Spring 2022 Titles on My List

 Mother Nature teased us last week into thinking we just might be moving into Spring with beautiful days and warmer temperatures. But this week, it's been chilly and the last few days super windy. The sun is shining, so it's not all bad--and I am spotting green things poking out of the ground in my flower beds. 

I have to say there isn't a part of the year where I'm not excited about new books. Every month there is something to look forward to, and April is no exception for me. I've been reading a bit more, but still much slower than usual. Right now it's safe to say I have four books all going at the same time, and all completely different than the others. 

Here are some of the books I'm eager to see published in April, as well as some titles I plan on reading this month:

This book was just released and is a new series about a "recovery" person who finds lost items. This novel introduces characters and sends us on an epic lost treasure adventure. 

Big buzz around this one--it's out in May and is "Mexican Gothic Meets Rebecca". Sounds like a great read!

I bought this a few months ago and still haven't started it yet. Historical fiction set in a world famous bookstore in Paris. 

My only comfort in knowing The House on Tradd Street series was finished was knowing this new book, featuring one of the characters from that series was just around the corner. I. Cannot. Wait. 

So excited to read this! Lost Colony of Roanoke? Yes please. 

A publisher read and review. Who can so no to any book about Julia Child? Not me! 

Alma Katsu again takes on horror, this time at a Japanese internment camp. 

Jenny Colgan returns with a new series set at an all girls school. 

This is what I plan on reading in the next month or so....I've been doing a few TikTok reviews and I enjoy those very much! You can find me on TikTok under @Luv2read66.  I also post them to my Instagram account @bookaliciousbabeia.  

I'm currently reading: Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child; The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid; Menopause: A Comic Treatment, Homicide and Halo Halo by Mia P. Manansala, and In the Company of Witches by Auralee Wallace. Hope to have two done early this next week. 

What are you reading? 

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Spring 2022 Titles on My List

The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White

 

There aren't many series that I start and read all the way through to the last book. However, The Tradd Street Series by Karen White is one that I have loved from the first novel published in 2008: The House on Tradd Street. 

I was so excited to read this novel I purposely bought a backpack purse large enough to fit a hardcover and took it on the plane with me when I went on vacation last week. I promptly buckled myself into my seat, opened my book, and read for the next three hours of my flight. 

So, no, do not start with this book if you've never read the series. This really is a series that needs to be read in order so you aren't confused because BIG things happen over the course of the series. So, for a quick recap: Melanie is a realtor selling historical homes in her hometown of Charleston. She's called to a home on Tradd Street to talk to the owner about listing it. However, the owner has something else in mind, and dies, leaving the home to Melanie. 

A gorgeous, stately home, it needs a heck of a lot of work--and as an extra bonus, comes with a few mysteries and ghosts. Melanie has psychic gifts (which she tries to ignore) and gets sucked into not only falling in love with the house, but begins to dive into the history of the house and the previous owners. Along comes author Jack Trenholm, a hot looking man who is also interested in the mysteries attached to the home--and interested in Melanie, as well. 

I won't give anything away that will surprise anyone, but here at the end of the series, Jack and Melanie are married with twin toddlers and Jack's teenage daughter all living in the house on Tradd street. Relationships have formed, strengthened, and have had quite a few tough spots. Melanie is still coming to grips with her transition from an independent go-getter to a mother of three and a wife to a man who continues to challenge her every day. And the spirits that inhabit her home, as well as the others who inhabit homes around Charleston are still calling on Melanie to solve mysteries and murders of the past. Will she finally embrace her gifts and use them to solve one last legendary mystery at her home? 

I can't tell you how much I love this series. It has everything in it I adore in a good book: a bit of romance, paranormal mysteries, history, historical restoration, and evolving relationships. Humor, quirky characters, and realistic relationships keep this series from becoming stale. One day I will visit Charleston! 

Here is the series in order of publication:

The House on Tradd Street

The Girl on Legare Street

The Strangers on Montagu Street

Return to Tradd Street

The Guests on South Battery

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street

The Attic on Queen Street

Thank you, thank you Karen White for such a wonderful series. I looked forward to every new novel in this series, and am happy to report while Jack and Melanie's story has come to an end, a new series will begin in 2022 featuring Jack's daughter Nola in New Orleans. The title is The Shop on Royal Street. To say I'm giddy with excitement is an understatement. You can bet I'll be reading and reviewing it!

