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2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 books. 100% done!

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (3)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (5)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)

International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (4)
- The Netherlands (1)

My Progress:


51 / 51 states. 100% done!

2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 50 books. 104% done!

2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge


36 / 50 books. 72% done!

Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

2024 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


51 / 52 books. 98% done!

2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


37 / 40 books. 93% done!

2024 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge


18 / 40 books. 45% done!

2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


25 / 25 cozies. 100% done!

2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge

2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


5 / 26.2 miles (4th lap). 19% done!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


51 / 100 books. 51% done!

2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


99 / 109 books. 91% done!

Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


52 / 52 books. 100% done!

Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge

My Progress


139 / 165 books. 84% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


88 / 100 names. 88% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


45 / 80 skills. 56% done!
Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: New Authors to Love


I read lots of books every year written by authors I haven't read before. In fact, of the 203 books I read in 2021, 126 of them were by new-to-me writers. I've knocked out 12 novels so far this year; half of them are by authors whose books I've never explored before. I think it's safe to say I enjoy making new author discoveries. It's especially fun when they've got a nice, long backlist for me to check out! For today's list, I tried to highlight the new writers I found last year that I liked so much I read more than one of their books in 2021.

If you'd like to participate in Top Ten Tuesday (and you really should—it's the most fun weekly book event on the Internet), just hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2021


1. Kate Albus—Okay, I actually only read one book by Albus this year, but only because that's all she's published so far. A Place to Hang the Moon is such a gem that I really, really can't wait to see what this debut author does next. 


2. Addison Armstrong—I'm the mother of two boys who were born at 29 weeks gestation. My experience with these tiny babies naturally drew me to Armstrong's debut, The Light of Luna Park, which tells the based-on-a-true-story of an innovative doctor in 1926 New York who saved the premature babies other physicians wouldn't by charging Coney Island visitors money to gawk at them. The admission fees paid for the infants' care, which helped many of them to grow and thrive. Armstrong's second novel, The War Librarian, sounds equally as fascinating as her first.


3. Elizabeth C. Bunce—Bunce is probably best known for her YA novels, but I found her because of her charming middle-grade mystery series. I listened to all of the books—Premeditated Myrtle, How to Get Away With Myrtle, and Cold-Blooded Myrtle—last year and loved every one of them. I am anxiously awaiting In Myrtle Peril, which comes out in October.


4. Amy Lynn Green—Green has written two historical novels for adults. I loved The Lines Between Us, a thought-provoking mystery about conscientious objectors who worked as firefighters in the U.S. during World War II.


5. Jocelyn Green—Another historical fiction author, this Green also writes books set in America's past. I enjoyed the first two novels in her Windy City saga—Veiled in Smoke and Shadows of the White City—in 2021. The third installment, Drawn by the Current, comes out in a week. I can't wait!


6. Jennifer L. Holm—I fell in love with The Lion of Mars, Holm's uplifting middle-grade novel set in space, when I read it last July. After that, I raced through her Boston Jane trilogy, which I very much enjoyed. 


7. Regina Scott—I've talked a lot about Scott's American Wonders series ever since I read A Distance Too Grand back in July. I also enjoyed the second book, Nothing Short of Wondrous, and am looking forward to reading A View Most Glorious sometime soon. 


8. Sarah Stewart Taylor—I discovered Taylor's Maggie D'arcy series mystery series last year. I enjoyed the first two books in the series and am looking forward to The Drowning Sea, which comes out in June. Taylor has also penned a mystery series starring an art historian who's an expert in gravestone art, which sounds excellent. Unfortunately, my local libraries don't carry the books. Boo hoo.


9. Tessa WegertDeath in the Family, Wegert's debut, generated a lot of buzz when it came out in 2020. It lived up to the hype for me, so I read the second book in the series as well. I'm excited for the third, Dead Wind, which comes out in April. 


10. Elissa Brent Weissman—Weissman's heartfelt The Length of a String was one of my favorite books of 2021. I'm currently listening to her newest novel, The Renegade Reporters, which is a fun one.

