Now that Charlotte "Charlie" Cates has found love again, she's eager to move on with her life.  With a new baby growing inside her, the 39-year-old journalist is looking forward to a promising future with kind, hardworking Noah Palmer.  Just when everything seems to be coming up roses, however, Charlie gets some shocking news.  Her mother—a drug addict who abandoned her daughter when she was just a toddler—has been killed in a double murder.  The other victim?  Jasmine Cassell, a half sister Charlie never knew existed.  As if that weren't enough, she's having visions again.  This time the distressed child is Micky, Jasmine's daughter.

Although Charlie's energy should be focused on her own child, she can't ignore her niece's plaintive pleas.  Something terrible happened to the child's mother and grandmother.  Determined to find the truth, Charlie starts digging.  Her search takes her into the chaos of northern Mexico, the desolate Arizona desert, and deep into the murky waters of her own troubled past.  Ultimately, her investigation is leading her to the most dangerous destination of all—into the hands of a cold-blooded killer.  Trouble is the last thing Charlie needs, especially in her delicate condition, but she's heading right for it ...

I picked up The Shimmering Road by Hester Young without realizing it's a sequel to The Gates of Evangeline, which I read last year.  It seriously took me a few chapters to catch on!  Maybe that's because Young's second endeavor is much, much better than her first.  Where Evangeline felt flat and predictable, The Shimmering Road remains tense and compelling throughout.  While it's a disturbing read, it's also engrossing, eye-opening.  Overall, I enjoyed this one.  I'll definitely be watching for the last book in the Charlie Cates trilogy which will hopefully come out in 2018.

(Readalikes:  The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young)

Grade:

So many books, so little time ...

Although I spend many hours every week with my nose crammed in a book, there's still no way I can read all the tomes I want to read.  Inevitably, many fall by the wayside.  Such is the case with The Long Way Home, a debut novel by Canadian author Kevin Bannister.  Although I've not had time to read it yet, I think the tale has an intriguing premise.  Here's the back cover blurb:

Set in the turbulent times of the War of Independence, The Long Way Home follows the lives of Thomas Peters and Murphy Steele who are friends, former slaves, fellows-in-arms and leaders of the Black Brigade. Their real-life story is an epic adventure tale as they battle bounty hunters, racism, poverty and epidemic in their adopted country after the war.

The Long Way Home has resonated with readers around the world as an unforgettable account of courage, hope and determination triumphing over despair and injustice. Thomas Peters, thoughtful and charismatic, and Murphy Steele, strong and impulsive, lead their followers on an inspirational search for a place where they can be free.

I'd never heard of this duo before.  It sounds like they have a very compelling story.  If you're interested in reading about them, be sure to pick up this book.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on the novel.  Anyone read it?  Anyone planning to?

If you'd like more opinions (or, you know, an opinion from someone who's actually read the book), please follow along on the book's tour by clicking on the following links:

Monday, August 28th: A Holland Reads
Friday, September 1st: What Is That Book About? – author guest post
Monday, September 4th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Wednesday, September 6th: 100 Pages a Day… Stephanie’s Book Reviews
Thursday, September 7th: Reading Reality
Thursday, September 7th: Mama Vicky Reads
Friday, September 8th: Just One More Chapter
Wednesday, September 13th: Ms. Nose in a Book
Monday, September 18th: Broken Teepee
Tuesday, September 26th: Girl Who Reads
Monday, October 2nd: Patricia’s Wisdom
Monday, December 11th: Suzy Approved

It's Tuesday again, which means it's once again time for my favorite weekly meme.  This week's topic has to do with food.  Who can't get behind that, amirite?  Technically, lists are supposed to be about Top Ten Yummy Foods Mentioned in Books, but I'm going to go ahead and give mine my own little twist.  Since I eschewed them last week, I'm going to feature book jackets this time around.  And not just any ole cover art, but the kind that makes your mouth water so much you just want to lean over and lick the picture right off the paper.  Yummmm ...  

Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  All you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read a few quick guidelines, make your own list, and join the party.  It's a great way to discover new book blogs and add exciting new reads to your TBR mountain chain.  C'mon, you know you want to!

Okay, here we go with Top Ten Drool-Worthy Foodie Book Covers: 


1.  The Wedding Bees by Sarah-Kate Lynch—I'm not a big honey fan, but this cover is scrumptious-looking!  The story sounds good, too.  It's about a woman who lets her queen honeybee choose where she's going to live next.  She ends up in New York City, where she brings together a group of neighboring misfits through the magic in her honey.


2.  The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E. Reichert—This novel looks delicious all around.  It's a romance about a chef and the restaurant critic who's trying to ruin her career.  A case of mistaken identity leads to love, but can this new relationship survive once the truth comes out?


 3.  When In Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison—Cupcakes I can give or take, but frosting?  Can't resist it.  Especially if it's nice, thick buttercream yum.  So, yeah, I'm basically in love with this cover.  The story sounds cute and really similar to The Wedding Bees.


4.  The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop and Cafe by Mary Simses—Jam isn't really my, well, jam, but I do love blueberries.  Also cafes because they smell delectable.  The title of this one also evokes warm memories of The Blueberry Cafe, a little place in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, that a fellow exchange student and I loved to visit because it reminded us of home.  Appropriate, since this novel is about a woman going home to fulfill her grandmother's dying wish.