Rating: 5/6 for a satisfying conclusion to the Tradd Street Series. While I was sad to turn the last page, I did so with a big sigh of happiness-characters got their just rewards.

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

**“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site.**

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The Attic on Queen Street by Karen White

October Flew by and I'm Still Resisting Winter Holiday Reads--Hanging on by a Thread

Well darn it all! Here it is October 31st and I failed at my reading goal this month. I've got four books started and just couldn't finish them, so I'll continue working on them in November. Honestly this month flew by so quickly my head is spinning just a bit. 

I've already started collecting my holiday reads and I'm trying my very best not to start them just yet. It helps if I put them on the bottom of my TBR pile so I can't see them. Thanksgiving Day I'm breaking out the holiday books wahoo! 

Until then, I have a few that I will be diving into this month:

I'm terribly sad this is the last book in this series. It seriously is one of my favorite series, and Karen White is one of my favorite authors. Charleston, restless spirits, and a marriage in trouble. Will there be a happy ending? 

A memoir from food writer Hannah Howard.

Yes, still reading about witches! A remote Scottish island, a weird lighthouse, and a missing sister who sudden appears 20 years later--the exact same age as when she disappeared. Gothic thriller!

I loved Samantha Verant's first novel about Sophie and she's back with more adventures as Sophie has a chance to become even more famous as a chef--if only she can keep a few secrets from being revealed. If you're a foodie fan, this is the book for you! 

I'm finally taking some time off in early November so I will have a chance to read and relax. Once I'm back I'll be posting reviews. Until then, take care and enjoy the changing seasons. 

--The Bookalicious Babe

**“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases made through links on this site.**

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October Flew by and I'm Still Resisting Winter Holiday Reads--Hanging on by a Thread

It's December!! Holiday Reads are in the House Wahoo!

Reading holiday novels in December has become an annual tradition for me and something that I look forward to every year. I usually accumulate a few in November and have to sit on my hands to keep myself from not starting them before Thanksgiving. I managed to only read one ahead of December, so I consider that a big win for me. 

Here's what I'll be reading to get myself into the holiday mood:

I haven't read any of this series, and I'm not starting with the first one, but I don't care! Love me some Jenny Colgan. 

A sweet little non-fiction book about achieving comfort at home, American hygge style. 

I'm returning to Charleston again for a ghostly tale in my favorite series. 

Saw this at the bookstore and it was an impulse buy. Don't know much about it! 

 I have a love/hate relationship with Anita Hughes. Her novels are so outside of my reality, but I can't seem to stay away. 

Returning to Ireland for Christmas. Love this series. 

Christmas and romance go together, and I can't resist it. 

I'll probably be reading more than these, too. I'd like to try some cozy mysteries with a holiday theme. My Christmas tree is up and decorated, I'm working on the rest of the house (forcing myself to keep it simple!), and I'm ready to be on the couch with a cup of tea (I love tea AND coffee), a blanket, and some mint chocolate Hershey's kisses. Bring on the holidays!

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It's December!! Holiday Reads are in the House Wahoo!

A Quick Review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White AND Books for February

January sped by and now I'm staring February in the face.  Of course all the books I've asked for through the library are now rolling in, so I've got a glut to read.  Gee, twist my arm.  😉  But before I get to what I'm reading for February, I've got a quick review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White.

I'll tell you right now that I absolutely adore this series.  This is fifth book in the series, so please don't start with this one, but start at the beginning with The House on Tradd Street.  You'll be a bit lost, and darn it, come into the story after all the really good stuff happens between Melanie and Jack.  **Warning:  spoiler alert**

Melanie is returning to work as a realtor specializing in historic homes in her hometown of Charleston, SC.  Work continues on her home, as do the odd paranormal events that come with her home.  Jack is working on a book, and having twin babies means they need a nanny.  Melanie's latest client has inherited a historic home on South Battery Street, and Jayne is eager to sell it.  Very eager to sell it.  It's obvious Jayne is very uneasy around the house, and will do anything to avoid stepping foot in it.  Lucky for Melanie, Jayne is a nanny looking for a job while the house is looked at by a team of historical renovation experts, restored, and all of the valuable antiques are evaluated and sold.  Jayne is a perfect fit for Melanie's household, and her twins Sarah and JJ (both adorable 10 month olds) take to her instantly.  