There you go, ten new authors I found in 2021. Have you read any of them? Which writers did you discover last year? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. 

Happy TTT!

Monday, January 24, 2022

Chamberlain's Newest Heavy-Hitter An Engrossing, Moving Read

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Round Hill, North Carolina

2010—Both architects, Kayla Carter and her husband designed their dream house together, excitedly anticipating the day they and their young daughter could move in. After a freak accident during the building, Jackson is dead. Now a grieving widow, Kayla can hardly face the idea of living in the home, beautiful as it is. All of her misgivings come to the fore when a strange woman visits her at work, warning her away from the property. It doesn't help when Kayla's new home is vandalized and her own father fills her head with stories about the haunted woods in her backyard. Although she's completely unnerved, Kayla decides no one is going to scare her off her own property. It's time to face her future head on by making the house she and her husband built together into a place of refuge and healing for herself and their beloved daughter. 

1965—Raised in a proper Southern household, 20-year-old Ellie Hockley's future has already been written. She'll marry her banker boyfriend, raise a passel of children, and grow old hosting meaningless tea parties and society galas. Longing to do something significant, Ellie decides to join a campaign to help Black people register to vote. Her family and friends react with disbelief, shock, and anger. Defying them all, Ellie goes to work, where she experiences—for the first time—harsh realities like poverty, racism, hate, and violence. As they work together, she finds herself falling for a fellow campaigner, a young Black man named Winston. The forbidden romance will lead to consequences far beyond anything either one of them could imagine... 

When Kayla meets Ellie, who has moved in next door temporarily to take care of her elderly mother and terminally ill brother, she learns the real story about what happened during the fateful summer of 1965. Devastating secrets, kept for decades by her father and others, will finally come to light, revealing shocking truths about Round Hill and its residents.

I've enjoyed all of the hard-hitting past/present novels I've read by Diane Chamberlain. Her newest, The Last House on the Street, is no exception. While it's not my favorite of the author's books, it's still a compelling, well-written story that is thought-provoking, moving, and engrossing. The plot is engaging, even if it doesn't contain any real surprises. Kayla, Ellie, and Win are all sympathetic characters, who are easy to root for. None of them is really unique or memorable, but they're all warm, compassionate story people. Although the novel ends on a hopeful note, overall it's pretty sad and depressing. This surprised me as I wanted happier endings for this cast. On the whole, then, I didn't absolutely love this book. I liked it and I will always read more by Diane Chamberlain. The Last House on the Street just isn't my favorite of hers.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of other books by Diane Chamberlain as well as those by Susan Meissner)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (one F-bomb, plus milder expletives), violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Last House on the Street from the generous folks at St. Martin's Press via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ones That Got Away


For all the 2021 releases I read last year, there are still plenty I didn't manage to fit in. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about the ones that got away. I've talked about many of the titles I was anticipating reading, but to avoid jawing about the same books over and over, I've chosen ten I have not mentioned here before. All of them are 2021 releases that I meant to read in 2021 and just...didn't. In some cases, my library didn't have copies and I didn't want to buy the books. In most, though, I just ran out of time or prioritized other reads instead. #Bookbloggerproblems, amirite?

If you want to join in the TTT fun, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten 2021 Releases I Was Excited to Read and Didn't Get To  


1. Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge—Inspired by the story of one of America's first Black female doctors, this novel is about a young woman's struggle to find herself amidst the expectations of both society and her family. This novel, which one a bunch of awards last year, is supposed to be atmospheric, moving, and inspiring.


2. The Ice House by Monica Sherwood—With snowstorms covering lots of states in white stuff right now as well as COVID spikes sending people back into lockdown, the premise of this one might hit a little too close to home for some. I still think it sounds intriguing! A long winter freeze has left everything covered in ice that won't melt even though the calendar says it's Spring. The weather has led to dangerous accidents, people being stuck in their homes, and dwindling supplies coming in. Stress and worry are making everyone crazy. To get away from it, Louisa and Luke decide to build a snow fort in the backyard of their apartment building. They soon realize that their getaway is special and that it's maybe-magical properties just might be showing them how to make the ice go away and save their world.


