Reading Recap - April 2022

Books Read this Month -  18 and my lowest month so far I think.  Between allergies and a few other things my reading just has been a bit off.

Bookish Category Breakdown: 

Print:  6

Ebook:  3

Audio:  9

Romance:  1

Mystery:  13

Nonfiction: 1

Fiction:  4

Favorite Book of the Month:

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman

Even though it was a slow month reading-wise I read a lot of books I really enjoyed!

Least Favorite Book:

Crimson Summer by Heather Graham - This wasn't bad but I so enjoyed the first book in this series that I had really high hopes for this one and it didn't quite live up to them.

My Bookish Travels - 

Here are some of the new places I visited this month (and in March because I forgot to include this last month!)

Alabama (which is actually my home state and the book was set not far from where I actually live though my city has WAY less magical blackbirds)

Montana

Arizona

New Jersey

Hawaii

Illinois

Pennsylvania

I also visited:

England - 11 times

Scotland - twice

Singapore

Italy

How was your April?  Where have you (fictionally) visited?

Friday Fives - May TBR

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. Since this is the first Friday in May I'm listing 5 Books I'm looking forward to reading this month.

1.  The Villa by Nora Roberts - This one has been on my shelf for awhile and I've been enjoying romantic suspense lately.

2.  Staging is Murder by Grace Topping - I got this cozy on my TBR Bingo and I'm really looking forward to it.

3.  Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie - I've really been enjoying Christie's short stories lately and the title story in this one is one of my favorites.

4. The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright - This has been gathering dust on my NetGalley shelf and I've been wanting to read it for years.

5.  Barefoot Beach by Debbie Mason - This looks delightfully summer-y and this is an author I've been wanting to read.

What are you hoping to read this May?

Books from the Backlog - Day of Vengeance

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:  Day of Vengeance by Jeanne Dams

Blurb:  The new compelling mystery featuring Anglophile Dorothy Martin and her husband, retired policeman Alan Nesbitt . . ."Dorothy Martin s husband, Alan Nesbitt, is heavily involved in the complex and lengthy process of choosing a new bishop for Sherebury Cathedral. The very day that the short list is announced publicly, one of the candidates is found murdered in his own church. With a long list of possible suspects, including Alan himself, Dorothy and Alan start to delve into the history of the victim, hoping to find some clue to a motive for murder.
Then a second candidate is found dead, and the case becomes very complicated indeed. Who is murdering England s clergymen and why . . .?

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I have several books in this series on my shelves and I remember enjoying earlier books from this series years ago.  I need to read this to see if it is a series I want to roll into my series project.

Strawberried Alive - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:   Strawberried Alive (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery #14) by Jenn McKinlay

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Life is smooth as buttercream at the Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery, and newlyweds Mel and Joe are stopping to smell the flours. But things start to crumble one night when an unknown gunman takes a shot at Mel. Though the bullets miss their mark, the cupcake crew goes on high alert to figure out who would want to kill a small-town baker, and why.

When more business owners are attacked, things turn fatal, and locals begin to wonder if the killer could be one of their own. Every shop owner in town starts to fear it's only a matter of time before they too become victims of the mystery murderer. Despite the cupcake crew's superb baking skills, it will be anything but a piece of cake to catch the killer, as they try to prevent anyone else from being berried.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed this series since the beginning and when I read the teaser for this one in the previous book I couldn't wait to pick this one up!

My Impression:   This series has long been one I enjoy but this might just be my favorite.  From the first page the story hit a fast pace and didn't let up until the last page.  Normally with a mystery I have an idea of the who or the why but this was a total mystery for the majority of the book.  Mel and the DeLaura clan are scrambling to figure out who the target is and why and trying to keep Mel safe and pool all available resources.

I found the political part of being a business owner in a community as there are quite a lot of tensions - some that Mel was aware of and some that she wasn't.  I loved seeing everything unravel as the characters figure out just what is going on.  I also really enjoyed that Oz, who was a bakery employee but left a few books ago, got more page time.  I had missed him!  This is a light and fluffy cozy with a fast pace, likable characters, and yummy cupcakes.  Really my main problem with this book was that I was reading it late at night and was seriously craving cupcakes but didn't have any!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  McKinlay is one of my favorite cozy mystery authors and I enjoy all of her series.

Would I Recommend this Book?   If you are a cozy mystery fan this book and this series would make for a fun read.  While I do believe series are best read in order I do think you could pick this one up without an issue.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - One Word Reviews For Recently Read Books

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 One Word Reviews for Recently Read Books.   This was a topic awhile ago and I really enjoyed it so I was super excited to do it again.  

