Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I Enjoyed Outside My Comfort Zone

 

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 Ten Books I Enjoyed Outside My Comfort Zone.  I read pretty widely but I'm a big escapist reader so I tend to stay away from books that don't seem like they're in my comfort zone but here are 10 that I've read and enjoyed.

1. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey - Years and years ago I was in a mom's group that would occasionally have a book club.  This was one of those picks and I wasn't super excited about but ended up loving it.

2.  We Were Liars by E. Lockhart - I typically don't read YA and it still isn't a genre that I typically reach for but I flew through this one and really enjoyed it.

3.  The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - I'm not really a SciFi reader but I love Adams' humor and this book is just so bizarre.

4.  A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle - I've never been much of a SciFi or Fantasy reader but this was one of my absolute favorite books as a kid.  I was a bit surprised when I reread it as an adult that I had loved it so much as a kid.

5.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer - Another outside of my genres but I really enjoyed this one and the second book.  I do need to finish the series.

6.  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes - I'm a very firm escapist reader and it was clear that this book wasn't going to have a unicorn and rainbows ending but I ended up reading it anyway.  I ugly cried hard at this one but I did enjoy it.

7.  Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan - I'm still not 100% sure what was going on with this one but I really enjoyed it. The audio was such a ride.

8.  Before the Fall by Noah Hawley - I don't typically reach for catastrophe books or books where children are in peril and this book had both.  I flew through this one and really enjoyed it.

9.  The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman - Are Gaiman's books in anyone's comfort zone?  This book was bananas but such a good read.

10. Moonraker by Ian Fleming - This may be the worst Bond movie in existence but the book is fantastic.

What books have you enjoyed that are outside of your comfort zone?

The Queen Who Came In From the Cold - Historical Mystery Review

Goodreads:  The Queen Who Came In From the Cold (Her Majesty The Queen Investigates #5) by S.J. Bennett

Rating: Really Liked It
Source:   Publisher

Description:  It's 1961 and the Queen is planning her state visit to Italy aboard Britannia. But before she goes, an unreliable witness claims to have seen a brutal murder from the royal train. Did it really happen, and could the victim be a missing friend of Princess Margaret's new husband, Tony Armstrong Jones? The Queen and her assistant private secretary, Joan McGraw, get to work on their second joint investigation, little imagining that this time it will take them all the way to Venice in a tale of spies, lies and Cold War skullduggery.

Genre:  Mystery - Historical

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoyed the previous book and the blurb uses the world "skullduggery" so how could I resist?

My Impression:  This is the second book I've read in this series and have really enjoyed both of them.  The concept is fantastic and very well done.  While the primary actors are the people around the Queen she has a pivotal role and is definitely pulling all the strings.  While the first 3 books seemed to be set in more modern time this book and the previous book are set in the late 1950s and early 60s making it very easy to jump in either with this book or the previous book.  

There's a bit of espionage-y setup but while the book doesn't start up with the Queen stumbling over a body it does start with a bit of royal gossip - in this case about Princess Margaret's new husband Tony.  I did appreciate that the gossip never felt particularly mean spirited when it involved characters who were real people.  The fictional characters were fair game of course.

The story was interesting and I love Joan as the primary detective.  It's hard to beat the setting as we wind through multiple means of royal transportation and Venice.  The Queen and her people make for a wonderful investigating team and her world makes for a beautifully complicated setting for murder.  

If you enjoy lighter mysteries this is series is one to look for.  It's a bit unique, truly interesting, and a really fun read.  I haven't read the first three books yet but I'm really looking forward to picking them up.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I'm really looking forward to reading the first three books and will be looking for the next one.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy mysteries this is a great series that doesn't get as much attention as it should.

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

Friday Fives - November 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 November I'm planning my November TBR.

1.  The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts - This is one of the books I've been most looking forward to this year.  I've really loved the previous 2 books in the series and can't wait to see what happens next.

2.   Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey - I have a love/hate relationship with Tey's books so I'm curious to see what side this one lands on.

3.  A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle - This is the next book in the bookbinder mystery series and it's in a series I always enjoy.

4.  Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks - This looks super cute and it's one I've been wanting to read for months.

5.  A Dark and Secret Magic by Wallis Kenney - Not only does this book have a fantastically fall-ish feel but it's one I've heard great things about.

What are you hoping to read in November?

Books from the Backlog - The Book of Candlelight

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 Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams

Blurb:  As the owner of Miracle Books, Nora Pennington figures all the wet weather this spring is at least good for business. The local inns are packed with stranded travelers, and among them Nora finds both new customers and a new friend, the sixtysomething Sheldon, who starts helping out at the store.
Since a little rain never hurt anyone, Nora rides her bike over to the flea market one sodden day and buys a bowl from Danny, a Cherokee potter. It’ll make a great present for Nora’s EMT boyfriend, but the next day, a little rain turns into a lot of rain, and the Miracle River overflows it banks. Amid the wreckage of a collapsed footbridge, a body lies within the churning water.

Nora and the sheriff both doubt the ruling of accidental drowning, and Nora decides it’s time for the Secret, Book, and Scone Society to spring into action. When another body turns up, it becomes clearer that Danny’s death can’t be blamed on a natural disaster. A crucial clue may lie within the stone walls of the Inn of Mist and Roses: a diary, over a century old and spattered with candle wax, that leads Nora and her friends through a maze of intrigue—and onto the trail of a murderer . . .

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  I've read the first two in this series and really enjoyed them.  This is a series I really need to read more from.

What She Saw - Mystery Review

Goodreads:  What She Saw by Mary Burton

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

Description: Cold case reporter Sloane Grayson has come to a small mountain town in Virginia to solve a mystery.