3. The Third Warrior by Carol Potenza—I enjoyed Hearts of the Missing when I read it back in 2019 and have been waiting for a sequel ever since. This second installment has Fire-Sky Pueblo Police Sergeant Nicky Matthews following a spirit to the dead body of a local cowboy. Although the death looks like a tragic accident at first, the more she investigates, the more suspicious it seems. With a puzzling mystery to unravel, a snitch in her department at work, and complications in her personal life, Nicky has her hands full...


4. Six Weeks to Live by Catherine McKenzie—I've got this mystery/thriller out from the library right now, so I'm hoping I can get it read soon. It revolves around a 48-year-old woman who receives stunning news from her doctor—she has a terminal illness and has only six weeks to live. As she prepares for the inevitable, she discovers that she may have been recently poisoned. Her suspicions naturally fall on her husband, whom she's in the process of divorcing. When her daughters express their doubts about the accusations against their father, she begins to doubt herself. Is there someone else out there who wants her dead? Or is it all in her head, where the deadly tumor resides?


5. Murder at the Beacon Bakeshop by Darci Hannah—I'm always on the lookout for fun cozy mystery series and this one sounds like it might fit the bill. This first installment introduces Lindsey Bakeswell who retreats to Beacon Harbor, Michigan, after she catches her fiancé cheating on her. As she makes her dream of turning the town's lighthouse into a pastry shop, she faces opposition on several fronts. When her fiancé's new squeeze ends up dead after eating a doughnut at Lindsey's shop, Lindsey becomes the prime suspect in her murder. In order to save her store and her good name, she launches her own investigation into the crime.


6. The Renegade Reporters by Elissa Brent Weissman—Weissman's The Length of a String was one of my favorite reads of 2021. Her newest middle-grade offering is a mystery about a group of girls who learn about a media company that is gathering data on the student body at their junior high without the kids' knowledge. Why are they doing this and how can they be stopped?


7. Saving Grace by Debbie Babitt—This twisty thriller concerns a woman from Repentance, a small mountain town, who becomes the village's first female sheriff. When a man suspected of kidnapping young girls years ago returns to Repentance and more children go missing, she's tasked with solving the crime. As tensions rise, violence erupts, and the sheriff doesn't know what to do. How can she solve the case and restore peace to her little town?


8. Madam by Phoebe Wynne—Caldonbrae Hall is a castle turned elite boarding school perched high on the cliffs in Scotland. When Rose Christie is hired to teach Classics, the first new instructor at the school in more than ten years, she's daunted. Especially when she starts to quietly investigate the disappearance of her predecessor. Something sinister is going on at the school, but what?


9. All We Left Behind by Danielle R. Graham—This historical novel concerns a young Japanese couple torn apart by World War II. Will their love survive?


10. We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz—Best friends Emily and Kristen are exploring the mountains in Chile when something horrible happens. Emily returns to their hotel to find Kristen alone in a blood-spattered room. She insists that the handsome stranger she'd been flirting with assaulted her and she had to kill him in self-defense. The scene is so reminiscent of an incident that occurred on their last trip together that Emily is immediately suspicious. Why is this happening again? Is Kristen telling the truth? What really happened in that hotel room?

There you are, ten 2021 releases that I meant to read last year and didn't get to. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which of 2021's releases do you still need to read? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Friday, January 14, 2022

Series Review: Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

I haven't done a series review in some time, which might have something to do with the fact that I haven't binge-read a series in some time! That changed in the last two months when I sped through the Truly Devious books by Maureen Johnson. I enjoyed all the novels, which together create a series that is clever, fun, and engrossing.

