Top Ten Tuesdays - Books I Wish Had an Epilogue

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 I Wish Had an Epilogue.  Here are ten books with characters I'd like to spend just a little more time with.

1.  No River Too Wide by Emilie Richards - This is part of a series so I'll probably get to see more of these characters but I will miss them being front and center.

2.  The Canterbury Sisters by Kim Wright - I really enjoyed this book and how the characters progressed through the story.  I'm curious to see how they are all faring after their pilgrimage to Canterbury.

3.  Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber - I loved this book and I want to know what happened next in these characters' lives. 

4.  Island of the Mad by Laurie R. King - On this book I don't really want an epilogue but more of a spin off story featuring one the side characters.  There's a broke American socialite in 1920s Venice who throws fabulous parties and I think it would be amazing to read her story.

5.  The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan - I loved the main characters in this book and would love to see more of their story.

6.  The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin - Even though I read this book last year I still think about the characters.  

7.  House of Many Shadows by Barbara Michaels - This is one of my favorite Michaels books and I'd love to know what happens next and see more from Andy and Meg.

8.  Red Lily by Nora Roberts - I loved all the characters in this trilogy and would love to check in on them.

9.  A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards - The main character has a podcast on cold cases and when I was reading this one I was really hoping it'd be a series.  

10. The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell - I really enjoyed this book and I want to see what happens next - especially with the main character as she had had such an incredibly difficult life.

The Tuesday Night Survivor's Club - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Tuesday Night Survivor's Club (Survivor's Book Club Mystery #1) by Lynn Cahoon

Rating: Loved It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Two things got Rarity Jones through her breast cancer treatments: friends and books. Now cancer-free, Rarity is devoting her life to helping others find their way through the maze to healing. She’s opened a bookstore focusing on the power of healing—Eastern medicine, Western medicine, the healing power of food, the power of meditation, and the importance of developing a support community. To that end, she’s also started the Tuesday Night Survivors book club. With its openness to new-age communities, Sedona, Arizona, is the perfect fit for Rarity’s bookstore and the tightly knit group.

But their therapeutic unity is disrupted when one of their members suddenly goes missing. Martha has always kept to herself, never opening up much of her personal life to the group. Now she’s nowhere to be found. With her car abandoned on a trail and her dog left with a friend, Rarity is sure something terrible has happened—but will she be able to uncover Martha’s secrets before it’s too late?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:    Cahoon is one of my favorite cozy authors and this one sounded interesting.  

My Impression:  I've enjoyed almost every book by Cahoon I've read so I was super excited to pick this one up and I absolutely loved it!  The setup is interesting.  Rarity is starting fresh in Sedona with her old friend Sam and is running the bookstore she's always wanted to run.  Looking to meet new people and to meet other cancer survivors she starts a book club just for survivors.  When a new member goes missing the survivors club quick becomes the sleuthing club.  

While the mystery is the focus of the story there is so much else going on.  Rarity is learning how to run a bookstore and getting used to her new home.  I liked watching her start to build connections with other business owners and make friends with those around her.  Rarity is an interesting person and someone I would probably enjoy getting to know in real life.  There is an understandable misunderstanding with her friend Sam and it is dealt with quickly and with low drama which I really appreciated.  

While I am not a cancer survivor my son is currently under active treatment for leukemia so so much of my world is cancer related.  I really liked how Cahoon handled that aspect of this series.  While being a survivor is what initially brings the women together it is not what defines them as people.  

I did figure out some aspects of the mystery fairly early on but that didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying this read.  This was one of those books that was exactly what I wanted when I read it and I really enjoyed it.  I'm looking forward to seeing how this series develops.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I've really enjoyed pretty much every book I've read by Cahoon and this one might be my favorite yet.

Would I Recommend this Book?  Absolutely!  This was a fantastic mystery as well as a book about an intelligent and likable group of women.

* 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 - June 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:

Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews - This is one of my favorite cozy series and I'm so excited to read this newest mystery.  (Publisher)

High Spirits by Carol J Perry - Perry is one of my favorite cozy authors and I adored the first book in this series last year so I'm really looking forward to this one - plus the main character has a golden retriever so how can I resist.  (Publisher)

A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney - I enjoyed the first book in this series and it's one I'm really intrigued to see where it goes. (Publisher)

With a Spirit of Vengeance by Lena Gregory - This series has ghosts and a big clumsy dog.  What's not to love?  (Publisher) 

Currently:

Reading:  Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron and Out of the Past by Patricia Wentworth

Listening:  Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman

We got a visit from Orbit the therapy dog at clinic this week which thrilled Will to no end.  As you can see Orbit has no issue with being a pillow.  Will is feeling pretty good and still gaining weight slowly both of which are good.  We have just a little bit of school to finish up until he can take a bit of a summer break.  J might be traveling to New Orleans for work some this summer and we are all hoping that Will's health stays solid enough that we can go with him at least for part of the time.  

Rover is closing in on 70 pounds and 8 months old.  He's feeling kind of teenager-y so we've had some backsliding on training but we are getting there.  He's gotten where he's absolutely fantastic at home about 95% of the time and he's great in the car but he still goes crazy when he meets new people or dogs.  I think a lot of that will get better just with age but I'm really enjoying training and he seems to like it too.  We are planning to start agility classes and scent work classes in the fall so I'm really looking forward to that.

