
Saturday:  Phantom Evil - Romantic Suspense Review

What's Coming Up:

Monday:  Islands of Glass - Romantic Suspense Review

Tuesday: Top Ten Tuesday - My Favorite Page to Screen Adaptations

Wednesday: TBD

Thursday:  Books from the Backlog

Friday: Friday Fives

Saturday: TBD

Have a great week and happy reading!

Phantom Evil - Romantic Suspense Review

Goodreads:  Phantom Evil (Krewe of Hunters #1) by Heather Graham

Rating: Good
Source: Purchased

Description: A secret government unit, a group of renegade paranormal investigators... and a murder no one else can crack.
Though haunted by the recent deaths of two teammates, Jackson Crow knows that the living commit the most heinous crimes.

A police officer utilizing her paranormal intuition, Angela Hawkins already has her hands full of mystery and bloodshed.

But one assignment calls to them too strongly to resist. In a historic mansion in New Orleans's French Quarter, a senator's wife falls to her death. Most think she jumped; some say she was pushed. And yet others believe she was beckoned by the ghostly spirits inhabiting the house — once the site of a serial killer's grisly work.

In this seemingly unsolvable case, only one thing is certain: whether supernatural or all too human, crimes of passion will cast Jackson and Angela into danger of losing their lives... and their immortal souls.

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been enjoying the more recent books in this series and decided it was finally time to read the first book in the series.

My Impression:  I came to this series around book 12 or so and always meant to go back to the beginning.  I'm so glad I took the time!  While I've never had any problem keeping up with the plot of the later books it was lots of fun to see the beginning and to have Jackson and Angela the focus of the story instead of side characters.  New Orleans seems the perfect place for the series to start as very few cities have more ghostly legends and it was fun hearing mentions of streets and places that I'm familiar with.  The ghosts were slightly creepy and very intriguing involving a serial killer from a century ago as well as modern misbehaving.  I liked the mix of history and modern crime and the different methods that were used to investigate.  I would have liked both the characters and the ghostly interactions to have been fleshed out a bit more but I found this entertaining none the less and was satisfied by the conclusion.  I'm looking forward to seeing the other members of team in their own books.

I listened to the audio version narrated by Jeffrey Cummings.  While he did a good job I don't think this was a book that just has to be listened to versus read.  I think I will enjoy this series either in print or audio.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Of course!  This is a favorite series.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy some ghostly romantic suspense than I think you'll enjoy it.

Friday Fives - My Favorite Things

I'm taking a bit of a break from my usual Friday Linkups to try something a little different.  Michelle over at Because Reading is Better Than Real Life   used to do a Five on Fridays that I always enjoyed and I've seen a few other variations on the theme.  As well I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd give start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much.  This is a not so much week.  Since it's my birthday month I'm focusing on my favorite things and this week I'm listing my favorite non-bookish things!

1.  Disney Mugs/Tumblers - I love Disney World and right now it's my favorite vacation spot.  I love using my Disney mugs for my coffee in the morning or my tea at night as well my tumblers for water.  I'm always looking for new ones to add to my collection!

2.  Audible - Okay so this one is bookish but there's just something about the way Audible works that really works for me and I've really been enjoying it since I've added the Romance package (which has a pretty decent variety of other genres too) I've been using it all the time. 

3.  Scrunchies - Scrunchies were a big deal when I was a teenager and then they went away.  And now they're back!  I'm not sure if they're in any way trendy or stylish or any of those things but they're way better than those skinny hairbands I've been putting up with for years.  I'm beyond thrilled and am acquiring quite the collection.

4. Yoga - I've been having some health issues lately which has caused a lot of joint pain and yoga has been a lifesaver.  I love Yoga with Adriene and SarahBethYoga on YouTube.  They have a lot of great wind down videos as well as some great more active practices.

5.  TV - I've been really enjoying TV lately.  I'm really liking NCIS, MacGyver, Magnum PI, The Voice and a bunch of other shows and have been watching a lot of Hallmark movies and classic movies.

What are some of your favorite things?