I read Truly Devious when it first came out in 2018, then re-read it in December since I couldn't remember more than its very basic plot. The series opener introduces true crime aficionado Stephanie "Stevie" Bell, a 16-year-old from Pittsburgh. She is beginning her first year at Ellingham Academy, a boarding school for talented kids who are allowed to study their chosen subjects with no limitations, financial or otherwise. Built by an eccentric gazillionaire in the 1930s, the school is located on a remote mountaintop in Vermont and features a plethora of hidden rooms, secret tunnels, trapdoors, and other playful hideaways. Stevie, who applied on a whim, is shocked by her acceptance there. She's determined to prove her worth at Ellingham by finally getting to the bottom of the "unsolvable" crime that rocked the school when it first opened. Not only were the founder's wife and child kidnapped, but the former was murdered as was an Ellingham Academy student. Little Alice Ellingham's body has never been found. Although a man was convicted of the crimes, no one really believed he was guilty.

As Stevie studies the case on-site, strange things start happening on campus, things that mirror what occurred back in the 30s. When a student is murdered, it sends shockwaves through the place anew. Has the "Truly Devious" killer struck again? Or is someone playing a macabre game of copycat? Stevie vows to solve all the murders, past and present. Can she do it?

Spoiler alert: Yes, she can. 

The Vanishing Stair begins shortly after Stevie solves her classmate's murder. Even though the killer has been identified, they're in the wind. Convinced Ellingham Academy is not safe, Stevie's parents pull her out of school and make her come home, where she's miserable in her soul-sucking public school. A powerful figure intervenes, allowing her return to Ellingham. For a price. Stevie makes a deal with the devil that makes her very uncomfortable. Nevertheless, she's thrilled to return to the only place she's ever felt truly at home.

Stevie resumes her investigation into the murders that occurred at Ellingham in the 1930s. While doing so, she discovers the dead body of another classmate. Why were they killed? When another strange death happens in nearby Burlington, Stevie's certain they're connected—not just to each other but also to the Ellingham cold case. Can she get to the bottom of things before she loses someone else she cares about?

In the last book of the main trilogy—The Hand on the Wall—a series of disturbing events, plus the threat of an oncoming blizzard lead to the closure of Ellingham Academy. Despite the danger, Stevie and her friends do not want to leave. It's crazy to stay with a dangerous storm on the way not to mention a murderer running loose, but Stevie's convinced she can solve the Ellingham murders and figure out how everything that's happening in the present connects with them if only she can get a little more time. Hiding out so they don't have to leave, Stevie & Co. remain at Ellingham. As tension rises, putting them all at risk, Stevie pushes herself to puzzle out all the answers. Can she do it before they all run out of time?

Spoiler alert: Yes, she can.

After Stevie solves the Ellingham case, which has stumped investigators for decades, she becomes a bit of a sensation. In The Box in the Woods, she's home in Pittsburgh for the summer, prepared to die of boredom sans friends and without a puzzling case to keep her busy brain occupied. When she receives a tantalizing invitation to work at Camp Wonder Falls, she's immediately interested. It's not because she loves the outdoors (she doesn't), but because the rebranded summer camp was the site of a notorious quadruple murder back in the 1970s. The camp's new owner, an offbeat podcaster, wants Stevie to investigate the cold case so he can feature it on a show he's producing. Stevie's game.

Summoning her besties from Ellingham, Stevie and the reunited gang began their investigation. As they talk to residents of the nearby town who knew the victims, Stevie becomes more and more confused. Why would someone brutally kill four teenaged camp counselors? The kids weren't saints, but they hardly seem like the kind of people who would inspire the amount of rage that was unleashed on them. 

When one of the people helping Stevie dies in a suspicious accident, it becomes quickly apparent that someone knows what really happened the night the kids were killed and that they will do the unthinkable to make sure the truth never comes to light. If Stevie doesn't stop nosing into the past, she might be next. Can she solve the case before she becomes the next camp counselor to die? 