Thirty years ago, her mother was one of four women who vanished during a music festival. The event’s promoter was eventually convicted of their murders, and Sheriff CJ Taggart closed the case. But for Sloane, it’s still open. Because the bodies were never found.

With Taggart now long dead, Sloane must make do with questioning the victims’ families and the few remaining witnesses once again. If they’re still willing to dredge up memories of a crime that made their town notorious. As for the incarcerated killer, he has always maintained his innocence. Sloane isn’t entirely convinced he’s lying.

Somewhere nearby, unmarked graves conceal the bones and secrets of the dead. Sloane will do anything to find them and unearth the truth, even if that means playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with someone determined to stop her…

Genre: Mystery

Why I Picked This Book:  I've been wanting to read something by this author and the premise (and the cover) really caught my eye. 

My Impression:  Mary Burton is a pretty prolific author and her books frequently catch my eye (and I have more than a couple on my shelves) but somehow I've never picked up any of her books - until this one.  I do love a good cold case and especially one that involves either a PI or investigative reporter.  In this case we have the latter and not only is Sloan an investigative reporter but she is also the daughter of one of the missing women.  

The book goes back and forth between several characters and two different time periods.  It isn't the fastest paced book but the back and forth between the timelines kept me feeling like progress was being made even if it was just a little at a time.  As well, I never really cared for Sloan but it wasn't a story where that was really a problem.  I could definitely understand her motivation and I was interested to see how the story developed.

While this wasn't the fastest paced mystery it was a solid mystery with twists and turns and I had no idea how it would wrap up until the end.  I'll be on the lookout for more from this author.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would!  I don't think she's a must read for me yet but I enjoyed this one enough that I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If the premise interests you and you're good with a slower unravel this is a great choice.

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

Top Ten Tuesday - The Ten Books Randomly Chosen From My Library List

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 The First 10 Books I Randomly Grabbed From My Shelf.  I've done this relatively recently with my bookshelves so instead I'm looking at my library and using a random number generator to help.  I love this doing this occasionally because it's a great way to make sure that every book on my list is still one I want to read.  Here are 10 library books the fates selected for me!

1.  Best Served Hot by Amanda Elliott - This sounds really fun but I've had mixed results with romcoms so I'll either enjoy it or it'll be a quick DNF.

2.  Marshmallow Malice by Amanda Flower - This is the next book in a cozy mystery series I'm really enjoying so good job fates!

3.  The Unquiet Grave by Sharyn McCrumb - I've really loved books by this author and I love her writing style so I'm curious about this one.

4.  Loving My Actual Life: An Experiment in Relishing What's Right in Front of Me by Alexandra Kuykendall - I love what the title says so I figure I should try it.

5.  The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Conman and the Invention of Christmas in New York by Alex Palmer - This has been on my TBR for ages.  Maybe this is the Christmas I read it!

6.  The Postmistress of Paris by Meg Waite Clayton - I really enjoyed another historical fiction by this author and this sounds like a good read.

7.  The Secrets of Hartwood Hall by Kate Lumsden - I know nothing about this one but the title sounds fun.

8.  The Apartment by Ana Menendez - Another one I know nothing about.  I'm not sure how it landed on my library list but I'll give it a try.

9.  The Lost Story of Eva Fuentes by Chanel Cleeton - I love this author and can't wait to read this one!

10. The Librarianist by Patrik deWitt - Another one I don't know anything about but it sounds interesting.

Have you read any of these?  Do you ever use an element of randomness to pick your next reads?

The Forget-Me-Not Library - Fiction Review

Goodreads:  The Forget-Me-Not Library by Heather Webber

Rating: Loved It! (5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Juliet Nightingale is lucky to be alive. Months after a freak accident involving lightning, she’s fully recovered but is left feeling that something is missing from her life. Something big. Impulsively, she decides to take a solo summer road trip, hoping that the journey will lead her down a path that will help her discover exactly what it is that she’s searching for.

Newly single mom Tallulah Byrd Mayfield is hanging by a thread after her neat, tidy world was completely undone when her husband decided that their marriage was over. In the aftermath of the breakup, she and her two daughters move in with her eighty-year-old grandfather. Tallulah starts a new job at the Forget-Me-Not Library, where old, treasured memories can be found within the books—and where Lu must learn to adapt to the many changes thrown her way.

When a road detour leads Juliet to Forget-Me-Not, Alabama, and straight into Tallulah’s life, the two women soon discover there’s magic in between the pages of where you’ve been and where you still need to go. And that happiness, even when lost, can always be found again.

Genre: Fiction

Why I Picked This Book:  I've enjoyed other books by this author so of course I had to pick this one up!

My Impression: I loved this book and it has fully cemented Heather Webber as a favorite author (not that there was much doubt there).  The book starts with Juliet's car breaking down right in front of Tenn's house just as he is looking for his granddaughter. And from there Forget-Me-Not's magic pulled me in and wrapped me up with all the warm cozy feels.

The two main characters are Tallulah and Juliet, both very different women with very different pasts who are both looking for more than they realize.  I really enjoyed getting to know both of them and watching them come into their own.  The town of Forget-Me-Not is wonderful filled with quirky opinionated characters.  Normally, when a book has multiple narrators I tend to gravitate to one more than the other but that wasn't the case here.  I enjoyed both Juliet and Tallulah's perspectives and their voices.  I loved Katy and Tenn and Callum and Jake and all the other characters that populate their world.  My very favorite was Deckle the library cat who is so much more than a library cat and I enjoyed Tallulah's resistance to the whole thing.

I read this book in essentially one sitting thought that sitting ended in the wee hours of the morning and I loved every page of it.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I've loved every book by this author that I've read and am looking forward to reading more from her.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy heartfelt fiction with a bit of magical realism this book and this author are must reads.

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