Meanwhile, lots of recent rainfall has caused part of Melanie's back yard to sink in, exposing a cistern that requires archaeologists from the local college to excavate it, as it's clearly from the early days of Charleston and may be of historical significance.  Only bad thing about it is that something dark and evil has been released and has taken root in Melanie's home.  Also, touring Jayne's home has given Melanie a sense that not only are there spirits around, but one isn't very nice.  Reluctant to embrace her gifts, but frustrated that during her pregnancy they seemed to be blocked, Melanie knows she's being called on to solve another mystery haunting historical Charleston.  But, in doing so, both her and Jack uncover a whole lot more that has repercussions for Melanie and her family.  

I dived right into this novel, and was happy to read the continuation of Melanie and Jack's story.  Here they are happily married, and new parents.  Melanie still suffers from moments of "I can't believe this guy is my husband!" and fresh off of a difficult pregnancy, she doesn't feel her most attractive.  Being a first time mom in her early 40's has given her great joy, but also a bit of a confidence issue.  This is a big part of the story, and while I understand completely, there were times I wanted to shake her!  Just goes to show that marriages always need work, and communication is so important between partners.  I liked the paranormal plot a lot, but I figured it all out pretty quickly so there weren't any surprises.  Still very enjoyable.   I give it a 6/10; it's available in hardcover, e-book, and audio.  If you're a fan of the South, and like a bit of paranormal, family drama, history, and romance, pick up this series.  Can't wait for the next one!

Now, onto my February reads.  I've got a plateful, for sure. 

Moms and drama at a school in small town England

John Wilkes Booth.  Should be interesting

Epistolary novel set during the Civil War

Sequel to the Lace Reader.  I'm giving her another chance

Publisher review.  Thriller. 

 And I'm going to try and squeeze in a romantic read...after all it is the month of love! 
 

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A Quick Review of The Guests on South Battery by Karen White AND Books for February

On Folly Beach

On Folly Beach by Karen White is another hit!  I've read many of her novels, and each one never fails to disappoint in writing style, characters, or story line.  She's an author I stumbled upon a few years ago as I was wandering through fiction at my bookstore.  Once you've read one of her novels, you have to go back and read everything else!

On Folly Beach takes place in both 1942 and in 2009 in Folly Beach, South Carolina.  Maggie is a young woman raising her little sister, Lulu, and living with her beautiful cousin, Cat on Folly Beach at the start of World War 2.  Cat is already a war widow; her short marriage to Jim ends when he dies at Pearl Harbor.  Cat is beautiful, yet insecure, and has to always be the one the men love.  Jim was, in fact, dating Maggie first, until Cat got her claws into him.

Maggie soon meets Peter at a dance in Folly Beach.  He's a civilian and explains that he can't enlist because he has severe asthma.  He's on business from his father's factory in Iowa.  Hmm.  He's mysterious, and soon Maggie finds herself drawn to Peter as he makes appearances in Folly Beach, each time bringing Maggie and Lulu books for Maggie's shop, Folly's Finds.

In 2009, Emmy moves to Folly Beach after losing her husband in Afghanistan.  She buys Folly's Finds from Maggie's daughter-in-law, and finds love notes written in used books from the shop.  She quickly becomes intrigued--who wrote them, and why?  As Emmy digs into the mystery, the story goes back and forth, between 1942 and 2009.  You learn Maggie's story, and at the every end, know just who was having a secret affair, what was going on around Folly Beach, and Lulu's role in it all--the secrets she has kept for 60 years.

I loved this book.  It's about love, and how making choices can leave you stuck and unable to move forward.  It's also about forgiveness, sacrifice, and being brave enough to move forward, and leave sadness behind to forge a new, happy life.

If you like this novel, try her backlist.  She's written about 8 other novels, and I've read quite a few.  I highly recommend her!

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On Folly Beach