It's natural while reading a series to like some installments more than others. That's true of the Truly Devious books for me, but overall, it's a very well-crafted series. The characters are fresh and likable (my favorite is Nate, by the by), the mysteries are twisty and compelling, the boarding school setting is intriguing and appealing, and Johnson's prose is skilled and upbeat. I found all of the books engrossing, which explains why I buzzed through them so quickly. In every instance, I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen next. Johnson did not disappoint. 

I believe The Box in the Woods is the last book in the Truly Devious series. While it offers a satisfying conclusion to the series, it definitely leaves room for more installments. I am 100% up for that, although I'm still waiting for Johnson to finish the Shades of London series...

Grade:

Although the installments vary in content, if they were movies, all would be rated:


for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of Truly Devious with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha. I borrowed the other books from the library.
Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Sign Up to Support Your Fellow Book Bloggers!

Yes, it's true, I have gone absolutely challenge crazy this year. In my defense, though, the 2022 Support Book Bloggers Challenge doesn't require me to read even one book! Besides, I absolutely adore this idea for a challenge, so I want to give it my support. I hadn't heard of the challenge until today, when I was reading a post over on Wendy's wonderful blog, The Bashful Bookworm. The challenge involves checking off a list of tasks, all of which support other book bloggers by giving their blogs and posts attention and love. What's not to like? If you love this idea as much as I do, please click on over to Pages Unbound and sign up. It's going to be lots of fun!

I'm listing the included tasks here so you can see them. I'll also put them on my "Reading Challenges" page so I can check them off as I complete them.

P.S. If you're still looking for reading challenges to join this year, check out my other blog, Ready for a Reading Challenge? There are a bunch of fun challenges listed over there. If you're hosting a challenge that isn't listed in my database, let me know and I'll happily add it.

1. FIND 10 BOOK BLOGGERS YOU’VE ENJOYED READING IN THE PAST AND GIVE THEM A SHOUT OUT

The shout out can be as a blog post on your blog, a list on Twitter, or any other ways you want to show them support.

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2. FIND 10 NEW-TO-YOU BOOK BLOGGERS TO FOLLOW

Follow 10 new book blogs. They don’t need to be new blogs, just new-to-you. Optional: write a post, create a Twitter thread, etc. sharing their URLs with others.

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3. LEAVE COMMENTS ON 10 BOOK BLOGS

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4. WRITE A POST SUPPORTING BOOK BLOGGERS

Ideas include:

  • A round-up of blog links you enjoyed reading in the past week or month
  • A post about why you enjoy reading book blogs in general
  • A post about how other people can support book blogs
  • A list of bloggers with affiliate links or ko-fi accounts that people can support

5. SHARE 10 BLOG POSTS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

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6. RESPOND TO 5 COMMENTS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE LEFT ON A BLOG

Instead of leaving a comment replying to the blog posts, try starting a discussion by replying to a comment someone else has left on another blog.

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7. WRITE A POST ABOUT BOOKS YOU’VE READ BECAUSE OF OTHER BLOGGERS

Your list can be specific (I read X book because Y blogger recommended it), or it can be more general (I read these books because they seem popular with bloggers in general).

8. FOLLOW 5 NEW BOOK BLOGGERS (LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD)

Optional: write a post, Twitter thread, etc. sharing their URLs with others.

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9. WRITE A GUEST POST FOR A BLOG OR FEATURE A GUEST POST ON YOUR BLOG

Guests posts seem to have declined in popularity on book blogs in the past couple years, but they can be a fun way to increase your reach and introduce readers to new bloggers.

10. READ 10 BLOG POSTS AND “LIKE” THEM

This is the simplest way to support book blogs — read them! — but sometimes we get busy, and this falls by the wayside. So take the time to read 10 posts and leave a “like” is possible. Bonus: comment on them, as well.