 5.  The Mango Season by Amulya Malladi—Speaking of The Philippines, I ate the tastiest (also smelliest—I'm looking at you, durian) fruit there.  The mangoes were especially glorious.  This novel is about a young Indian woman who's returning to her homeland after seven years to break horrifying news to her very traditional parents—she's engaged to an American.  


 6.  The Girls' Guide to Love and Supper Clubs by Dana Bate—Again with the frosting!  Delish.  This novel, which is about a woman who launches an underground supper club, sounds fun, too.


 7.  Lion House Bakery—I love this cookbook, one in a series featuring recipes from the historic Lion House restaurant in Salt Lake City.  My favorite recipe is the one featured on the cover—crescent rolls.  They're unbelievably good.  My mother-in-law bakes the best ones I've ever tasted; even though I use the exact same Lion House recipe, mine never turn out as well. 


8.  Artichoke's Heart by Suzanne Supplee—Mmmm, chocolate.  As long as it's white or milk, I'm in.  The novel sounds intriguing as well.  It's about an overweight young woman who embarks on a journey to change her body and her life.


9.  Rhymes With Cupid by Anna Humphrey—I'm not going to add this anti-Valentine's Day romance to my TBR list, at least not for the story.  The ice cream sundae on the cover, though ...



10.  First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen—I've never read anything by Allen, but her book covers are all so pretty!  Maybe that's because lots of them feature food.  First Frost, a novel about sisters and their magical food concoctions, sounds engaging.

What do you think?  Do any of these covers make your tongue salivate and your stomach growl?  Have you read any of my picks?  What food-laden jacket art/books do you love?

Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor.  Happy TTT!

I'm a little late to the TTT party this week, but I didn't want to miss out, so I'm doing it anyway.  I'm a rebel like that!  I'm not wild about the topic du jour (Fall book covers/themes), however.  I'm probably just bitter that everyone else gets to enjoy gorgeous Fall colors and crisp, cool weather while I'm melting in the Phoenix area.  Cue pity party.  At any rate, I'm going to go back to a list that I missed out on a few weeks ago (with a little twist):  Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading Before the End of the Year.

If you want to join in the TTT fun, it's not too late.  Click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read up on the TTT rules, make a list of your own, and have a jolly old time hopping around the book blogosphere.  It's a great way to find new book blogs to love.  The last thing on Earth I need is more titles on my TBR pile mountain mountain chain, but I still love getting recs from TTT lists.  Bring 'em on.

Here we go with the Top Ten Books I'm Looking Forward to Reading Before the End of the Year:


 1.  The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah—I loved The Nightingale, so I've been anxiously awaiting a new novel from Hannah.  There's not a lot of info on this one, but apparently it's about a family struggling to survive in Alaska.  I'm down with that.  (Even though this one doesn't come out until February 2018, I'm hoping to get an ARC to read this year.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.)

 
 2.  The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis—My book club chose this book for our October read.  Even though it's one of my husband's all-time favorite books, I haven't read it yet.  We saw the play on Valentine's Day a few years ago, which sounds like the ultimate irony.  In actuality, The Great Divorce has nothing to do with romance—it's an allegorical tale about heaven and hell, good and evil, etc.


 3.  You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis—I enjoyed Ellis' The End or Something Like That, so I'm interested to see what she does with this MG novel about a girl's plan to win a million dollars in order to save her family from their depressing trailer park existence.


 4.  Murder On the Orient Express by Agatha Christie—With the movie coming out soon, everyone wants to read this one (as evidenced by the fact that there's a looonnnggg wait list for it at the library).  I first read And Then There Were None years ago, so it's definitely time for me to try another classic Christie mystery.


 5.  Caroline by Sarah Miller—I was a raging Little House on the Prairie fan as a child.  It's been that long since I've read the series; I'd like to re-read it soon, then move on to this novel written from Mrs. Ingalls' perspective.


 6.  Reading People by Anne Bogel—Another thing I was obsessed with as a kid was those personality quizzes you could always find in teen magazines.  Reading People goes beyond those to discuss how personality shapes everything we do.  Sounds fun!


 7.  The Emperor's Ostrich by Julie Berry—I'm a big Berry fan, so I'm excited to read her new MG novel about a young dairymaid who sets off in search of her lost cow with a magical map to guide her way.


 8.  Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence—I adore books about books, so this one sounds right up my alley.  It's a collection of love and break-up letters written by a librarian to the tomes she loves and loathes.


 9.  Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan—This novel about a woman who's on a quest to understand the life of her missing father has been getting a lot of buzz.  I'll be interested to see if it deserves it or not.


10.  Healing Your Family History by Rebecca Linder Hintze—I'm so Mormon that another thing I'm totally obsessed with is genealogy.  Lately, I've been able to help other people research their own family trees.  Listening to their stories has made me absolutely fascinated with how all of us are influenced by our family histories.  My husband keeps recommending this book, which talks about how to break free from destructive familial patterns, to everyone he knows. 

So, there you have it.  I'm hoping to read 77 more books this year to hit my goal of 200 and these are just ten that are on my list.  What else should I read before 2017 disappears?  What titles are you still hoping to read this year?  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff at Costco with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.)