tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7171441777518705072024-03-19T04:32:04.795-05:00Bookalicious Babe Book Reviews"She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain." --Louisa May AlcottSue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.comBlogger1076125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-63137738767511041642024-03-18T11:03:00.000-05:002024-03-18T11:03:26.599-05:00March Read: The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8VdOj34mPUyXQrh2reX9IJeVrkngcNQTRSfwx_ebXUYjC5t4KtWFS-PRv9-EChAZzPMqmrj26izBGHc4xqSsmKEtbOEjeqH6nPZ39kZUPZQUTQsWFNTiDZxuBkDbfi0MORwPTgQIp3Y_dS_jce25Bu9bohywrhj3Mdk7aLb7FiFnyo7S1QNwUmHjDNU/s500/64417401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="332" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw8VdOj34mPUyXQrh2reX9IJeVrkngcNQTRSfwx_ebXUYjC5t4KtWFS-PRv9-EChAZzPMqmrj26izBGHc4xqSsmKEtbOEjeqH6nPZ39kZUPZQUTQsWFNTiDZxuBkDbfi0MORwPTgQIp3Y_dS_jce25Bu9bohywrhj3Mdk7aLb7FiFnyo7S1QNwUmHjDNU/w265-h400/64417401.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm always fascinated by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, so I immediately grabbed this historical novel by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang. It did not disappoint, and was exactly the kind of historical novel I enjoy. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is the story of four women: Nellie, Suling, Gemma, and Alice, who all connect in San Francisco days before the great earthquake. Gemma has arrived from New York as part of the chorus of an opera--she's got an amazing voice, but migraines which have kept her from climbing to the top in the opera world. She's hoping to connect with Nellie; they are friends who keep in touch no matter what. Suling is a young Chinese woman living in Chinatown with an astonishing embroidery talent. Unfortunately, she's days away from an arranged marriage she wants to escape. Alice is a scientist who specializes in botany, and she's living in the same boarding house as Nellie. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Through interesting connections, the women all find themselves uncovering a terrible crime just as the earthquake destroys San Francisco, putting them all in danger not only from the catastrophe unfolding, but a very dangerous and deadly man who's willing to kill to keep his secrets. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can't give anything away, because it would spoil a few reveals and connections that are much more fun to uncover as you read. There's nothing downright shocking, but just a good story that grabbed my attention and I couldn't put it down. What was most interesting was how each woman fought against sexism and the barriers they faced even with obvious and immense talents. I especially loved getting a peek inside each career: opera, embroidery, painting, and botany. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a novel about perseverance, talent, revenge, and healing from traumatic events. It's also a glimpse inside the world of 1906, on the cusp of immense change. There are author notes about San Francisco, the characters, and how they wrote the novel together at the end, which round out the novel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for an entertaining novel set just before and after the San Francisco earthquake of 1906--but also a few other places around the world, too. Four strong women facing a deadly enemy and their quest for revenge. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audio. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-74419250252451213592024-03-10T18:08:00.000-05:002024-03-10T18:08:04.904-05:00March Read: Murder Road by Simone St. James<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5ZMIKgCJDvwg2UmcHYHjTOy19cWGWgVIQLN9vRiFjmrCnnrByMBHlBWHGyNMH6DTsELR3ZAryGorAmNRnQtqcV_hG6zhWJjfCqRfNoJOtmAe7qGBw5trjZTkLW37W1vIfJbiMbwPAL8uTeS-uom9ODORPiZ7o_0M9IXTs90unDquhlT-sZg0Pu8v6zM/s2560/196614815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1695" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5ZMIKgCJDvwg2UmcHYHjTOy19cWGWgVIQLN9vRiFjmrCnnrByMBHlBWHGyNMH6DTsELR3ZAryGorAmNRnQtqcV_hG6zhWJjfCqRfNoJOtmAe7qGBw5trjZTkLW37W1vIfJbiMbwPAL8uTeS-uom9ODORPiZ7o_0M9IXTs90unDquhlT-sZg0Pu8v6zM/w265-h400/196614815.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Oh, Simone St. James did it again. Managed to fascinate me while giving me the creeps. She is one of my favorite authors, and I have read every one of her novels, all the way back to discovering her first paperback during my bookseller years a loooong time ago. I'm thrilled she's getting the attention she deserves and becoming more popular with every new novel. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This one will make you unwilling to drive down a dark, empty road by yourself for quite some time. It takes place in 1995, and starts out with April and Eddie Carter; two newlyweds on their way to a resort for a short honeymoon. It's late at night, and April wakes up in the front seat and discovers Eddie has become lost, and doesn't quite know how he got lost. But lost they are, late at night, on a lonely road with no one in sight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Until they see a young woman running down the road, begging for help. There is something very, very wrong with the young woman, and the road. A big black pick up truck comes roaring down the road, chasing after Eddie and April and the injured young woman in the back seat. They get to the town of Coldlake Falls just in time to escape from the black truck, but unfortunately the young woman dies at the hospital. The police are looking at Eddie and April, covered in blood, and in a bit of shock. Strangers in a small town; a dying woman in their back seat. They're forbidden to leave town as the police investigate, and that's where things really take off and get interesting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eddie and April's backgrounds are messy and they both have kept secrets from each other. But murderers they are not, and they become determined to figure out what happened on Atticus Line Road that night. It wasn't natural, what they saw in the back of that black truck...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is a small town with some eerie back story--hitchhikers found dead, murders unsolved, whispers of strange occurrences on Atticus Line Road. So many unsolved murders on that road, and the police are suspicious of anyone who comes through town. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Will Eddie and April figure it all out and stay safe and out of jail for a crime they didn't commit? As they unravel the pieces of the puzzle, it becomes clear just why they were drawn to Atticus Line Road that night. It's one heck of a twist!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyone who loves eerie thrillers with a definite nod to creepy ghost stories will be all on board with this latest from Simone St. James. I love how her characters are always flawed in some way, and find themselves caught up in bizarre and ghostly events that require them to be stronger and braver than they've ever been. To believe and accept the unbelievable, because it's the only explanation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Loved it! Not surprised. I'm never disappointed with this author. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 6/6 for a novel that will keep you patiently on the journey with Eddie and April as pieces slowly fall into place. A great ghost story about revenge, redemption, family, and leaving the past behind for a brighter future. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-42349194795806710052024-03-07T09:55:00.000-06:002024-03-07T09:55:28.751-06:00March Read: Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pSM93KSUMcBvL1U39Ek3e3HfiPPg4gv8aRU6MxvAKTNsfDf_pDzYeqUl2Qq5psiCEeP2wX5ELZFDSVPwxH2wj-dq2FM4Szojzf-4-cxCGBE20fL3PM0A9fQN9-FBLBwjcXdqEJFbTwWyxUG_a7SFrZ8D04Q25fd36sHd1geFJ8Hz255KG7QL_P26Omo/s1500/127975811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="991" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5pSM93KSUMcBvL1U39Ek3e3HfiPPg4gv8aRU6MxvAKTNsfDf_pDzYeqUl2Qq5psiCEeP2wX5ELZFDSVPwxH2wj-dq2FM4Szojzf-4-cxCGBE20fL3PM0A9fQN9-FBLBwjcXdqEJFbTwWyxUG_a7SFrZ8D04Q25fd36sHd1geFJ8Hz255KG7QL_P26Omo/w264-h400/127975811.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I decided I didn't want to wait for the physical book to be available so I listened to the audio book instead. I am not a huge audio book person and when I do listen it's usually a non-fiction book so this fit into my audio book checklist perfectly. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This book is made up of essays the author has written about her love of books, reading, and her experiences as a teacher of literature and writing. From an early age Shannon inhaled books; she couldn't get enough. She lived at the library, surrounded herself with books, and found a lot of solace in books as a person who is hard of hearing. She could escape into so many other worlds. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now, as an adult, she teaches writing and literature at a college level, and is continuously surprised at the connections novels make in a world where reading is often dismissed as "boring". Her stories are pretty interesting. In one essay, she finds herself teaching a class on vampire literature. She herself avoids any kind of horror novels (terrifying nightmares as a child), but has to not only teach a class and read the books, but support a student who is also deeply afraid to read horror novels. In another essay, she talks about the connections modern high school students made with Bronte's Jane Eyre, much to her surprise. She was expecting most of the students to not read the novel at all, but instead, they had robust conversations and couldn't wait to get to class to talk in-depth about Jane and her life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">She talks about reading for pleasure instead of her earlier years where she raced through books just to be able to say "Oh yes, I read that". And yes, even taking yourself out of your comfort zone and reading something that may be difficult or not at all what you'd normally read. One of her most interesting essays talks about Lincoln in the Bardo, and how she read it to teach a class and for the life of her couldn't understand it, and confessed that to her students. It began a journey they all went on together, and became one of her most interesting reading experiences. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you are a lover of books and are interested in exploring the reading life of other book lovers, pick this up. You can read a chapter and put it down without losing any flow. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for an interesting read about books, a love of reading, and how it all changes with time, life experiences, and the people you meet along the way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-38223721057708444192024-03-03T10:44:00.000-06:002024-03-10T18:08:23.964-05:00March Read: The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuECRQaT2Iv3Rc9R-Mr10pdxVXTyjryGz0yf3eKrGI4bsca06TYZtlwldKb9GgcIf4Cw0tCZ9B2vrG8jAA7oIbztbxQ2bLEdwYQYCTzuPCSOf0PaYuX0KzUAKd-FmB0kNsxtutlPJVxrJ8dCpNdivYd7OIJWc_kT_Iiu1ozeoWLCSQPA3mfJUSrOoFNks/s500/195430688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuECRQaT2Iv3Rc9R-Mr10pdxVXTyjryGz0yf3eKrGI4bsca06TYZtlwldKb9GgcIf4Cw0tCZ9B2vrG8jAA7oIbztbxQ2bLEdwYQYCTzuPCSOf0PaYuX0KzUAKd-FmB0kNsxtutlPJVxrJ8dCpNdivYd7OIJWc_kT_Iiu1ozeoWLCSQPA3mfJUSrOoFNks/w265-h400/195430688.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ever since I read Ruth Reichl's first novel <i>Delicious! </i>I have been waiting for her to write another novel. I'll begin by saying it does have some childhood sexual abuse in it at the beginning, which helps explain some of the main character's feelings and attitude along the way.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Saying that, the novel is about a young woman, Stella in the early 1980's. She lives in New York and her mother, with whom she had a difficult relationship, has died. Stella's mom left her some money with strict instructions to travel to Paris and not to come back until all the money was spent. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Stella decides, okay, I'll go. She buys a one way ticket to Paris and spends a few weeks living very simply and wandering around. Not really getting the whole Paris experience. She comes across a vintage clothing shop, and finds a stunning Dior dress that the shop owner insists is made for her. Convinced to buy it (and spending most of her money), Stella takes the owner's advice and goes to a particular restaurant to eat oysters and have champagne. This is the start point for Stella's adventures in Paris. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">While at the restaurant, Stella meets Jules, an elderly art collector, and this sets off Stella's awakening to all that Paris offers. Making friends with Jules, she's soon involved in an intriguing art mystery, traveling around Paris and the countryside eating amazing food, and discovering just what Stella wants in life. Paris feels like it might, just might, be home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What I enjoyed about this novel, besides the incredible food descriptions, was the meandering way Stella's adventures keep unfolding. The people she meets along the way, and the evolution of Stella from a meek and quiet young woman to a strong, confident woman are part of the enjoyment of the novel. Each person she meets and befriends has a whole story of their own--many based on heartbreak, too. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I enjoyed this novel very much, and was happy to see Stella evolve from a trauma filled childhood to a confident and beloved woman who keeps moving forward despite her fear of the unknown. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Anyone who loves Paris, or is a foodie will enjoy this novel. It is published in the U.S. on April 30, 2024 in hardcover. A big thanks to Random House for an advanced copy to read. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for an adventure story that begins in a traumatic childhood, and evolves into a young woman knowing herself and her place in the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-61126351274743670492024-02-19T07:06:00.000-06:002024-02-19T07:06:29.952-06:00February Read: The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAC8kN6hPHfmYmoREI8AXe3P22juZTGJV-aD0OgqFuJY9o1pN_M01iD1RGyNKr0-Nb0F597PITfF8KESSgE3opxIr7zgxffFCdq8XWesQ3v0UXkVkjo7GOUED2ARAxLyxWOblYvAXK6XnCQsUhwwFMgnCQ8Bm1uSjB_QoIWPk81lXjfixpmOyCXLwcdJI/s1482/154488299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1482" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAC8kN6hPHfmYmoREI8AXe3P22juZTGJV-aD0OgqFuJY9o1pN_M01iD1RGyNKr0-Nb0F597PITfF8KESSgE3opxIr7zgxffFCdq8XWesQ3v0UXkVkjo7GOUED2ARAxLyxWOblYvAXK6XnCQsUhwwFMgnCQ8Bm1uSjB_QoIWPk81lXjfixpmOyCXLwcdJI/w270-h400/154488299.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was a delightful, cozy read and I'm happy to say the first in a series that was first published in Japan. The English version is translated by Jesse Kirkwood. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Retired detective Nagare Kamogawa and his daughter Koishi run a distinctly different restaurant/detective agency. Tucked away on a small street in Kyoto sits a restaurant without a sign to indicate what it is. People find their way there when they see a one sentence advertisement in a magazine. The guests who arrive come for help that only Nagare and Koishi can give them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> Nagare and Koishi aren't your regular, run of the mill detectives. Their specialty is finding that one dish that each guest desperately needs to eat once again. Guests arrive, have a specially prepared meal by Nagare, and once finished, discuss their food mystery with Koishi, who gets as much information as possible from their guest. Two weeks later, the guest comes back to the restaurant, to experience that magical dish one more time, thanks to Nagare and his special talents at cooking and detecting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Guests have a variety of reasons for their journey; mostly memories of childhood, mourning what was lost when a loved one died. Bringing back happy memories that only a special dish can do--a slice of the past to help them move forward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'll say I'm not much of a fish person, but wow the food descriptions made me want to try everything. It's a great introduction to Japanese food and will get your curiosity stirred up to expand your knowledge of Japanese cuisine. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Each chapter is another guest to the restaurant who needs help. This is an easy read that you can read in a night or two. I thoroughly enjoyed it!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for an unassuming little novel about memories, love, food, and comfort. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This book is available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-19492150782816759022024-02-05T20:16:00.000-06:002024-02-05T20:16:01.765-06:00The Women by Kristin Hannah<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJX6U9Qjn3mkIPN9Ka-ZGtUXfU-xeblvFy6Q7cgHhBrQGhs9rDu7W0bXfTEby6-8gRSDRxiT8BiBuicFCRfT9cSkv96rVI0CHZ4-qBY3VfJazft5TsK51HuIyZ_KGXsMQSsSLl-5vzwx-gRPUzeDZCLs01WRrwImkMpSMQm0dAIM9C-PAaDX9DFgfmTBg/s2560/127305853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1684" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJX6U9Qjn3mkIPN9Ka-ZGtUXfU-xeblvFy6Q7cgHhBrQGhs9rDu7W0bXfTEby6-8gRSDRxiT8BiBuicFCRfT9cSkv96rVI0CHZ4-qBY3VfJazft5TsK51HuIyZ_KGXsMQSsSLl-5vzwx-gRPUzeDZCLs01WRrwImkMpSMQm0dAIM9C-PAaDX9DFgfmTBg/w264-h400/127305853.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I finally cracked and read a Kristin Hannah novel. Thanks to St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy; otherwise I probably would not have read it, for a couple of reasons: I wouldn't have gotten around to it, and I tend to avoid novels about the Vietnam War. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I didn't lose any family in the Vietnam War, and I don't really remember much of it at all--I was a small child, born just as it was ramping up. By the time it ended, I was about 6-7 years old. I only remember Walter Cronkite on the evening news, seeing some of the footage in color on my parent's console TV. I don't recall my parents ever talking about it, either. That little I do remember is still pretty sharp in my memory. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novel, is, you guessed it, about the women who served in Vietnam: the nurses, mostly. Those fierce women who saw some of the most grisly and devastating parts of the war, who toiled through unimaginable scenarios to save men's lives and get them home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Francis "Frankie" McGrath lives on Coronado Island, California. Her parents are wealthy, and her brother Finley has just signed up to go to Vietnam. In 1966 no one knew the horrors of the Vietnam War just yet, and it was considered honorable and expected of men to join the armed services and go over and end the hostilities quickly. At a party, Frankie meet Rye, one of her brother's good friends, who tells Frankie "women can be heroes, too." That one phrase changes Frankie's life. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Frankie, fresh out of nursing school, decides she wants to follow Finley to Vietnam as a nurse. At twenty, she's sheltered and not happy with the limited choices she has, and the expectations of her parents to get married and raise a family. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once Frankie steps off the plane in Vietnam, her world is completely shaken. From her first days in camp and meeting her friends Ethel and Barb, to meeting Jamie, a surgeon who is clearly interested in Frankie, she's thrown into a world where there's no time to be afraid. Frankie's experiences in Vietnam shape her into a veteran who cannot shake her experience once she comes home.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The novel is split into two parts: Vietnam, and the return home. It spans 1966-1982, and follows the heartbreak, heartache, and struggles Frankie endures once she returns home and discovers Vietnam Vets are not being welcomed home. Will Frankie overcome her demons? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was one heck of a read. I started it this past week and power read over the weekend to finish it. I was afraid if I stopped I wouldn't pick it back up; only because some of it is tough to read. Frankie's PTSD, nightmares, and drug and alcohol use are harsh and your heart breaks for her struggles in a world where even the vets don't believe women served in Vietnam. As Frankie tells them, they would only have seen her if they were gravely wounded. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Loved it--I'm glad it wasn't just about Frankie's experience in Vietnam, but also the aftermath at home, and the years it took to overcome the results of her experience. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><i>This novel is released in the U.S. on February 6th in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.</i></b> I know it is going to be immensely popular and bring new fans to Kristin Hannah. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 6/6 for an absorbing, heartbreaking, tough look at the Vietnam War from a nurse's experience on the ground in the harshest conditions. It also examines the aftermath of the war and the mental toll it takes on veterans and how the system failed so many when they needed help and compassion the most. Powerful stuff. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-55658842371978344612024-02-04T14:33:00.000-06:002024-02-04T14:33:20.531-06:00Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdNzv5iPSkQqsFwuFdra77j5Ri9FNRYQSKXa3Ov4kpR66X0ZEV6CpAY1QcDZWcSabOoHGjRb_g8b-Gnyk2N_l5Qzjr5PIz3vIs3bsaeFPzdsHHPtW6n_mKZcnamLUk5MIAhPUCfs3ZvFjTOvfTyAB3XZla9-IUqc8XvKEGd086Y18weOa7BP39jmZTOE/s400/61812422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdNzv5iPSkQqsFwuFdra77j5Ri9FNRYQSKXa3Ov4kpR66X0ZEV6CpAY1QcDZWcSabOoHGjRb_g8b-Gnyk2N_l5Qzjr5PIz3vIs3bsaeFPzdsHHPtW6n_mKZcnamLUk5MIAhPUCfs3ZvFjTOvfTyAB3XZla9-IUqc8XvKEGd086Y18weOa7BP39jmZTOE/w265-h400/61812422.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I read Hilarie Burton Morgan's <i>The Rural Diaries </i>when it first was published and absolutely loved her memoir about meeting her husband, finding their home in rural New York State, and raising a family together. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now she's returned with another kind-of memoir about the magic of every day life and how we can recognize it in all the infinite ways it weaves through our lives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is in parts a how-to with gentle guidance on cultivating friendships, building memories, and discovering the simple ways we can bring the magic of nature and synchronicity into our lives. It can be as simple as burning a specific colored candle, or recognizing the language of flowers and being intentional in how we cook with love and purpose for those we care about. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most of all, it is about seeing how everyone creates their own grimoire--or magic spell book. It can be a physical book you put together yourself, full of memories, notes, incantations, recipes, photographs. It can, in one instance, be an estate with acres of gardens with a hidden message that speaks of a lifetime of grief and love. It's paying attention to the people and places that come into your life at certain moments--it's all the magic of the universe, and it's there for you if you just start paying attention. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I enjoyed this book and it inspired me to start paying attention to what's going on around me--what patterns are there that I'm just not seeing, because I'm too busy? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I guess I've already started my own grimoire with the books I keep at home; the books that make my home my special place and tell the story of my life. It's in the things I keep at home that remind me of my loved ones who are gone, and special places I've been. Instead of looking at these items as things I have to dust, I have a new appreciation of them.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So burn the candles, set up your mini altar at home. Play with the cards, write in that journal. Gather things that have meaning to you, and open your eyes. The world is a magical place, and we need to bring that positive energy back into being. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for an interesting book about myth, magic, creating a home, and taking care of your well-being. A call to remind ourselves we are magic. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook and audio. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-57637224635052429922024-02-02T00:30:00.001-06:002024-02-02T00:30:00.155-06:00The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ3ZJcgYnHKErFBcGWiAmQYNXdhQdGr1zX366KDsl-8_gAvJWAeTIwT6eUChi528eHHRQKuAKOQhU2yXcuIEWgd_UQpvTbvJ9MceN9ZhUNdAUc3ks8Jd3hsUxmStHlQCQExeIJLCpa7pMO_PkeBBCwq8SBNeZRDLq5dK6uoIkZT4GS0eNP2XlvoO5tHo/s400/65213227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJ3ZJcgYnHKErFBcGWiAmQYNXdhQdGr1zX366KDsl-8_gAvJWAeTIwT6eUChi528eHHRQKuAKOQhU2yXcuIEWgd_UQpvTbvJ9MceN9ZhUNdAUc3ks8Jd3hsUxmStHlQCQExeIJLCpa7pMO_PkeBBCwq8SBNeZRDLq5dK6uoIkZT4GS0eNP2XlvoO5tHo/w263-h400/65213227.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I started this in December over Christmas weekend and finished it on January first. Love the cover--it grabbed me right away. I'm all about small English villages, murder, and a possible curse. Sign me up!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This mystery takes place in 1922, after the Great War (World War One in the U.S.). American heiress Ruby Vaughn lives in Exeter, England with Mr. Owens, an elderly man who runs a rare bookstore. Ruby takes care of delivering the books to clients around England, and after her rather shaky past, it's a place for her to take some time to get a grip on her life and figure things out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mr. Owens gives Ruby a delivery task that brings her directly back to her past in the small village of Lothlel Green, located in the Cornish countryside. There resides her best friend Tamsyn, who is married to Sir Edward Chenowyth and resides at Penryth Hall. It's a good excuse to visit her friend, who had sent Ruby a letter a year previously, stating she had made a terrible mistake and would Ruby please come. Ruby chose not to go, for various reasons you'll find out. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ruby arrives and meets the intriguing Ruan </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kivell, the person who is expecting the delivery of books from Mr. Owens. He's something else, is Ruan. He's the local Pellar, which the locals hold in high esteem. He appears to have a bit of magic around him. And strangely seems to be able to hear everything Ruby is thinking in her head. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ruby is at Penryth Hall for only one evening when the next morning Sir Edward is found murdered in the orchard. Murdered in a most horrible way--and thus begins the mystery that Ruby and Ruan race to solve, before there are more victims of the curse that claimed Sir Edward. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">But is it a curse, a local legend; or a murder plain and simple? Lots of reasons to see Sir Edward dead--he was an unpleasant man. Did Tamsyn do it? One of the locals? Did Ruby do it and not remember? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. I loved the setting, especially the Cornish countryside and the post World War One climate. Ruby is an intriguing character who has a lot of problems and baggage. Ruan--ooh, he's a handsome devil. The two together are dynamite. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This mystery had a lot of layers to get through, so you never really know who did it until close to the end. I most certainly hope there are more mysteries involving Ruby, Ruan, and Mr. Owens. I would gobble them up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for an intriguing mystery with an unforgettable setting, characters that have excellent chemistry, and the possibilities of more collaboration in future novels. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><br /></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-4923682560579667302024-01-28T00:30:00.002-06:002024-01-28T00:30:00.247-06:00The Coworker by Freida McFadden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7UjpAe6rK41pYXYQEh0dVE3ncsZkmVBtX_H0zC-X4h0EOz2pphpdT3Dt7Xd8Z4mItr67Ka4uU_KmpnILi4JClh5UwiUiXYgslrdK49omT6_aU2vZ6EretD6zGUIOslVErEswybu8SU1_vhCAq4BLBaLQ4r3hpmZih2XzCLWNQ3LhR59UBVwPAALQ7Kk/s800/123423832.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7UjpAe6rK41pYXYQEh0dVE3ncsZkmVBtX_H0zC-X4h0EOz2pphpdT3Dt7Xd8Z4mItr67Ka4uU_KmpnILi4JClh5UwiUiXYgslrdK49omT6_aU2vZ6EretD6zGUIOslVErEswybu8SU1_vhCAq4BLBaLQ4r3hpmZih2XzCLWNQ3LhR59UBVwPAALQ7Kk/w250-h400/123423832.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The best way I can describe Freida McFadden's novels is to say they are like a snack--you start nibbling and the next thing you know you've eaten the whole bag. I started this novel late Saturday night and wrapped it up early Sunday afternoon in between loads of laundry. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dawn Schiff works as an accountant at Vixed, a health supplement company. She sits next to Natalie, the top saleswoman in the company. Cubicles for all! Natalie and Dawn are complete opposites: Dawn is definitely on the spectrum--she eats one color food (all white, all yellow), must have everything organized, struggles with social norms and cues, and loves turtles above everything else. Natalie is blonde, gorgeous, and not above using her physical assets to bring in sales. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The novel starts out with Dawn not showing up to work one morning, and Natalie notices. It's odd, because Dawn is punctual every day. Doesn't deviate from her routine. Yet here it is, over an hour later, and she's not at her desk, and no one has seen her. Natalie begins to worry; where could Dawn be? Add to that a bizarre phone call to Dawn's desk; "help me" are the only words spoken, and it sounds like Dawn. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Natalie is worried--so worried she remembers where Dawn lives, and decides to check on her. Inside, she finds a pool of blood and what looks like a crime scene with no body. Police get involved, and it's soon national news: where is Dawn Schiff?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The novel moves back and forth between present day, four months in the past and two months in the past. It also switches narrators between Dawn and Natalie. What at first seems like simple co-worker concern from Natalie quickly becomes something much darker, and strap in because it's a roller coaster ride from there on out. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What can I say? A co-worker can be someone you admire or like, but they turn out to be not so nice. We've all been there. But this takes it to eleven. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You'll gobble this up pretty quickly. I can't say the ending was satisfying, but everything was tied up neatly. It was a heck of a read. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for a thriller with plenty of ups and downs, a clear message about the damage bullying does for both kids and adults, and being accepted for yourself-quirks and all. Office politics are a hot mess in this one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in paperback, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-38535672997392392932023-12-21T08:51:00.000-06:002023-12-21T08:51:21.579-06:00Year of Reading Recap: My Top Fifteen Reads of 2023<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">It's hard to believe the year is almost over, and another year of reading is "in the books". Sorry, had to go there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love to look back on my list of books read over the year, and decide what were my favorites. My method is based purely on which books really stayed with me, made an impact, or were books that I remember thinking WOW when I read them. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I couldn't pick a top ten, so I had to go with my top fifteen reads for 2023. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here we go, from number fifteen down to my favorite read of the year. I've included the link to my review of each book:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">15. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y6USQl9IlkMEQAIw0YcUNaFSt1zh3-hml7ptnQuQEHFOUDEh-Z2VtKqAhW9QhVJZx7U05CkkqtUT68WA7S8ZUqJgdg4h0OAELyf4Dn9lCE1zTipWYeiuXMVnuMq2XcfuAAhfFOWgubZz0VKm-NR4TdVMkzgvVhz-mZ8mvn35Dyaiwo4EnXy3nA9mU3g/s400/83814905-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2y6USQl9IlkMEQAIw0YcUNaFSt1zh3-hml7ptnQuQEHFOUDEh-Z2VtKqAhW9QhVJZx7U05CkkqtUT68WA7S8ZUqJgdg4h0OAELyf4Dn9lCE1zTipWYeiuXMVnuMq2XcfuAAhfFOWgubZz0VKm-NR4TdVMkzgvVhz-mZ8mvn35Dyaiwo4EnXy3nA9mU3g/s320/83814905-2.jpg" width="208" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-read-christmas-guest-by-peter.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-read-christmas-guest-by-peter.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">14.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9pJ88EcnDNzw7cgDVgh1CHH7cfTMMlE2Do9_KSXOk35ydq7ieLMI8nwrcYd25oyHzl7l69Qpp1JaNONeHnHnUPAtH7vKFpmI-XIjweh33HddkeY4gO3pz2KcNjIgutU_xh2J9XzVkDW7f7uAodwavMsbor52-Zs4kTpoDRinymPfdz5RFsAyVYNk8zI/s475/59364173-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9pJ88EcnDNzw7cgDVgh1CHH7cfTMMlE2Do9_KSXOk35ydq7ieLMI8nwrcYd25oyHzl7l69Qpp1JaNONeHnHnUPAtH7vKFpmI-XIjweh33HddkeY4gO3pz2KcNjIgutU_xh2J9XzVkDW7f7uAodwavMsbor52-Zs4kTpoDRinymPfdz5RFsAyVYNk8zI/s320/59364173-2.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-from-shelves-im-glad-my-mom.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-from-shelves-im-glad-my-mom.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">13.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHDgv2e73tla3cEhlvMFb3ECEb5377YtiXU3jdupn6eEHhItPlf8upD51vAiCvoBNGo75YmZ6DQKOnng8HowEys7SI4eh1bnu8swla5Tzkzu5U7hJlt0WeOKk0mrbsBl1fmQOY8QUUPwaG0i8J4ZSoYvqw-Ov3Is-qn8xp6SjUp44T1n5pRMnIc49_RU/s2775/55650158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2775" data-original-width="1838" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHDgv2e73tla3cEhlvMFb3ECEb5377YtiXU3jdupn6eEHhItPlf8upD51vAiCvoBNGo75YmZ6DQKOnng8HowEys7SI4eh1bnu8swla5Tzkzu5U7hJlt0WeOKk0mrbsBl1fmQOY8QUUPwaG0i8J4ZSoYvqw-Ov3Is-qn8xp6SjUp44T1n5pRMnIc49_RU/s320/55650158.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/02/take-my-hand-by-dolen-perkins-valdez.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/02/take-my-hand-by-dolen-perkins-valdez.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">12.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9sCiSo5c4mQ3lLEsTi2TOBxH_zM7smC2EC8xfRiz2qZ1aGmnAULd0z5X-zwzjcHplh6hh4Kh2k3vLw7Tn0m7FzAQ2I8-6-5ncRSYTKy3RfhE1ouGxPZxW5ifoNofFS9hY1ub2hNwa0T4yiT6U27IpRMDx2OPtNpeTlcs8QWGBTQqKgkOhEXfb-imN8U/s400/65214218-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9sCiSo5c4mQ3lLEsTi2TOBxH_zM7smC2EC8xfRiz2qZ1aGmnAULd0z5X-zwzjcHplh6hh4Kh2k3vLw7Tn0m7FzAQ2I8-6-5ncRSYTKy3RfhE1ouGxPZxW5ifoNofFS9hY1ub2hNwa0T4yiT6U27IpRMDx2OPtNpeTlcs8QWGBTQqKgkOhEXfb-imN8U/s320/65214218-2.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-read-bright-lights-big.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-read-bright-lights-big.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">11.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGkZnB-aNCamBfgRPNx0EnCqBltCxamqYzNkCuRYfyDsW1j-bJmgPpFjV2W0PLJojBbbhZbTqZvEU6j_o5KMB3n_P5gZLLuA3ITIFFf5HPa23pi8VLt6Xf3sHNsLVQVkY-xb8UhrhGGU-bZFET5wLy0qNuJBn5x1iYHem9qhHMolz_-KIMC8NnfIuJxg/s2471/60018635-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="1647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGkZnB-aNCamBfgRPNx0EnCqBltCxamqYzNkCuRYfyDsW1j-bJmgPpFjV2W0PLJojBbbhZbTqZvEU6j_o5KMB3n_P5gZLLuA3ITIFFf5HPa23pi8VLt6Xf3sHNsLVQVkY-xb8UhrhGGU-bZFET5wLy0qNuJBn5x1iYHem9qhHMolz_-KIMC8NnfIuJxg/s320/60018635-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/09/september-read-very-secret-society-of.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/09/september-read-very-secret-society-of.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">10. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqJG_dYvG7bo6iPhUcYsofHflXoZVz_Ypr_zHxu0f8ttd4aRPcCgZoSK4c4_xDesw_M88LlEbIO5S-8Yae6p_wcC0oaDg_ZXlvv_Mq6ehGmaJHpohgLfWPfHrOxb7S_OgOGG9uzNpuTh2dQoNFkVZBzKCL0Rvd2xoxldOjiWw7pR8yfHKZXMvb3_1lMk/s2560/62703226-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1695" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqJG_dYvG7bo6iPhUcYsofHflXoZVz_Ypr_zHxu0f8ttd4aRPcCgZoSK4c4_xDesw_M88LlEbIO5S-8Yae6p_wcC0oaDg_ZXlvv_Mq6ehGmaJHpohgLfWPfHrOxb7S_OgOGG9uzNpuTh2dQoNFkVZBzKCL0Rvd2xoxldOjiWw7pR8yfHKZXMvb3_1lMk/s320/62703226-2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/07/july-read-only-one-left-by-riley-sager.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/07/july-read-only-one-left-by-riley-sager.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">9.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWSjJFhFW-_EVk-p8Hi0q6kbJu2IwTjGORM4Tt_4g-T7hUuxd5n9AWEiT7-eyT3mKInp4JyJqDHLAtn5cAS1uAzRhYuyf5zWi9GgN5vyIVyDL3IYzY6kR9imaQWiUE7xlWwiC8vNh7ta9cWd3Q62tUKU1LUYVcgUKqReTNi016sHNGLFJj_y4dNqUt2k/s400/64623481-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWSjJFhFW-_EVk-p8Hi0q6kbJu2IwTjGORM4Tt_4g-T7hUuxd5n9AWEiT7-eyT3mKInp4JyJqDHLAtn5cAS1uAzRhYuyf5zWi9GgN5vyIVyDL3IYzY6kR9imaQWiUE7xlWwiC8vNh7ta9cWd3Q62tUKU1LUYVcgUKqReTNi016sHNGLFJj_y4dNqUt2k/s320/64623481-2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-september-house-by-carissa.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-september-house-by-carissa.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">8.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvDUW3J6RqJwqyStgD8peYMERMJyDr49JZPGzlxcD9pehiMT0yIQ_wgyE_MVPxpB9ebKYHYX56sOG6e00KByL1tMmwZ-n21HD08N5cFUI9tC_8S-OMtYKFvUtlS1EULDr4dL3pkYwvcdWWceOTZb5oRl0jLAxQ-bLrN0HqN3-XT8bwCLp2FmTgb7QXHA/s1516/61678536-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1516" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLvDUW3J6RqJwqyStgD8peYMERMJyDr49JZPGzlxcD9pehiMT0yIQ_wgyE_MVPxpB9ebKYHYX56sOG6e00KByL1tMmwZ-n21HD08N5cFUI9tC_8S-OMtYKFvUtlS1EULDr4dL3pkYwvcdWWceOTZb5oRl0jLAxQ-bLrN0HqN3-XT8bwCLp2FmTgb7QXHA/s320/61678536-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/05/may-read-mastering-art-of-french-murder.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/05/may-read-mastering-art-of-french-murder.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">7.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-4e88HVH5TbBAJrcdM3QMiK41wSA2j7w2EgvqCxsSPbI-NQwO5sS1RLIxXLsxm-_zdzizbY4yYts35Kx0TlnJ16xch47dUCK5p_oI-z32BeupAoEQ84U-St8QQXQ91tEmuGXU9LsikanViXIdw9E4lA_cOCsEvm4EVbNynnaUasIjwDD_B402XFH2WM/s400/58687126-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-4e88HVH5TbBAJrcdM3QMiK41wSA2j7w2EgvqCxsSPbI-NQwO5sS1RLIxXLsxm-_zdzizbY4yYts35Kx0TlnJ16xch47dUCK5p_oI-z32BeupAoEQ84U-St8QQXQ91tEmuGXU9LsikanViXIdw9E4lA_cOCsEvm4EVbNynnaUasIjwDD_B402XFH2WM/s320/58687126-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/02/february-read-finding-me-by-viola-davis.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/02/february-read-finding-me-by-viola-davis.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">6.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1X7XX2gJZc9IJvleo3HIcateCrxIl_0SHW3TEQu3p00l-JgsWblSNFAMS5YrMlUcY4d6zW57sy0Xm3maVmC__oiWq_e7Emb_YEaSauPqXa7uopv1uVQqWzIPsfkQ8KEWWgFazaPtd4eTMK2sNzGq-in_a-JWv68tm0cNvsE-20zmYK2BeLuBi5ObSns/s400/59419625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp1X7XX2gJZc9IJvleo3HIcateCrxIl_0SHW3TEQu3p00l-JgsWblSNFAMS5YrMlUcY4d6zW57sy0Xm3maVmC__oiWq_e7Emb_YEaSauPqXa7uopv1uVQqWzIPsfkQ8KEWWgFazaPtd4eTMK2sNzGq-in_a-JWv68tm0cNvsE-20zmYK2BeLuBi5ObSns/s320/59419625.