TBR Tarot - The Family Vault

At the end of 2022 Wendy over at Literary Feline posted about these fantastic TBR Tarot Cards she had picked up on Etsy and that sounded too good to resist so I immediately ordered my own set.  So when I'm not feeling strongly about what to read next I pull out my cards and pick a book based on the prompt.  Here is a book the fates chose for me recently.

Prompt:  Choose a Book Where the Author's First Name Begins with "C"

Goodreads:  The Family Vault by Charlotte MacLeod

Blurb:  Great-uncle Frederick has passed away, and the Kelling clan of Boston has made plans to put the old gentleman's remains in the family vault on Beacon Hill. When the vault is opened, however, there's someone already there that no one could have ever expected -- the skeleton of a burlesque queen who disappeared thirty years ago!

With the help of private detective Max Bittersohn, it's up to Sarah Kelling to hold the shocked family together, and try to find out what happened. What they unravel is a complex murder plot that not only stretches into the past, but also has Sarah marked as a victim!

My Thoughts:  This was so fun!  If I read this author before it has been a while so I wasn't quite sure what to expect going when I started this one.  While the book starts with quite a startling event it does take a bit for the investigation to get started or to warm up to Sarah.  However, when things get going they REALLY get going.  This was quite a roller coaster with all kinds of fascinating clues and and interesting characters.  The motives kept me guessing and I really enjoyed the collaboration of Max and Sarah.  I will definitely be looking for more from this author and looking for the rest of this series.   My Thoughts:  Really Liked It (4 Stars)

This Week in Reading - March 9

 

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:

I took a trip to the library this week to pick up a few holds and to browse the stacks and see if anything jumped out at me.  I only picked up a few which is pretty restrained I think.

Agatha Christie by Lucy Worsley

The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Fronczak

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Currently:

Reading:  The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey and Puzzled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton

Listening:  The Liar by Nora Robets (I was feeling the need for a reread)

How I Made This Week Cozy:  I did try and make a bit more effort to use free time effectively instead of just doom scrolling on my phone.  I went to lunch with friends, dinner with my husband twice at places we've been wanting to try, and I had some good quality time with Will.  I've also been making more of an effort to read during the day and to drink a cup of herbal tea.  I also got some pantry and fridge organizing done as it's gotten a bit out of control and it feels amazing to have that cleaned out.  This week I'm tackling my office I think,  

How was your reading this week?  What did you do to make this week cozy?

Monthly Reading Recap - February 2025

Monthly Reading Total:  16 - I had surgery on my finger right at the beginning of the month and between that and recovery it definitely slowed down my reading a bit.

Type:

Print:  6

Ebook:  5

Audio: 5

Genre:

Mystery - 8

Fiction - 5

Romance - 2

Nonfiction - 1 

Favorite Book of the Month:

These were both ebooks that I always looked forward to picking up at the end of the day.

My Armchair Travels:

Domestic Travel:  I visited Minnesota, Texas, Virginia (twice), and Oregon for the first time this year. I also revisited California.

International Travel:  I went to England quite a bit (6 times), Denmark, and Myanmar though it was 1950s Burma at the time.

How was your reading in February?  Where did your reading take you?

Friday Fives - March 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. This is the first Friday in March so I'm picking out five books I hope to read this month.

1.  The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry - This is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to read this one!

2.   Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh - I picked this up on an Audible sale.  I like the sound of this one and really enjoyed the one book I've read by her.

3.  Agatha Christie:  A Very Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley - I love Lucy Worsley and Christie is one of my favorite authors and had a fascinating life so I'm looking forward to reading this one.

4.  Hot Button by Kylie Logan - I read this first book in this cozy mystery series about a button store (because yes - there are cozy mysteries about everything!) and really need to continue the series.

5.  The Foundling: The True Story of a Kidnapping, a Family Secret, and My Search for the Real Me by Paul Fronczak - This was recommended by one of my favorite True Crime YouTube channels (Gabulosis - she covers cases that are 20+ years old) and is a case that has always fascinated me. 

What are you looking forward to reading in March?

Books from the Backlog - Smoke Gets in Your Eyes

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:  Smoke Gets In Your Eyes and Other Lessons from the Crematory by Caitlin Doughty

Blurb:  Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes tells an unusual coming-of-age story full of bizarre encounters and unforgettable scenes. Caring for dead bodies of every color, shape, and affliction, Caitlin soon becomes an intrepid explorer in the world of the dead. She describes how she swept ashes from the machines (and sometimes onto her clothes) and reveals the strange history of cremation and undertaking, marveling at bizarre and wonderful funeral practices from different cultures.

Her eye-opening, candid, and often hilarious story is like going on a journey with your bravest friend to the cemetery at midnight. She demystifies death, leading us behind the black curtain of her unique profession. And she answers questions you didn’t know you had: Can you catch a disease from a corpse? How many dead bodies can you fit in a Dodge van? What exactly does a flaming skull look like?

Honest and heartfelt, self-deprecating and ironic, Caitlin's engaging style makes this otherwise taboo topic both approachable and engrossing. Now a licensed mortician with an alternative funeral practice, Caitlin argues that our fear of dying warps our culture and society, and she calls for better ways of dealing with death (and our dead).

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  This is a bit macabre but also fascinating and I just discovered that it's on the Audible Plus catalog so I need to get it off my TBR and onto my Read list!

What I'm Reading - March 5

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

Print Book:

The Wolf Tree by Laura McLuskey - This is the first book I've read by this author and so far I'm enjoying it fairly well.  My main issue is that it's written in present tense which always annoys me a little bit.

Ebook: 

Puzzled 4 Murder by J.C. Eaton - This is the newest in a long running cozy series and it's a quirky bit of fun so far!

Slow Read:  

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber - This is a reread but I flew through it the first time I read it and didn't remember much about it.  

Audio Book: 

Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon - I'm enjoying this one and am enjoying it but it's a bit slow so far.  I'm at about 30% and want to find out what happens but do wish it would pick up a bit.

What are you reading today?

My March Mystery Madness and Middle Grade March Readathon Lists - If I was Participating

I watch a lot of YouTube and Middle Grade March and March Mystery Madness are getting talked about quite a bit.  I love the idea of themed reading but am not so great about doing it but if I WAS better about doing it here's 5 for each that I would read

March Mystery Madness:

The Third to Die by Allison Brennan -I've heard good things about this author and this one is the beginning of a series that looks good.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston - This one is more thriller than mystery but looks like a lot of fun and super twisty.

The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp by Leonie Swann - This looks cozy and quirky and like a lot of fun.

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves - I have Ann Cleeves on my To Read list for this year and this is the first of the Vera books.

A Game of Lies by Claire Mackintosh - I've read a book by this author and really enjoyed it and have been wanting to read more.

Middle Grade March:

The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson - I can't resist the title but the premise sounds good too!

Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen: Peril at Owl Park by Marthe Jocelyn - I really loved the first book in this series about a young Agatha Christie (very loosely based) and am looking forward to continuing with it.

How I Became a Spy by Deborah Hopkinson - I know nothing about this one but somehow it landed on my TBR.  The premise looks intriguing and I'm looking forward to picking this one up.

Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery - This is one of my favorite lesser known Montgomery books and I really want to reread it soon.

The Rose Legacy by Jessica Day George - I've read other books by this author and loved them.  This looks like a fun series and one I'd like to try.

What would be on your readathon lists?