I've been catching up on rest and am feeling a bit better.  I decided to restart my Hello Fresh subscription.  We used their meal surface for awhile several years ago and liked them but got bored with them.  Lately, I've been struggling to come up with what to cook for dinner so I thought I'd give them a try again.  

Have a great week and happy reading!

A Man Lay Dead - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads:  A Man Lay Dead (Roderick Alleyn #1) by Ngaio Marsh

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source:   Purchased

Description:  At Sir Hubert Handesley's country house party, five guests have gathered for the uproarious parlor game of "Murder." Yet no one is laughing when the lights come up on an actual corpse, the good-looking and mysterious Charles Rankin. Scotland Yard's Inspector Roderick Alleyn arrives to find a complete collection of alibis, a missing butler, and an intricate puzzle of betrayal and sedition in the search for the key player in this deadly game.

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  I've read a few Marsh books but never in any kind of order and I wanted to fix that.

My Impression:  I've read enough Marsh to know that Nigel Bathgate is frequently a sidekick and I was delighted to see him in the opening of this book.  This is a house party mystery and has confirmed that I never ever want to go to a house party - even if there won't be a murder.  Not only is this a house party but it's a house party where the game of the weekend is Murder.  When an actual murder happens it throws the party into chaos and introduces Detective Inspector Roderick Alleyn with all his quick wit and investigative smarts.  

My main issue was this book took a bit of a detour into a Russian secret society that felt a bit bizarre in the more traditional feeling English mystery.  Other than the somewhat random feeling detour this was an entertaining mystery with a good setup and likable primary characters.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes!  I'm looking forward to seeing how Alleyn's character progresses as the series progresses.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy Agatha Christie's mysteries I think you'd enjoy this mystery.

Friday Five - Five Nora Roberts Reviews

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.  This is a bookish week and today I'm sharing 5 short reviews of Nora Roberts books I've read recently. 

1.  Birthright by Nora Roberts - There's quite a lot going on in this book.  There's a main romance, a secondary romance and a side romance or two.  As well there's an archeological dig, town controversary, some murder, and a black market adoption ring going on.  Callie is a bit of an arrogant hot head which I kind of liked because she's so different then the usual Roberts heroine.  Jake gets pretty bossy with her which I didn't love but I liked that this was a second chance romance where both people had messed up and both people are talking about how they're going to change.  The plot itself kept me interested and I really enjoyed it.  I have been in the mood for romantic suspense lately and this was an entertaining one.  My Rating: Really Liked It

2.  The Search by Nora Roberts - This is one of Roberts' darker books involving a serial killer and the one that got away.  While the plot is pretty predictable it's enjoyable and pulled me in from the beginning.  I really loved Fiona and the parts about dog training as well as the details on how the search and rescue teams work.  It has me interested in working on scent work with my own puppy!  I also loved her relationship with her stepmother and the community on Orcas Island.  I did not love Simon, love interest and main character #2.  While his relationship with his dog Jaws was funny and provided lots of comedic moments he's still kind of a jerk.  He's not a bad person or mean or anything he's just comes off as a bit emotionally stunted and unable to communicate.  I just never fully bought the relationship between him and Fiona.  My Rating: Liked It

3.  The Stars of Mithra trilogy (Hidden Star, Captive Star, Secret Star) by Nora Roberts - This is a fun trilogy involving a trio of tight knit friends and a trio of rare and beautiful blue diamonds.  The trilogy came out in the 90s and it's definitely showing its age (we are going to admit how long ago that was) not only in lack of technology but in some of the dynamics in each of the relationships.  There's a bit more of a tinge of aggression than I prefer in my romances.  My favorite book and couple was Bailey and Cade (1st book) and my least favorite was Grace and Seth (3rd book).  Bailey and Cade and MJ and Jack work pretty well as a team and while both males are in a more official investigative capacity they do seem to respect and listen to the women.  In the 3rd book I liked Grace but Seth set my teeth on edge.  I liked that Grace called him out on his judging her regarding her past but the fact that he did it in the first place and never seemed to truly repent made him a difficult romantic hero to root for.  This is a fun trilogy and I'm glad I reread it but it won't be at the top of my reread list anytime soon.  My Rating: Liked It

4. The Villa by Nora Roberts - This is a stand alone suspenseful family saga focused around a winery with generations of family traditions and deep roots.  There's quite a lot going on between the daily business of a major international wine label, family drama, corporate espionage, new romances, and a handful of murders.  While Sophia and Ty are the main characters I especially enjoyed the relationship between Sophia's mother, Pilar, and the new company COO, David.  They both have their baggage and their hang ups and they have some issues to work through.  Sophia and Ty are an interesting pair.  He's more interested in the growing of the grapes and the making of the wine while her focus is more on the promotion and business aspects of the company.  They both have strong personalities and it was interesting seeing them learn how to work together.  The start was a little slow but picked up pace pretty quickly and was just enjoyable as I expect a Nora Roberts to be.  My Rating: Really Liked It  