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/01/january-read-shutter-by-ramona-emerson.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/01/january-read-shutter-by-ramona-emerson.html</a></p>5.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-HG5PPQvlX6f6JhM1p1cxyA3b8omqdVNsN6tE_-Cpu3rNfZaePkrAR_gb29uMHZZ8LSo3gAe1op9tKLU1dbyk06zMp8IbxUt88JgWWDb0dBKFXB0BkJ-zW3aTaeIKS9h-NZczWIJknst7CYES-7lmhSeCYGu6cvsZDBvmwD6FTtDZIGWena9TXvsL-o/s400/83823717-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-HG5PPQvlX6f6JhM1p1cxyA3b8omqdVNsN6tE_-Cpu3rNfZaePkrAR_gb29uMHZZ8LSo3gAe1op9tKLU1dbyk06zMp8IbxUt88JgWWDb0dBKFXB0BkJ-zW3aTaeIKS9h-NZczWIJknst7CYES-7lmhSeCYGu6cvsZDBvmwD6FTtDZIGWena9TXvsL-o/s320/83823717-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><p><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/12/december-reads-ya-novels.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/12/december-reads-ya-novels.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">4. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-3k78AYnhXIRH9p6hHttSzujGWsWumZxjKAJVw3eoxOAFNit5GA0EW0lJTABdkEIfBXaEqdGJrfWaRlQnHHoKMIZ7LzNVKpQJYQbmqrFq7cC2GvaFq7Q64hjC_PPwk3an7KiQNGiJz0FRhjvhGADoHLy-kBOjXp0lY0mRWoaMcxYsK_fgiRnWYzuhz4/s2113/61272702-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2113" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-3k78AYnhXIRH9p6hHttSzujGWsWumZxjKAJVw3eoxOAFNit5GA0EW0lJTABdkEIfBXaEqdGJrfWaRlQnHHoKMIZ7LzNVKpQJYQbmqrFq7cC2GvaFq7Q64hjC_PPwk3an7KiQNGiJz0FRhjvhGADoHLy-kBOjXp0lY0mRWoaMcxYsK_fgiRnWYzuhz4/s320/61272702-2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/04/hang-moon-by-jeannette-walls.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/04/hang-moon-by-jeannette-walls.html</a></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">3.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSSnXBRipa-iv0a7xY1MwXkZXwC8c-SxxoVs7h4q3v40tl7rHHA7uHO62TQ6ffMLRLxsEFyeWOkKij_8xQ27uknHXR-a-pbwkdb9AbnDCTn3OpwWO2pqddfasgn3ZkkluVEtTYR5Yye8JHSAfwPvjl4-l1u_bevbTpFDMikqb5ANZnuko3YCx_B73m1Y/s1368/60654349-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSSnXBRipa-iv0a7xY1MwXkZXwC8c-SxxoVs7h4q3v40tl7rHHA7uHO62TQ6ffMLRLxsEFyeWOkKij_8xQ27uknHXR-a-pbwkdb9AbnDCTn3OpwWO2pqddfasgn3ZkkluVEtTYR5Yye8JHSAfwPvjl4-l1u_bevbTpFDMikqb5ANZnuko3YCx_B73m1Y/s320/60654349-2-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/03/march-read-weyward-by-emilia-hart.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/03/march-read-weyward-by-emilia-hart.html</a></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">2.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4T1pJkFD9lAVentX3e7UFxHLz8U22NX571HhM15l0fM2wRc6zX7mUudeNmI8yvyhr_3di7pcaoPLWA53vHuzmHT5r_RACHMFKkYBZdhqrIfp8PH9_mvTe-vMk_H4i5qFbPm47iVWPAnCtz5LYMM4wvo2w1S35Ph0nnFCfR_iluIX7y2wPU7tjgfulrE/s2850/61214136-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2850" data-original-width="1875" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4T1pJkFD9lAVentX3e7UFxHLz8U22NX571HhM15l0fM2wRc6zX7mUudeNmI8yvyhr_3di7pcaoPLWA53vHuzmHT5r_RACHMFKkYBZdhqrIfp8PH9_mvTe-vMk_H4i5qFbPm47iVWPAnCtz5LYMM4wvo2w1S35Ph0nnFCfR_iluIX7y2wPU7tjgfulrE/s320/61214136-2-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/05/may-read-collected-regrets-of-clover-by.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/05/may-read-collected-regrets-of-clover-by.html</a></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>And my number one favorite read of 2023 is....</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">1.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQFpIVnpib9lmetaPO2US8cUktk94aYTJ4SysfiWKHukV2EIaMgxmaTLRrklDynPQr7_3yhW_yENB6mPJENP2Zu8rES-GDDgvoyClec1i5ErYZLGpPw7OSEPnKkz-wT5aaXN_DWVQSnJEBg79ZVuC4YqlpLyoPCrUR6Seq6z6DP11CE3qOqPTYBlyM-U/s1510/62952130-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQFpIVnpib9lmetaPO2US8cUktk94aYTJ4SysfiWKHukV2EIaMgxmaTLRrklDynPQr7_3yhW_yENB6mPJENP2Zu8rES-GDDgvoyClec1i5ErYZLGpPw7OSEPnKkz-wT5aaXN_DWVQSnJEBg79ZVuC4YqlpLyoPCrUR6Seq6z6DP11CE3qOqPTYBlyM-U/s320/62952130-2-2.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><a href="http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-vaster-wilds-by-lauren-groff.html">http://bookaliciousbabe.blogspot.com/2023/08/august-read-vaster-wilds-by-lauren-groff.html</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I read some wonderful books in 2023, even if I didn't get to everything I wanted to read. That's what 2024 is for--time to catch up and see what's coming on the horizon. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I will be taking a blogging break until February so I can enjoy some time to chill, relax, and hunker down for January. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Have a peaceful and joyful holiday season, a very Happy New Year, and I thank you all for reading my reviews and sharing your enthusiasm for reading with me. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sue</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">AKA The Bookalicious Babe</span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-84785909683845849652023-12-12T19:32:00.000-06:002023-12-12T19:32:57.104-06:00December Reads: YA Novels!<p> <span style="font-family: verdana;">I've been involved in a project with YA novels for the past few months so I've been reading so. many. YA. novels. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I thought I'd highlight a few of my favorites. They're all a bit different, but each definitely tugged at my heart! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here they are in no particular order:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dI8WxK7cwVV8-YrjxwhnloC_-eeLSGuPAtkavzsG7iPiP7F_XdanFzOYmb_r5V6zyil0_0B9zXH_4stSJkcwSlD1c_x4ej60BzQJ47AQWWOhJyyeHRCyewdQsRfMqxePb-FvtvVPoLUbiQQ2lqPaRkZEM3Sfjs5k32IIPqRJsuCp20YGWsCzL7hnpT8/s612/57042323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="405" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dI8WxK7cwVV8-YrjxwhnloC_-eeLSGuPAtkavzsG7iPiP7F_XdanFzOYmb_r5V6zyil0_0B9zXH_4stSJkcwSlD1c_x4ej60BzQJ47AQWWOhJyyeHRCyewdQsRfMqxePb-FvtvVPoLUbiQQ2lqPaRkZEM3Sfjs5k32IIPqRJsuCp20YGWsCzL7hnpT8/s320/57042323.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This will appeal to anyone who likes to read short stories. Each author writes at the end of the short story about their personal mental health experiences, which made the short stories more impactful for me. Issues include self-harm, anxiety, depression, grief, and much more. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotfLb9_v1LxNWEEBJaHYeKI-W9b8F0fxGC_hsJ8pYLkaX9XwxZhJGVBoMXwN3tMLE07UNdarjMnhzMB_pBeTMg_rHwrwty5NvorQKtCdtCrZtrboojT6fMbXJCPdTCP3sAIE-xlLCXfec-VSwum7o53dTKiIHo4DKEqsoT5vRSykDj8UuiP6M-_JqA_0/s346/57750288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="229" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotfLb9_v1LxNWEEBJaHYeKI-W9b8F0fxGC_hsJ8pYLkaX9XwxZhJGVBoMXwN3tMLE07UNdarjMnhzMB_pBeTMg_rHwrwty5NvorQKtCdtCrZtrboojT6fMbXJCPdTCP3sAIE-xlLCXfec-VSwum7o53dTKiIHo4DKEqsoT5vRSykDj8UuiP6M-_JqA_0/s320/57750288.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">YA historical fiction centered around a young Japanese American teen living in the Pacific Northwest, and the fallout her family goes through in the days after Pearl Harbor as neighbors turn against neighbors. </span></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67M12Rr9aGk3SgZOXooUUvO-dYOvbet_PDfgR1hbAt5hEz_r61uVM4tFPhK8ZfddDXNPqO5caJZUItnwoJIdCcsyaoYJPEpQNROKcMuBZjKhK7KqjeWVCQz3gxWuHBjE6R4jLKeZitacU9FUc11cZky71lWzYRTW3zXa114l8FmK-8tAACojhJpiIT-g/s1200/58484187-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67M12Rr9aGk3SgZOXooUUvO-dYOvbet_PDfgR1hbAt5hEz_r61uVM4tFPhK8ZfddDXNPqO5caJZUItnwoJIdCcsyaoYJPEpQNROKcMuBZjKhK7KqjeWVCQz3gxWuHBjE6R4jLKeZitacU9FUc11cZky71lWzYRTW3zXa114l8FmK-8tAACojhJpiIT-g/s320/58484187-2.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A young teen (Avery) has to move from Washington DC to a small town in the South when her grandmother's cancer takes a turn for the worst. Avery doesn't know her grandmother, but wants to learn her family history--which is deeply wrapped up in the black and white tensions that run through the town. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5skNI7h_wyfFIVSDoXNScZliy4UeplnXoN5obqcmApNKLKmHJtXGF-S1JoKbBOqSBuzOEgq3YzS0itDDQHw2vH1mJ4a4voGP3pojsoO8ldmpBrfsi6HpnpL517djAMKPFCPEF2RMcrCj1YiVc6hT4x9s8DzuHlvW1cUrZwH-XbUrbWNxERbdZ2n0A8Y/s400/71490642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV5skNI7h_wyfFIVSDoXNScZliy4UeplnXoN5obqcmApNKLKmHJtXGF-S1JoKbBOqSBuzOEgq3YzS0itDDQHw2vH1mJ4a4voGP3pojsoO8ldmpBrfsi6HpnpL517djAMKPFCPEF2RMcrCj1YiVc6hT4x9s8DzuHlvW1cUrZwH-XbUrbWNxERbdZ2n0A8Y/s320/71490642.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sports fans will love this novel set in Minnesota, where a young man with big talent has to lead his Native American basketball team to the state finals, all while grieving over his older brother's death and the expectations to live up to his brother's legacy. A study in grief, family dynamics, and tensions between Native Americans and the world they must navigate within a white world. </span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oKqKG-3CbYzFn3oGepmVSOsHbjaq9eo0p8VAp-rj1iEtkHeuiJeSaUmZRPNzlF8P5IA9-JQK_xXqU2gGGLISLsLubi8E-bdK0isTWpHAOYnmCtn9KEBrHPLh0QXfsXOG3E1Vw-8-omR0b9lsS4KWkQPYeea_YtdetX-RGQcKISFrLuihnwqlXHEKU-M/s400/75670224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oKqKG-3CbYzFn3oGepmVSOsHbjaq9eo0p8VAp-rj1iEtkHeuiJeSaUmZRPNzlF8P5IA9-JQK_xXqU2gGGLISLsLubi8E-bdK0isTWpHAOYnmCtn9KEBrHPLh0QXfsXOG3E1Vw-8-omR0b9lsS4KWkQPYeea_YtdetX-RGQcKISFrLuihnwqlXHEKU-M/s320/75670224.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This one got me fired up and angry pretty quickly. Definitely a hot button issue. A young woman finds herself pregnant and decides an abortion is the only answer. She must leave her Texas town with her boyfriend to get an abortion. Oh, it's a good one--this would make an excellent book club discussion.</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClZI6aZLq0wTPzHLC7E1IKe44U8nbhbQLp5sybXUHgMBsgCSqN9NxZzyBBXfD8nJLYtoTPgvlCnNuAAKmTaF1AS9vS6SGtqK9ZU4jCTaChOdDDFEIaauTmSgYYL5SdBzVnC-gxH8-wKe5qsiAg-qeLA7-4jjvIo-M1pqOr-hpg266Was6D20gygq5Dpc/s400/83823717-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="264" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClZI6aZLq0wTPzHLC7E1IKe44U8nbhbQLp5sybXUHgMBsgCSqN9NxZzyBBXfD8nJLYtoTPgvlCnNuAAKmTaF1AS9vS6SGtqK9ZU4jCTaChOdDDFEIaauTmSgYYL5SdBzVnC-gxH8-wKe5qsiAg-qeLA7-4jjvIo-M1pqOr-hpg266Was6D20gygq5Dpc/s320/83823717-2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This book had my heart from the first few pages. Ian lives on the last few acres of what was once a 300 acre family farm in Vermont. His mother is addicted to drugs, they have no money for food or heat, and Ian keeps it all to himself to stay on his family's land. His friendship with Gather, a very large dog that arrives at his home is the center of this novel about survival, family history, self-reliance, and learning to trust people. This was such a good book!!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If anything, my diving into YA books has reminded me that there are so many excellent stories just waiting to be read and shared. Don't forget to explore the YA section of your local library or bookstore. There are many gems out there!</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-43186078436148297652023-12-03T11:15:00.000-06:002023-12-03T11:15:14.616-06:00December Read: The Twelve Dogs of Christmas by Susan Wiggs<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjnmLLK5w_TTDOEkEmA2jIKYJskJd6BqE1-_mGRuZLsE-3aj9B2N7McyjSqiyR6yGdMCqT2jikAlneJNh__cbRdFI43FzIkKo7oswxewu7p40qj-x2Dx9CdpaQ4T2QYuxAFpOxOltJFC1PowR3sWcGAWhQ1fDgnzq459SXFYzHU3KYBHxLBoHEy876Zg/s400/83814887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBjnmLLK5w_TTDOEkEmA2jIKYJskJd6BqE1-_mGRuZLsE-3aj9B2N7McyjSqiyR6yGdMCqT2jikAlneJNh__cbRdFI43FzIkKo7oswxewu7p40qj-x2Dx9CdpaQ4T2QYuxAFpOxOltJFC1PowR3sWcGAWhQ1fDgnzq459SXFYzHU3KYBHxLBoHEy876Zg/w265-h400/83814887.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This is a quick, feel-good holiday romance complete with lots of doggies. The cover art is just so stinkin' cute! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brenda Malloy does not like Christmas. Not anything about it; especially now that she's found out her husband is cheating on her <i>on Christmas Eve.</i> She used to love Christmas as a child, until a family tragedy one Christmas Eve left her feeling guilty and full of grief. Now she's starting over again, and a volunteer gig with the local animal shelter is going to change her world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Brenda volunteers with a dog rescue organization in Houston, Texas. It's been a year since her terrible Christmas Eve, and she's divorced and moved on--kind of. A series of mishaps within the dog rescue organization give Brenda a chance to travel with twelve dogs to their new adoptive homes in Upstate New York--just in time for Christmas. Loading up the van and traveling with her friend Dolly, all seems to be going well until a snowstorm sends the van off the road and Dolly into the hospital. Now Brenda has to coordinate the delivery of all twelve dogs to their forever homes, get the van fixed, and drive home to Houston by herself. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Enter handsome paramedic Adam Bellamy, who is immediately attracted to Brenda and is also the new owner of Olaf, a big doggie that loves to run, jump, and play. He's divorced, a single father, and ready to take a chance on a new love. If only Brenda wanted to stay in Avalon, and get into the Christmas spirit...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">This was just pure fun to read. Lovely characters; the dogs are all sweet and add to the festive atmosphere. The town of Avalon is very Hallmark-ish and there are some bumps in the road to happily ever after, but it's a fun journey. If you want to read a gentle holiday romance, this is your ticket. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Rating: 4/6 for a quick romantic holiday read chock full of dogs and holiday spirit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio book. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-43272268209894670952023-11-30T15:59:00.000-06:002023-11-30T15:59:09.979-06:00November Read: Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy Book 1 by Nora Roberts<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4S5jM8TcmGpRIqHt5SrgtyCbBJYMmJg1Gd_UkLu8XovqimEuOV0StEw4TGiRFiW1HDunhwyi7oELCYXvXhEIr9MlvB1DdCauvdObhxjAPU5joo-zPj6yNeBjmG56J_c3ZwiMu8LGRy95dfn9eC3cAgwqz6hS9hQt7cR05pxgAW4EzWcqvFYEWkpnINk/s500/65213377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4S5jM8TcmGpRIqHt5SrgtyCbBJYMmJg1Gd_UkLu8XovqimEuOV0StEw4TGiRFiW1HDunhwyi7oELCYXvXhEIr9MlvB1DdCauvdObhxjAPU5joo-zPj6yNeBjmG56J_c3ZwiMu8LGRy95dfn9eC3cAgwqz6hS9hQt7cR05pxgAW4EzWcqvFYEWkpnINk/w264-h400/65213377.jpg" width="264" /> </a><span style="font-family: verdana;">November has been a hot mess for me reading-wise. I'm working on a bit of a project that is taking up a lot of my reading time and I blinked and tomorrow is December first. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I have read a few of Nora Robert's trilogies over the years and I always enjoy them, and the fact that they are just a trilogy and not a series. I couldn't wait to read this, her newest trilogy that combines a bit of romance, a bit of history, and a bit of the unexpected in a family curse, an evil witch, and a whole lot of dead brides. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sonya MacTavish lives in Boston and has just gotten out of a terrible relationship mere weeks before she was set to be married. It turned her world upside down, but she's moving on and making plans. Her plans are disrupted by a visit from a lawyer from Poole's Bay, Maine. He tells Sonya that she's inherited a majestic home and investments from her unknown until now Uncle Collin Poole. Collin and Sonya's father Drew were twins who were separated at birth; neither knew the other existed until Collin found out as an adult, but too late to meet Drew, who died in an accident. Now Collin is dead, and he's left the family legacy to Sonya. She has to move to Maine and agree to live in the home for three years--all expenses paid. Overnight she's become a wealthy woman. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">With nothing to lose, Sonya moves to Maine and immediately falls head over heels for the home. She sets up her freelance business as a graphic artist and starts settling in, but quickly discovers some unsettling things about the home--it is haunted. Not by just one spirit, but by a whole group. And there is one nasty spirit who is determined to push Sonya out by any means possible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">So who are the spirits? The family history paints a terrible picture of tragedy after tragedy for generations. Once each generation, a Poole woman dies either on her wedding day, or within the first year of marriage. All manner of deaths--but each is a murder, and those murders are done by a woman who was rejected by the first Poole man for his true love. She's still in the house, and at night Sonya wanders the house, looking into the events leading up to each of the seven brides and their tragic deaths. What do they want with her? And why does the evil witch take the wedding ring off each woman as they lay dying? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was just a fun read, and classic Nora Roberts. The house is fascinating; the premise of the family curse is interesting, and I have to say I do love the reaction of Cleo, Sonya's best friend, to the evil witch and her attempts to scare the women. A few "F*** You" quotes fly through the air, and honestly, if I was in Cleo's place, I'd probably say the same thing, too. This witch has had centuries to hang around, but she hasn't met any modern women--and she has met her match. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Sonya gets involved with Trey Doyle, a lawyer in town who has a family history with the Poole family and grew up and around the house. He's well aware of the history and the hauntings. Sonya's best friend Cleo is also a treat--and I suspect her relationship with Owen Poole, Sonya's cousin, will be the second book in the trilogy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This one ends suddenly and boom! Done. Not even a teaser for the next book. I surely hope it comes soon, because it definitely left me hanging. So yes, suspend belief; enjoy the little dog named Yoda, the copious amounts of wine drinking between Sonya and crew, and the glorious home Nora Roberts created for us to enjoy. I can't wait to read more and watch Sonya destroy the family curse so she can live happily ever after and not become the next lost bride. Wrench those stolen wedding rings off that hag's hand, Sonya!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't see any dates or anything at all about the second book in the trilogy. Stay tuned. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for sheer entertainment, a clever story, and characters that are easy to get to know and enjoy. The romance is light and sex is tastefully done and exactly what a modern grown up couple would do and say. I will be trying to wait patiently for the second book. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-27685998524343888892023-11-15T06:57:00.000-06:002023-11-15T06:57:27.117-06:00November Read: Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgtKk9bunDndDpWq3l7Qyfr7D0e6ct7Ctqm7t34o7cEfwZD3sl7PoPd-tOQD6VVAvz584MJlREOl2CiuHu3cv2HlFCxTdj_YdbEhYUsJ59hLQYy4ET8QgaWwPmv73zLQXOd4N6Y0poZcykv5fJyGqwmax7-6gIXhErlI-qZChfqhPvKP3EmTaOy9P79Y/s400/65214218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijgtKk9bunDndDpWq3l7Qyfr7D0e6ct7Ctqm7t34o7cEfwZD3sl7PoPd-tOQD6VVAvz584MJlREOl2CiuHu3cv2HlFCxTdj_YdbEhYUsJ59hLQYy4ET8QgaWwPmv73zLQXOd4N6Y0poZcykv5fJyGqwmax7-6gIXhErlI-qZChfqhPvKP3EmTaOy9P79Y/w259-h400/65214218.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The cover of this novel was irresistible to me. Well, and the fact that it's Mary Kay Andrews. I knew I was in for a treat. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I actually read this book way back in October when I had a very short window of opportunity to read it. It's a short novel; around 300 pages, so you can definitely read it in one day. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Kerry Tolliver is reluctantly agreeing to join her brother in hauling the family mini-trailer to New York City from North Carolina for their annual Christmas tree pop up shop. It's something Kerry's father has been doing for years and years, but this time his ill health prevents him from going, and the operation definitely needs two people. Kerry arrives in New York City with the trailer, waiting on her brother, who is bringing all the trees from their tree farm. She runs into a problem immediately: someone is parked in their spot--the one spot they've always parked the trailer and set up shop. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Patrick lives just down the street, and once he moves his car, sparks fly between him and Kerry. But she's only there for six weeks, or until all the trees are sold. Is it worth even getting to know him?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meanwhile, it's brutally cold outside, and the trailer is cold and cramped. The days are long, sitting outside, taking turns with her brother. They operate late into the night. Sales are slow, especially when the competition shows up kitty-corner from their lot, selling inferior trees at cheap prices. If Kerry doesn't sell out of trees, their farm will be in danger. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are a lot of characters in this novel, and each one adds to the story in a way that makes it charming and cozy. Queenie is brother Murphy's dog, and she's a character all unto herself. There's the older gentlemen who Kerry meets who seems sad and alone, but doesn't want to share his story. There's the folks who run the Italian restaurant just down the street who welcome Kerry with open arms and plenty of hot soup. It's a charming slice of Manhattan, and I definitely got the holiday vibes. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was a great way to kick off my holiday reading (even if I did read it before Halloween!). There's a lot to be said for shorter holiday novels; you get a complete story but aren't overwhelmed with trying to read a huge book. In a busy time of the year, it's a great way to treat yourself in between shopping, baking, and decorating. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I love Mary Kay Andrews and have been reading her novels for *gasp* <i>decades</i>. I am so thrilled she's turned to short holiday novels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for a delightful look at the Christmas tree industry; a sweet love story, and a slice of a New York Christmas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio book. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-3933559990773951002023-11-07T20:59:00.000-06:002023-11-07T20:59:58.493-06:00November Read: The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0uCCQwXeDEWTBaYd4vUUGNaRnLFoyA_AVQBeov7ecsbYuA0wsPxulE3mbRfvNjlPXE3D57PkFi2RKPl8fcUlNa5zStjBynK9HMyTYiA0peg9PGNBtfeESBS9RefPCZgmRvnkcOfvQXE8I-dVQwy7RFNaSF6Gi4jdsaYe9taBBe0PUMtZkIxavRz7Qs/s400/83814905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="260" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0S0uCCQwXeDEWTBaYd4vUUGNaRnLFoyA_AVQBeov7ecsbYuA0wsPxulE3mbRfvNjlPXE3D57PkFi2RKPl8fcUlNa5zStjBynK9HMyTYiA0peg9PGNBtfeESBS9RefPCZgmRvnkcOfvQXE8I-dVQwy7RFNaSF6Gi4jdsaYe9taBBe0PUMtZkIxavRz7Qs/w260-h400/83814905.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">It's been a bit since I last posted, but I swear I've been very busy reading! I'm in the throes of reading a lot of YA novels for a special project. I snuck this one in tonight for a quick read. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, I usually don't read any holiday books until after Thanksgiving, but I'll confess this is my second holiday book already. This was a great little novella that I read in one sitting this evening. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">The Christmas Guest </i>is a mere 93 pages and because of that, it was a refreshing read. Okay, it's a murdery kind of book, but it was a switch from my usual cozy and romantic holiday books. The perfect palate cleanser before I dive into all the happy holiday reads. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Peter Swanson packs a lot into this novella about a young American college student spending Christmas week with a new friend. Ashley Smith is all alone in London; a Californian who has no family and has traveled to London to attend college. Befriended by Emma at school, she's pleased to accept Emma's invite to her family home in the countryside. After all, she was prepared to spend Christmas alone in London, and heck, why not have an authentic English Christmas in the countryside?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ashley travels to Starvewood Hall, and is instantly smitten with Emma's twin brother, Adam. He's gorgeous and brooding--and also a suspect in the recent murder of a local woman, found dead near the family home. Clearly she was murdered. Adam has an alibi, but it's pretty weak. That doesn't stop Ashley from falling hard and crushing on Adam. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ashley spends the week leading up to Christmas hanging out at the family home, witnessing the horrible relationship Emma has with her toxic parents, and walking to and from the village pub, drinking and having fun. She writes it all down in her trusty diary. Until Christmas Eve, and whoa the story takes a sharp turn. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novella spans thirty years, from 1989 to present day (give or take a few years). It seems pretty straightforward, until it's not. I loved it--even if it's not the usual sweet tale of holiday celebrations and family love that I enjoy so much.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for a novella that sucked me in pretty quickly! A setting that has all the hallmarks of an idyllic Christmas celebration turns dark and what happens echoes down through the years. If you like short stories and thrillers, this is for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-33253196779957653532023-10-29T12:45:00.000-05:002023-10-29T12:45:27.422-05:00October Read: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dMnNP-v6VkFYyHm7ychr5lVepow2jQ4867QYFHvI6y6eKcN2BcCVLvWCOh7qH93F64YrutGZYgWMcKXnJDkCkSN3LIMH0iJ0jhLuMfQJFSNOM-VYq-TR4pp_ug_PW5H_vyxnT18itY6wvb4b-aPVNNzE4UZgRcO_mWwMRdm-jw8ZXe5NAjfhujHYzNE/s1520/75495037-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-dMnNP-v6VkFYyHm7ychr5lVepow2jQ4867QYFHvI6y6eKcN2BcCVLvWCOh7qH93F64YrutGZYgWMcKXnJDkCkSN3LIMH0iJ0jhLuMfQJFSNOM-VYq-TR4pp_ug_PW5H_vyxnT18itY6wvb4b-aPVNNzE4UZgRcO_mWwMRdm-jw8ZXe5NAjfhujHYzNE/w264-h400/75495037-2.