1.  Marrying Winterborne by Lisa Kleypas - Sweet

2.  Crime on the Fens by Joy Ellis - Riveting

3.  The Lost Jewels by Kristy Manning - Emotional

4.  The French House by Don Wallace - Pretentious

5.  Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber - Magical

6.  'Til Death by Carol J. Perry - Fun

7.  Persuasion by Jane Austen - Clever

8.  When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace - Interesting

9.  The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman - Delightful

10. The Bettencourt Affair by Tom Sancton - Tedious

When She Dreams - Historical Fiction Review

Goodreads: When She Dreams (Burning Cove #6) by Amanda Quick

Rating:  Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Maggie Lodge, assistant to the reclusive advice columnist known only as Dear Aunt Cornelia to her readers, hires down-but-not-quite-out private eye Sam Sage to help track down the person who is blackmailing her employer. Maggie and Sam are a mismatched pair. As far as Sam is concerned, Maggie is reckless and in over her head. She is not what he had in mind for a client but he can't afford to be choosy. Maggie, on the other hand, is convinced that Sam is badly in need of guidance and good advice. She does not hesitate to give him both.
In spite of the verbal fireworks between them, they are fiercely attracted to each other, but each is convinced it would be a mistake to let passion take over. They are, after all, keeping secrets from each other. Sam is haunted by his past, which includes a marriage shattered by betrayal and violence. Maggie is troubled by intense and vivid dreams--dreams that she can sometimes control. There are those who want to run experiments on her and use her for their own purposes, while others think she should be committed to an asylum.

When the pair discovers someone is impersonating Aunt Cornelia at a conference on psychic dreaming and a woman dies at the conference, the door is opened to a dangerous web of blackmail and murder. Secrets from the past are revealed, leaving Maggie and Sam in the path of a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to exact vengeance.

Genre: Mystery - Romantic Suspense

Why I Picked This Book:  I love this author and I've really enjoyed this series.

My Impression: This is the 6th book in the Burning Cove series and the 3rd one I've read.  Luckily the series is only connected by location so missing books 3 through 5 didn't really affect my enjoyment of this book.  This is probably my least favorite of the 3 I've read.  It was entertaining - it wouldn't be a Krentz/Quick book without being entertaining!  

I liked the characters quite a bit.  Sam and Maggie make a good team and it was fun to watch them work together.  Sam especially was interesting and while it did take me a bit of time to get used to Maggie I came to really enjoy your straight forwardness.  What kept this book from being a total winner for me was that it was a bit of a slow start.  While it wasn't necessarily a slow read the story didn't really gain real traction until about a quarter in.  This is one of Quick's books about lucid dreaming which isn't my favorite topic of hers.  Regardless, this was a fun read in a fun series.  I always enjoy visiting Burning Cove and I'm looking forward to revisiting soon!

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  This is one of my favorite authors who always provides a good read.

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist this is a great read!

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

Life with Leukemia, A Puppy and Some Reading - May 1

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:

Point Last Seen by Christina Dodd - I have been loving romantic suspense lately and this one sounds fantastic!  It's been awhile since I've read a good amnesia based suspense.  (Publisher)

The Proof is in the Poison by Diane Kelly - I read the first book in this series about a woman who has started a moonshine store in Chattanooga, TN and enjoyed it and am excited to see where the series goes.  (Publisher)

Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron - So excited about this one!  I was so sad when Byron ended the Bayou Mysteries but this start to a new series looks great.  (Publisher)

Murder Is No Picnic by Amy Pershing - This is the 3rd book in a cozy series set in Cape Cod which features a disgraced chef and a big clumsy dog.  (Publisher)

Dead Men Don't Decorate by Cordy Abbott - I know nothing about this book or this author but it involves an antique store which I can never resist. (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake and The Villa by Nora Roberts

Listening:  I just finished Marrying Winterbourne by Lisa Kleypas which I really enjoyed.  Since today is the first day of the month my Hoopla borrows start over (my library allows for 5 a month) so I'm trying to decide what to listen to next.

This week has been a bit of a blur.  Allergy season has hit super hard here for some reason and I'm about 90% Benadryl at this point so I'm pretty groggy.  I have bad allergies at the best of times but this year has knocked me flat.

Will is doing well.  His numbers are good and he's definitely had more energy with the calorie boost he's gotten through the feedings through the NG tube.  He's feeling pretty good and has we've gotten a lot of school done.  My only concern is that one of his immune systems numbers is trending down and we have a trip (our first since the beginning of the pandemic and his diagnosis) planned for later this week.  It's through a St Jude affiliate that does a big carnival for cancer patients and their families and it sounds fun.  We are really looking forward to it so fingers crossed his numbers don't drop too much and he stays healthy through the week.

Rover is doing great.  He got a new toy this week and has been taking it everywhere with him which is pretty cute.  We have the last Manners (beginning obedience) class this week.  He's not quite ready to move up yet so we will repeat Manners.  I need a little more training on consistency and he needs a bit more maturity.   We've definitely made a lot of progress but he's still only 6.5 months old so occasionally goes into full puppy mode and considering he's about 60 pounds it can get a bit crazy!

Have a great week and happy reading!