5.  Born in Fire by Nora Roberts - I was surprised to see that this book was actually published in the mid-90s.  Other than a few things related to technology (no cell phones, Rogan's insistence that Maggie get an answering machine) it felt much fresher without the over-Alpha male I typically associate with books published in the mid-90s and earlier.  Maggie and Rogan are complicated characters.  She is a glass artist who is the definition of a temperamental artist.  She's argumentative and stubborn and I couldn't help but like her even when she was in full temper.  Rogan is a gallery owner with a love for business and an appreciation for art.  He's used to being in charge and having people obey his commands.  The fact that he fell in love with Maggie and didn't expect her to change as well as a few different incredibly meaningful gestures really made me appreciate his character.  Maggie has a complicated relationship with her family and watching her navigate those in the best way she knows how made me sympathize with her deeply.  This is a couple I can't help but root for and I'm glad I'll get to catch up with them a bit in the next book in the trilogy. My Rating: Loved It!

Books from the Backlog - The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And There Muses)

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 Bar Harbor Retirement Home For Retired Writers (And There Muses) by Terri Lynne DeFino

Blurb: Alfonse Carducci was a literary giant who lived his life to excess—lovers, alcohol, parties, and literary rivalries. But now he's come to the Bar Harbor Home for the Elderly to spend the remainder of his days among kindred spirits: the publishing industry's nearly gone but never forgotten greats. Only now, at the end of his life, does he comprehend the price of appeasing every desire, and the consequences of forsaking love to pursue greatness. For Alfonse has an unshakeable case of writer's block that distresses him much more than his precarious health.
Set on the water in one of New England's most beautiful locales, the Bar Harbor Home was established specifically for elderly writers needing a place to live out their golden years—or final days—in understated luxury and surrounded by congenial literary company. A faithful staff of nurses and orderlies surround the writers, and are drawn into their orbit, as they are forced to reckon with their own life stories. Among them are Cecibel Bringer, a young woman who knows first-hand the cost of chasing excess. A terrible accident destroyed her face and her sister in a split-second decision that Cecibel can never forgive, though she has tried to forget. Living quietly as an orderly, refusing to risk again the cost of love, Cecibel never anticipated the impact of meeting her favorite writer, Alfonse Carducci—or the effect he would have on her existence. In Cecibel, Alfonse finds a muse who returns him to the passion he thought he lost. As the words flow from him, weaving a tale taken up by the other residents of the Pen, Cecibel is reawakened to the idea of love and forgiveness.

As the edges between story and reality blur, a world within a world is created. It’s a place where the old are made young, the damaged are made whole, and anything is possible…

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I picked this one up on a whim at a used bookstore (I think - it's been awhile) and have yet to get to it.  It sounds like a book I will either love or DNF after 30 pages so I need to get it read to see which camp it falls into!

Peril at Pennington Manor - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Peril at Pennington Manor (Avery Ayers Antique Mystery #2) by Tracy Gardner

Rating: Really Liked It!
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Thanks to Aunt Midge’s unlikely friendship with Nicholas Pennington, the Duke of Valle Charme, Avery Ayers and her associates at Antiques and Artifacts Appraised head off to their most glamorous assignment yet—cataloguing and appraising the contents of a castle-like mansion on the Hudson River. But regal splendor becomes a backdrop to mayhem when the precious Viktor Petrova timepiece disappears—and housekeeper Suzanne Vick plummets from a parapet to her death.

Avery, her dad William, and colleagues Micah Abbott and Sir Robert Lane soon learn that Suzanne’s predecessor also met with an untimely end. Further, the housekeeper’s suspicious demise coincides with Avery’s discovery that many of the Duke’s most priceless heirlooms have been replaced by fakes.

Detective Art Smith lends his expertise, but the suspect list encompasses the Duke’s entire retinue—including his family. Could the killer be someone intimately familiar with the Pennington estate, such as caretaker couple Ira and Lynn Hoffman, the Penningtons’ chauffeur Roderick, or even one of the heirs to the Pennington fortune?

Then the duke himself is injured in an inexplicable riding accident, and the clock swiftly ticks toward a reckoning with a cold-blooded killer. A criminal mastermind is making a desperate bid for ill-gotten riches…can Avery bring the culprit to justice before her time is up?

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I enjoyed the first book and can never resist books that involve antiques.

My Impression:  I enjoyed the first book in this series but I think I liked this one even better!  The characters are still recovering from the events of the past year including Avery's dad literally coming back from the dead.  All of the Ayers family is adjusting to their new normal and it was interesting how the characters developed. 

The mystery was an interesting mix of murder, secrets with a solid dash of antiques theft thrown in.  I was fascinated to see how the investigation unraveled and I'm not sure if I was more interested in the antiques that were going missing or the murder investigation itself.  In the first book I had some issues with the pacing and some over explaining but neither were apparent here.  This is an entertaining interesting mystery and a must read for anyone who enjoys mysteries and history.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I really enjoyed this one and can't wait to see what happens next in the series.  

Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely!  If you enjoy mysteries I think you'd enjoy this one though you may want to read the first book in the series before starting this one.

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