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">What I expected going into this novel and what it was were very different. I'm still processing. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It takes place in a small town in Australia. A town where houses are expensive and everything is gorgeous and perfect. Except for Black Wood House. It sits empty since a shocking murder forty years before, when the owner of the home murdered his wife while she lay in bed, and chased his daughter out the door. The daughter survived, but her father returned to the home and killed himself. Susan and Bill were beloved in the neighborhood; the horrible murder/suicide left a stain on the community. They all want Black Wood House to be torn down. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Enter Sarah Spade and her husband Joey. Sarah has a popular website, a bestselling book about "being your best self", and is eager to turn the Black Wood House into a show-stopping flipper that will sell for millions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Except Sarah's not what you'd expect, and wow I did not expect her character or the novel to take the turns it did. For one, Sarah is not likable. Her marriage is on edge, and oh, the secrets she has to keep in order to maintain her perfect image. Only problem is, once she moves into the house, her life starts to fall apart. She can't sleep, she's finding notes around the house, there's someone walking around in the attic, and her husband won't stay at the house. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">As Sarah slowly unravels, as a reader you're kept wondering: is she losing her mind? The possibilities are all over the place: is someone trying to drive her out of the home? Are the neighbors spying on her? Is the house haunted? Or is there something else?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The turns it took were all over the place. The ending leaves you rethinking everything. It's at turns unsettling, suspenseful, and a bit bewildering. It's a whole lot of stuff going on, and I couldn't figure out what the heck was going on at all. If you want to read a novel that will keep you scratching your head and thinking you've got it figured out (you won't), pick this one up!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for a wild ride where no one can be trusted--even the house. At times suspenseful, at times downright spooky, this is a blend of thriller/horror/suspense that will keep you guessing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-25281197569675685622023-10-16T07:42:00.000-05:002023-10-16T07:42:49.596-05:00October Read: The Ghost Illusion by Kat Martin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMrhX2XnmtrX_YZhGqUEONllVLT5vrsbVhB0YYiavpnfyOYzYc4-suCX3yIEjlW2r9Hga5PTmuh1N4MShDZ9lETibxHpHQ4paYZzUqEccGOsLdjZaJJfe6FFEsg26UqUGwihotTRdgxx3CFn0EkgDJHy533Ah9uxUjBqRg1pAW_vCDcGoOSSrsi4Fn5E/s400/123683893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMrhX2XnmtrX_YZhGqUEONllVLT5vrsbVhB0YYiavpnfyOYzYc4-suCX3yIEjlW2r9Hga5PTmuh1N4MShDZ9lETibxHpHQ4paYZzUqEccGOsLdjZaJJfe6FFEsg26UqUGwihotTRdgxx3CFn0EkgDJHy533Ah9uxUjBqRg1pAW_vCDcGoOSSrsi4Fn5E/w265-h400/123683893.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana;">I switched from magic and witches to paranormal. It is October, after all. I love that it's getting darker earlier and I've broken out my fall candle. Made pumpkin bread. Chili is on the horizon. I've also started watching my ghosty shows on Discovery. I'm all in!</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I haven't read Kat Martin before, but in my years of bookselling and librarianship I've seen her name oodles of times and have ordered her books for the library. She's consistently popular and I'd say she's romantic suspense. This book definitely reminded me of Heather Graham and her <i>Krewe of Hunters</i> series. I'd love to see more with this group of ghost hunters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Eve St. Clair has recently moved to England to live in a family home she's inherited. She spent many summers there as a child and loves the home. Only problem is she's terrified. Every night there are running footsteps, cold spells, and voices arguing. She reaches out in desperation to Paranormal Investigations, an American group that travel the world helping people with paranormal issues. To her relief, Ran King, owner (and darn good looking, and rich) agrees to bring his team to Sunderland, England to help out Eve. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Of course sparks fly between Ran and Eve. They both fight it, knowing this is just a short term meet and Ran will eventually return to Seattle once the ghost issue is resolved. But the pull is irresistible. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Meanwhile, the ghostly phenomenon happening in Eve's home ramps up and is putting the team in harm's way. Eve seems to be the only one who can connect with the spirits, especially a young boy named Wally. The evil spirit that's keeping Wally and others trapped is bent on keeping the spirits there forever, and it will destroy anyone who tries to send them to the light. Can Ran and his team stay safe and solve the ghostly happenings? Is there a happy ending for Ran and Eve?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was what I classify in my mind as a comfort read for me. I'm always up for a ghost story that involves a bit of history and the romance was a nice touch. Nothing surprising at all, and that was just fine with me. There was enough action moving forward that kept me reading and enjoying the plot and the characters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'd read more of Kat Martin and probably will look into her other novels--she has a lot! But I really do hope she writes more involving the Paranormal Investigations team. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for an interesting ghost story, hot romance, and enough character building that keeps you invested but leaves the door open for *hopefully* more novels with this team. Fans of Heather Graham will enjoy this novel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook and audio book. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-66858644607671745162023-10-09T06:28:00.000-05:002023-10-09T06:28:20.216-05:00October Read: Starling House by Alex E. Harrow<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AAf3YaEguC-0WFZHgBU0N3cDoP88qHlZ4c2mW1In1sj_Ihp8HwIIrWl9tpCZ5F22guygYu6rFgCgvZug02nRluhyBfTV7na0XYUCAEFYULV_PZGGgYGWNg4Cj73mo7CtEA_H0A6jIV2jDNYTL7KkId4WDVAgctEKoiAw4ruidHR7TqOOsy0yMWNoLZI/s595/65213595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="395" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9AAf3YaEguC-0WFZHgBU0N3cDoP88qHlZ4c2mW1In1sj_Ihp8HwIIrWl9tpCZ5F22guygYu6rFgCgvZug02nRluhyBfTV7na0XYUCAEFYULV_PZGGgYGWNg4Cj73mo7CtEA_H0A6jIV2jDNYTL7KkId4WDVAgctEKoiAw4ruidHR7TqOOsy0yMWNoLZI/w265-h400/65213595.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm enjoying reading books that are equal parts fairy tale/gothic/slightly spooky/fantasy. It could be this time of year, when the night creeps in earlier, and the air is cool enough at night you just want to huddle on the couch and be cozy.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>Starling House </i>fit the bill, and while I wasn't quite sure what to expect, I was willing to take the ride. There's a lot going on here.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Opal lives in Eden, Kentucky-a small town limping along and prone to bad luck. Opal and her teenage brother Jasper live in room twelve of the local hotel. It's the only home they've had for years. Opal struggles to make ends meet and her one desire is to get her brother out of Eden. She'll do anything--lie, steal--to keep him safe and his asthma under control. Their mother died tragically years before in a car accident, where Opal survived, but remains haunted by leaving her mother to die. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Then there's Starling House, that oh so very strange mansion surrounded by woods and closed off by a big metal gate. Sometimes there's a light in the uppermost window, but no one is ever seen coming and going. Opal walks by the home frequently, and is a bit obsessed with it and the legend of the author who built it- E. Starling. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">One day Opal finds out who lives there, when Arthur makes an appearance at the gate, warning her to leave. He's a disheveled young man who looks like he's battling something ominous. Opal is intrigued. She wants in. Arthur reluctantly offers her a housekeeping position, and Opal can't resist.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Starling House is unlike anything she could have imagined-the house itself is alive. It shifts, it reacts; it is helpful and sometimes it's not. Opal and Arthur get to know each other, but very slowly. Arthur is fighting literal monsters in order to protect the town of Eden. The house is sitting on a horrible, horrible secret that only Arthur, as the Warden of Starling House, can destroy. Unless it kills him first. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ooh, there are layers in this novel. Home is a huge theme--the hunger Opal has for a home of her own-a place to feel safe. Home also means someone to come home to, which Opal and Arthur both desperately need. The town's horrible history of bad luck and tragedy, directly linked to the Gravely family and their coal mining operations and greed. Poisoning the ground for profit. A young girl creating a world that will protect her and punish those who used her. The strength of friendship and a made family. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I loved the mix of fairy tale and horror. Opal is one tough cookie who never gives up on her desire for a home and a place to keep Jasper safe. When evil arrives in the form of Elizabeth Baine she is torn between protecting Jasper or giving up the secret of Starling House and betraying Arthur. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't want to say anymore because this is a book that needs to be experienced. I'd say there's plenty to discuss in a book club setting. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thank you to Tor for an advanced copy to read and review! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for an intriguing novel about dreams, monsters, home, and a haunted town. The monsters in your dreams can be real! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-18851757351331065802023-09-28T08:04:00.000-05:002023-09-28T08:04:17.326-05:00September Read: :How Can I Help You? by Laura Sims<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDaouNpMFqgC4gKlM1nLapZNSAsdjSyTiEYUd8agKQTdFrJGe25E1eqYvSEZD1XkGbW4dpz927dmExcw_ZFCdCOLMB7Id9CEiAD002nHhqhuQLt-nT8QNPuWsuRMNJ0gmazQ0YoWlWMkwVWM4GSO7-Z_xzwGFlntbJoO82R-p0gDx-o1IEmRdiyyiCII/s400/60392079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTDaouNpMFqgC4gKlM1nLapZNSAsdjSyTiEYUd8agKQTdFrJGe25E1eqYvSEZD1XkGbW4dpz927dmExcw_ZFCdCOLMB7Id9CEiAD002nHhqhuQLt-nT8QNPuWsuRMNJ0gmazQ0YoWlWMkwVWM4GSO7-Z_xzwGFlntbJoO82R-p0gDx-o1IEmRdiyyiCII/w266-h400/60392079.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't know too many librarians who don't want to read this novel--about a librarian, set in a library, written by a librarian. Oh, and it includes murdering misbehaving patrons. SHHHH.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dear Margo. She's a nondescript middle-aged woman who's worked as a circulation librarian at the Carlyle Library for the past two years. She's efficient, helpful, and keeps to herself. Her past as Jane, a nurse, is far behind her. She still seethes a bit over the injustice of hospital administration and how she was treated, but she's managed to simmer down and build a new life far away from all of that. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">And then Patricia (Pa-tree-see-a) walks in--young and polished; the new reference librarian. Margo doesn't really care for Patricia at first-she is a change in the pleasing, calming routine Margo has created for herself. She's a ripple Margo doesn't need. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Patricia is a newly minted librarian, and this is her first job. She's escaped a dismal relationship in Chicago, along with the crushing failure of a rejected novel she's written and no one wants to publish. Desperate to try something new, she's moved to Carlyle--a dull, boring, Midwest town. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Margo is intrigued by Patricia--what exactly does she do all day at the reference desk? Why is she always writing in her little notebook? Patricia is also intrigued by Margo--those odd flashes of coldness in her eyes; the careful stillness about her. Not to mention that very weird episode in the women's bathroom, where a patron died and Patricia saw Margo acting very, very strange. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It doesn't take Patricia long to figure Margo out--and oh, what a story to write! But she's torn--does she tell the police now, or after she's finished writing her novel? Will it ruin her chances at a successful novel? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The tension increases between the two women, even as they share tidbits of their lives with each other. Margo's restlessness is coming back, and she's itching to return to those heady feelings of helping folks...die. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was one heck of a short novel. Margo is truly a psychopath, and her mental dialogue along with her belief she's innocent are disturbing. Patricia seems like a harmless person, but her inner dialogue definitely makes you a bit uneasy, too. Two peas in a pod? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Most of the action takes place in the library, with a few key scenes at the apartment complex both Margo and Patricia live at; the library references are spot on and the patrons--well, yes, they're definitely shaped by real-life interactions as a librarian. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">If you want to read a quick thriller, this is the one. Margo/Jane is truly one unsettling character. I found myself lingering over her chapters, trying to dig a bit deeper to figure her out. Patricia is someone you think you want to know, but by the end, I'm not so sure. It would be an interesting book to discuss with a group. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for a psychological thriller that builds in tension, so much so that I was almost reluctant to turn the pages! "How Can I Help You" takes on a whole new meaning in this small town library. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, audio, and e-book.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-41432495865882163922023-09-18T07:13:00.000-05:002023-09-18T07:13:58.899-05:00September Read: Dead Mountain by Preston & Child<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHmw84jfwk0rds_QoJ-qlogzVn4U0abV_lN6mIvVzDZWpu-TzC31R1qGMv0UMRadQMlojTGh30dx6V7bBS9ha2speiJeVqoCID_awo2n9JJEPlztfCTX1nvD1Nhz4TUb8k_7AKbbzB7u1yVYBjbaKAHsBz_2AVjLaHEs4mnS3JRZ_3PHB4I26qK1ZSnA/s1510/63546538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHmw84jfwk0rds_QoJ-qlogzVn4U0abV_lN6mIvVzDZWpu-TzC31R1qGMv0UMRadQMlojTGh30dx6V7bBS9ha2speiJeVqoCID_awo2n9JJEPlztfCTX1nvD1Nhz4TUb8k_7AKbbzB7u1yVYBjbaKAHsBz_2AVjLaHEs4mnS3JRZ_3PHB4I26qK1ZSnA/w265-h400/63546538.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've come to anticipate the newest novel in the Nora Kelly series by Preston and Child; mostly because they take place in New Mexico. I visited New Mexico many times when my brother and sis-in-law lived there, and it holds a special place in my heart. There's nothing like it. So it's easy for me to picture the mountains and the landscape while I'm reading this series. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">You can read each book as a standalone, but it does make it a little bit easier if you read them in order. This is number four, featuring FBI agent Corrie Swanson and renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two men driving in the mountains get lost in a snow storm. Abandoning their vehicle, they find a cave to wait out the storm, drinking booze to stay warm and smoking joints to stay calm. Imagine their fright when they discover a skull sticking out of the ground. Rescued soon after, the FBI are alerted to the possibility of a murder and are called to investigate. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">What they find is two-fold: not only do they find a rare burial site of a local Native American tribe from centuries before; they also find the more recent desiccated remains of two men--could they possibly be two of the missing Dead Mountain hikers from 2008?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In 2008, nine college students with plenty of mountain hiking experience set off on an adventure. They were never seen alive again. Instead, when a search party was sent out, they found a bizarre scene: a ripped open tent, along with the bodies of some of the hikers--unclothed and obviously dead from exposure in a brutal blizzard. The next spring, they find two more, crushed and missing eyes down near a creek. Now it's been fifteen years, and there are still members missing. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Corrie is lead investigator, along with FBI Agent Sharp, her new partner. There was an intensive investigation done fifteen years before, but nothing ever came of it--except the retirement and disgrace of the agent in charge. Why? What happened to the hikers? Theories abound: Yeti, aliens, genetic superhuman attacking the camp. It's all out there, and it's up to Corrie with the help of Nora to piece it all together. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">People are reluctant to talk, and the more Corrie shifts through the evidence and probes deeper, the more questions she can't answer. Conspiracy theories, government agencies, bitter parents, and lots of dead ends create a plot that keeps shifting until the exciting end. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was another excellent thriller from Preston & Child. They wrote this novel based on the infamous case of nine Russian cross-country skiers who died in 1959 in the Ural Mountains under very, very strange circumstances. I've read about this case, and it is truly bizarre, and still unsolved to this day. I'm happy the story they created has a solution, and the twisty road to it makes this novel a fascinating read. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for a clever, complex, and twisty plot that features man vs. nature, man vs. self, and of course man vs. government. Enjoyed this very much!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-56039900457577148172023-09-14T10:02:00.001-05:002023-09-14T10:02:51.645-05:00September Read: Enchanted to Meet You (The Witches of West Harbor #1) by Meg Cabot<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_tjkg_xayYcmwDSZEqy5YtnUXOLW63BmGHGMHPt8EtYK6i6blFZ9wnjVs0KQ-F_o9xiQUYwvReL2rYveGC4VPaNE8iiKtALvhX9HfErYg0cFsHAebUEV6_UErhTfB0S9OB_L_-G8XI9W56c3v0gL-zbwO8YLhDreC_jX35klpUTskiQk3k2qKY81RVQ/s976/65962937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="648" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_tjkg_xayYcmwDSZEqy5YtnUXOLW63BmGHGMHPt8EtYK6i6blFZ9wnjVs0KQ-F_o9xiQUYwvReL2rYveGC4VPaNE8iiKtALvhX9HfErYg0cFsHAebUEV6_UErhTfB0S9OB_L_-G8XI9W56c3v0gL-zbwO8YLhDreC_jX35klpUTskiQk3k2qKY81RVQ/w265-h400/65962937.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Yes, another witchy-lit book! I could keep reading them for months, but I've got to pivot after this one to some of the other titles I've got stacked here at home. So please indulge me with this latest read by beloved author Meg Cabot.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novel is definitely a romance with one spicy scene in particular but overall just the right amount of simmering heat throughout between Jessica Gold and the charming Derrick Winters. He's definitely swoon-worthy!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jessica calls herself a cottage witch--one that creates simple spells to help folks and overall make everyone happy and content. She owns a clothing boutique in the lovely village of West Harbor. Yes, witches exist, but they don't announce it to many and mostly keep it quiet. Jessica's high school nemesis Rosalie is also a witch who controls the weather--and when she's mad, the weather takes a turn. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The village's annual harvest celebration is just around the corner, and a few strange things are starting to happen-bad weather, accidents; just enough for those who are sensitive to wonder what is going on. Enter Derrick, who approaches Jessica at her boutique one day to tell her she's The Chosen One and he needs her help. Doesn't hurt he's gorgeous and has a very healing way with his hands. It's a definite mutual attraction, but can Jessica trust Derrick? He's definitely not telling her the whole story.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">They're under a time crunch to find </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bringer of Light</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">--the one who, with Jessica, can save the village from destruction the night of the Harvest Ball. Restless demons are gathering strength to ruin the village for past sins. Only Jessica and </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Bringer of Light</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> can hope to save the village. And The Bringer of Light? That's Esther, a local high schooler who is probably the coolest, most chill teenage girl I've ever come across. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm happy to know this is the first in the Witches of West Harbor series. I know there are oodles of Meg Cabot fans out there; I have only read a few of her books but I always enjoy them. Her romantic characters are well written and certainly believable in their attraction and their troubles. Supporting characters--Jess' friends and other village residents gave this a cozy feel and I can't wait to return for more stories with Jessica and crew. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 4/6 for a cozy romance filled with a bit of spice, Italian comfort food, good friends and a race to save a village from some nasty demons. Romance is just right!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-84002992433859187682023-09-08T07:12:00.000-05:002023-09-08T07:12:07.006-05:00September Read: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXKtEwrTVkcrfUAGINDsSWaNAVBOBLawWCVlCy9PLhdRkrMUfHTuniPq2QCnIx40wB0TvVgbzDsGAtL__e2NBQiMBamgNFYhfR4G5GBRqf15hAqEm4ZJ-de72RWLFSow3R0NX1mbdLxK3lN7b-nijPKOlqqjT4R9VMlyTnby88y0VnSEEPklQevrOcV0/s2471/60018635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2471" data-original-width="1647" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYXKtEwrTVkcrfUAGINDsSWaNAVBOBLawWCVlCy9PLhdRkrMUfHTuniPq2QCnIx40wB0TvVgbzDsGAtL__e2NBQiMBamgNFYhfR4G5GBRqf15hAqEm4ZJ-de72RWLFSow3R0NX1mbdLxK3lN7b-nijPKOlqqjT4R9VMlyTnby88y0VnSEEPklQevrOcV0/w266-h400/60018635.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finally, Fall is in the air here in Iowa! After an early September heat wave it appears we're heading into more comfortable weather. Phew. I've been done with summer for a few months! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I'm a big fan of "witchy lit". Always have been; one of my favorite books is <i>The Witch of</i> <i>Blackbird Pond</i>. The surge in novels featuring magic and witchcraft has given me plenty to choose from, and this novel is one I've had on my radar for a bit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this novel. It's definitely what I'd call a cozy light fantasy/romance novel. Yes, one of those novels that don't quite fit neatly into one category. It has the feel of a few other novels I've read in the recent past: <i>The House in the Cerulean Sea</i> and <i>Legends and Lattes</i>. Cozy reads where the characters are all likable, there are no dramatic horrible plot twists, and they leave you with a sigh of happiness. In other words, novels that don't twist your heart or send it into palpitations. A perfect read after a long day.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mika Moon is a witch. She's darn good at potions. She's also young, single, and alone. That's the way it is with witches; they have to stay under the radar and are absolutely not allowed to show their magic or be friends. It's a dangerous world out there, even if it's today's world. And sadly, witches have been cursed: any witch who has a child is not long for the world. Witches become orphans rather early in life. Mika struggles with being alone. She longs for friends, a steady relationship with a man, and a place to call home. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mika's YouTube channel where she creates potions--all done in a way that leads people to think it's special effects--draws the attention of Ian, an older man who lives in a home tucked away in the countryside. Along with Ian, there's his husband Ken, Lucie the housekeeper, and Jamie the handsome but cranky librarian. And three little girls who are all witches, and not in control of their magic. Ian sends Mika a message, wanting to hire her to help the girls control their magic before the family solicitor visits in December. If he arrives and something wonky happens, they will be in trouble. After all, no one can know witches or magic exist. How Ian and crew know about magic is one of the major storylines. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mika arrives with Circe her dog, a koi pond, and a greenhouse--all neatly tucked into her car. Magic is a wonderful thing when you're moving. She's a bit leery of this opportunity, but decides to accept the job and moves into the home and begins to teach the three girls: Rosetta, Terracotta, and Altamira. And this is where the magic does truly happen.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Mika has found her family, but it's a bit of a rough go as trust issues, childhood trauma, and a few secrets lie in the way of a happy resolution. Loneliness is a key theme in this novel. People need people, and people need a place to call home. Mika has found just those people to be her family, along with her home--she just has a bit of work to do to reach that happy ending. And Jamie--oh, the sparks fly between them! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The authors description of magic as a living thing that has moods, along with the physical description of it as shimmery gold mists that swirl around was one of my favorite parts of the novel, as well as Mika's absolute joy as a witch who fully embraces her magic. All of the characters are delightful, and make this novel the perfect read for a Fall evening--and most definitely break out the tea! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for a lovely cozy novel about the magic of home, the magic of the world around us, and the magic of finding your people. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This book is available in paperback, ebook, and audio book. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-80243884480493105832023-08-31T08:14:00.001-05:002023-08-31T08:15:55.345-05:00August Read: The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT363aKsZRxwQ3Y9auetlDBMipgH6NaNCF_nTkhSlNhhYR-Ol_WoFyfZ-N4X0vKK31zxNp8Q2Bmj3Xm_UEvkLvzVZMzIipuCLZRdcPcxaA7vewiMuTRCxj3gNeJnHR-q7irKpo7hGfOOG31hUPY44m8wc0b-3rgjeTtb8B6HFxJZC_ComeHmSEDy6P6Ww/s1510/62952130-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="1000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT363aKsZRxwQ3Y9auetlDBMipgH6NaNCF_nTkhSlNhhYR-Ol_WoFyfZ-N4X0vKK31zxNp8Q2Bmj3Xm_UEvkLvzVZMzIipuCLZRdcPcxaA7vewiMuTRCxj3gNeJnHR-q7irKpo7hGfOOG31hUPY44m8wc0b-3rgjeTtb8B6HFxJZC_ComeHmSEDy6P6Ww/w265-h400/62952130-2.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /> <span style="font-family: verdana;">I finished this novel a week ago and had to take some time to deal with all the book emotions it gave me. It's one of my top ten books of 2023. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I haven't read any Lauren Groff books before this and from what I understand this one is a bit different from her previous novels. The buzz around this novel is accurate and if you're going to read any book this year, make it this one. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Two things you'll notice pretty quickly: there is no dialogue, and you don't know the narrator's name. In fact, you finally find out the narrator's name towards the very end, and that in itself is a heartbreak. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This short (less than 300 pages) novel centers around a young woman who has fled from a colonial settlement in America in the dead of winter. Carrying only a knife, a flint, a tin cup, leather gloves and a few blankets, she runs into the vast wilderness, bent on survival. She's leaving a terrible situation: there's no food, and people are either starving to death or dying of small pox. There's also another reason she's fleeing, but you don't know exactly what that is until the last bit of the book. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">The novel follows the narrator as she journeys far into the wilderness, struggling to survive. She's resourceful and smart, and given her limited resources, she's able to keep going when most of us would have just given up. During her journey she encounters wild animals, horrible weather, indigenous people, and one wild man who is so unsettling I was holding my breath reading that chapter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Along the way, the narrator looks back over her short life and the journey that brought her to "the vaster wilds". Deserted as a baby, she was brought up in an orphanage in London until she was picked out at age four to be a servant in a wealthy household. There she encounters some stability, but also a few awful things. Her employer remarries a preacher man who is cloaked in handsomeness but is actually pretty awful. He decides they need to begin again in the new world.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I don't want to tell you any more, because I'll give too much away. Nature vs. man is a HUGE theme; the wonder this character finds in her surroundings even as she battles to survive. She has some pretty deep soul-searching moments, and a lot of those reflections apply to today's world. Man's determination to conquer the unknown, women feeling unsafe and powerless in a man's world; finding spirituality in nature. It's all there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novel sent me on an emotional journey. The end is as it should be. I hope this novel wins all the awards. It is stunning. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 6/6 for a short but powerful novel about survival, regrets, female power and our connection to nature, which can sustain or destroy us. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novel will be out on September 12th in the U.S. in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook. A huge thank you to Riverhead Books (Penguin/Random House) for an ARC. </span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-62443969432198200872023-08-28T08:24:00.000-05:002023-08-28T08:24:22.860-05:00Blog Tour for What Would Jane Austen Do? by Linda Corbett<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzTRxDmerILIRaRqfB-Wp1L4dCLK-dxyRtA1nLIKWsUg0wNuwdTtKthzf2Lu85CcrBJ1evE7uvAE4lBVvczHA2AGtWxikD5KH9KjWy9QMH2v57mQaHmDqvCwzoe8Io4IlcqR8FzRQ1Mv7V4v1k10V8HjHykASkbCip-_PGjN8PDoygnzhtXs_xX9rdEU/s1500/What%20Would%20Jane%20Austen%20Do%20cover%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="983" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXzTRxDmerILIRaRqfB-Wp1L4dCLK-dxyRtA1nLIKWsUg0wNuwdTtKthzf2Lu85CcrBJ1evE7uvAE4lBVvczHA2AGtWxikD5KH9KjWy9QMH2v57mQaHmDqvCwzoe8Io4IlcqR8FzRQ1Mv7V4v1k10V8HjHykASkbCip-_PGjN8PDoygnzhtXs_xX9rdEU/w263-h400/What%20Would%20Jane%20Austen%20Do%20cover%202023.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I've read a few dark novels in the past couple of weeks so I definitely needed something refreshing to read, and <i>What Would Jane Austen Do?</i> was the perfect solution. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maddy Shaw is a huge Jane Austen fan and advice columnist for a magazine in London. She loves her job, and is crushed when she is fired by the new manager. Keeping her commitment to appear on a podcast, she gets into a war of words with mystery writer Cameron Massey over romance novels. He's nice to look at, but a bit of a crab.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maddy finds out she's inherited the country home of her distant relative Nigel, who has a few stipulations for Maddy: she has to live in the home for twelve months before she can sell it. If she doesn't, the home goes to someone else in the village. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Maddy, at loose ends and unable to afford living in London, decides to move to the country home and try a new life. And surprise! who lives nearby? Cameron Massey AKA Luke. He's having some remodeling done at his home, and needs a quiet place to write his next novel. Maddy has a huge home and needs some extra income. It doesn't hurt that Luke has an absolutely lovable dog who quickly captures Maddy's heart. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was a gentle romance, and if you love English contemporary romances, this will definitely be on your TBR list. Enemies to Lovers, starting over, and a bit of a family mystery concerning Nigel all keep the plot moving along. There's no explicit sex scenes so if you like your romance to build slowly with a few bumps along the way, you'll enjoy this novel. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">I did enjoy the story of Nigel, who is a big part of the novel, even though his death is the catalyst for Maddy's move. A bit of family history and a lesson in not believing family stories passed down without doing some fact checking. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Jane Austen quotes highlight every chapter, and Maddy's love for Jane Austen does shine through--she even challenges Luke to write a romance, since he thinks they are so easy to do. He finds differently, of course!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Thanks to Harper Collins for a chance to read this novel. A perfectly lovely contemporary romance that takes you to the English countryside. The book is available on Kindle and in paperback.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6ir0BTei_fBBBv0cHY7Bg4GfvBVcSdMP93o_qQumAJfjn2PvuueTKjVqwKTfLnZbTwrPWz4jk5jNkx34bJSkuE-05eGhvTNQgok9YiwXJJK73eyPUJwa4wr8F3c3U8SWdAmh5wbreEOx0vT11uC_aC_9rBkZaZBb7IifAgOC2gYg2dDIsGYFxc3ddSQ/s1080/What%20Would%20Jane%20Austen%20Do%20Book%20Tour%20Graphic%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6ir0BTei_fBBBv0cHY7Bg4GfvBVcSdMP93o_qQumAJfjn2PvuueTKjVqwKTfLnZbTwrPWz4jk5jNkx34bJSkuE-05eGhvTNQgok9YiwXJJK73eyPUJwa4wr8F3c3U8SWdAmh5wbreEOx0vT11uC_aC_9rBkZaZBb7IifAgOC2gYg2dDIsGYFxc3ddSQ/w400-h400/What%20Would%20Jane%20Austen%20Do%20Book%20Tour%20Graphic%20.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-717144177751870507.post-694051389446705472023-08-20T13:02:00.000-05:002023-08-20T13:02:17.987-05:00August Read: The September House by Carissa Orlando<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn5_tqfANYHz6o437REnPpSCac4EJXn5Ckcik2qhbaYity-PDxTBbX2MYlZrJCldnvbiNebBr4M7P6bXN1eCybRc8tHx8K2gywcvETXwqVxrqkIYrwPN2xS9N5rGK10S6s_EVWEACA4IP2DQDAMV4Htq85P2hnTRN-6xycmg0sabL2--1OnYtAlEaeeo/s400/64623481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAn5_tqfANYHz6o437REnPpSCac4EJXn5Ckcik2qhbaYity-PDxTBbX2MYlZrJCldnvbiNebBr4M7P6bXN1eCybRc8tHx8K2gywcvETXwqVxrqkIYrwPN2xS9N5rGK10S6s_EVWEACA4IP2DQDAMV4Htq85P2hnTRN-6xycmg0sabL2--1OnYtAlEaeeo/w265-h400/64623481.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">I haven't read a knock down, in-your-face horror novel in a very long time. Wowza. Horror fans will inhale this novel and come out the other side with a few choice words. I read it over the space of the weekend in between cooking and running errands. Thankful for a steaming hot day today that--oh darn--kept me inside reading. I'm not one for always reading horror novels, but when it comes to haunted houses, I am in it! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>September House</i> is about a beautiful Victorian home where married couple Hal and Margaret live. Finally, they have the home of their dreams. Doesn't matter the basement is creepy and smelly, and they got it super cheap. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Now it's been a few years, and it's September again. The month where the moans start softly, then build to piercing screams. Where blood begins to drip down the walls, slowly oozing all the way down the stairs. And there's the pranksters, all the little children who clearly died horrible deaths, hanging around the house, pointing at the basement. I can't stress enough--if you are squeamish, pass this novel by. If you, like myself, have the ability to see the dark humor in all of this, you'll be able to wince, but keep on reading. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">It seems Hal and Margaret have a haunted house. Sure, it's nice to have a housekeeper (Fredricka) who makes you tea and cooks you supper--don't mind the horrible ax wound she has on her face. And in September, well, Fredricka goes on a bender and moves things all around the house. Once September ends, things quiet down. But no way do you go in the basement. Master Vale lives there. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hal is done. He can't take anymore, and leaves. Margaret--well, she's lived with Hal and rules their whole marriage, so if she just follows the rules in the house, she'll be okay and get through another September. After all, it's her house and she's not leaving. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Katherine, Hal and Margaret's adult daughter, is concerned her Dad is gone and won't respond to phone calls and seems to have disappeared. Katherine decides she's going to come to the home (she's never been) and get to the bottom of her father's disappearance. Margaret is distressed--after all, it is September. How will she manage cleaning up the blood, and how will Katherine sleep with all the screaming every night? Not to mention the pranksters...</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dang, this was one heck of a novel. If you're squeamish, avoid this novel. If you like very dark humor mixed in with a heck of a haunted house and a really nasty evil presence, step right up! The end is AMAZING. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">There's also other stuff that's brought to light, along with the escalation of concern over Hal's disappearance and Katherine's concern for her mother's mental health. There's backstory about Margaret's marriage and Katherine's childhood that frames the story, and certainly fleshes out Margaret's character and the choices she makes. It also sets up the last thirty or so pages, where you're breathlessly turning the pages and cheering Margaret on as she battles Master Vale. It's a bloody, brutal fight. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">This novel will be out in the U.S. on September 5th in hardcover, audiobook, and e-book. Thanks to Edelweiss and Berkley for a chance to read before publication. It will definitely go on my Best of 2023 list!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Rating: 5/6 for one hell of a paranormal/haunting/horror novel that builds in tension and explodes in action the last 1/4th of the novel. Fall readers who like a spooky read will grab this up. Warning: harm to children and violence make up a large part of this horror novel. Dark humor--yes, there is plenty. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p>Sue G.http://www.blogger.com/profile/06796747936772028681noreply@blogger.com0