Ideas include:

  1. Creating a round-up of interesting links from other blogs
  2. Writing a discussion post inspired by someone else’s and linking back
  3. Linking to other bloggers’ reviews at the end of your reviews
  4. Linking to another blogger’s post in a discussion post to support a point
  5. Including quotes from other bloggers and linking back to them in one of your posts

12. SHARE 10 MORE BLOG POSTS TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Repetitive? Maybe. But bloggers love when other people share their posts, and they get more traffic!

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smaller star divider

MINI CHALLENGES

Other small things you can do to boost bloggers this year:

  • Comment on a book tour post. (Why: So publishers can see bloggers have an audience and these marketing posts are reaching people.)
  • Comment on an author interview. (Why: These posts tend to get few comments, so commenting shows authors and publishers that people are reading them — and blogs in general.)
  • Tag a publisher on social media when you retweet a 5 star review from a blogger. (Why: These posts often get little recognition from publishers.)
  • Vote for book bloggers in any end-of-the year awards where “book influencers” are nominated. (Why: Usually these categories are dominated by bookstagrammers and booktubers.)
  • Share your secrets to blogging “success.” (Why: We’re all in this together! If you have a great way to get traffic or comments, let others know so we can succeed as a community.)

Are you in? Sign up now at Pages Unbound

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

Top Ten Tuesday: They Just Keep Sneaking In...

If everything goes according to plan, my family and I will soon be downsizing, moving from a 5,000 square foot house into one that is half that size. This will require sorting through the thousands of books I own and getting rid of about 75% (that's the goal, anyway). Considering this should be happening in a matter of months, I really should not be acquiring more books, but between a bookstore shopping spree for my December birthday, Christmas gifts, and the gift cards I got for my birthday and Christmas, let's just say that a *few* new books have snuck their way into my home! This week's TTT topic is perfect for showcasing these gems: Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection

I'd love to see your list, so please consider joining in the TTT fun. Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection    

Just before Christmas, I traded in some books, then used my store credit, plus my birthday discount to buy these titles from Changing Hands, my local indie:


1.  The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan—I've checked this one out from the library several times, but have never managed to read it before it's come due, so I finally just bought it. The WWII novel is about four very different British women who enter a cooking contest to win the prize of becoming the competition's first-ever female host. 

2.  Redshirts by John Scalzi—My 17-year-old son who doesn't like to read (the horror!) has had a hankering for a good sci-fi novel. Since that's not my genre, I asked for recommendations on my personal Facebook page. This novel was suggested more than once. It's about a young man who has just been given a coveted spot on a prestigious airship. He's excited about being part of exciting away missions, until he realizes that it's the lowest-ranking members of the crew (like himself) who are the least likely to survive them. When he stumbles on a secret about the airship, he will have to risk everything in order to save the lives of himself and his crewmates. 

3.  Skyward by Brandon Sanderson—This series opener also came highly recommended. It's about a group of teens who are training to be part of an elite squad of fighter pilots. Spensa has always dreamed of being a pilot like her father, but it's because of his disgraceful actions that her chances of being one are next to nil. While she fights her way through flight school, she launches her own clandestine investigation into the truth behind her father's infamous betrayal.

4.  A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw—I read this novel right after I bought it. Even though I didn't end up loving it, I did find it intriguing. It's about a commune hidden in the mountains and the secrets it holds inside its boundaries.

My favorite part of my recent trip to Europe was visiting beautiful Culzean Castle, once the seat of Clan Kennedy in Scotland. Exploring "our" castle with my stepsister (I'm a born Kennedy—she's basically been adopted in) was a fun, moving treat for both of us. She bought me this book about the castle and its history for Christmas:


5.  The 'Magnificent Castle' of Culzean and the Kennedy Family by Michael Moss

My son and his wife got me a gift card to Barnes & Noble for my birthday, which is where I bought these four:


6.  Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor—This series opener features the O'Sullivan Family, who run a bistro. When a man is murdered in their restaurant, they find themselves the prime suspects. Siobhán O'Sullivan sets out to clear her family's names by finding the real killer.


7.  Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la CruzLittle Women is one of my favorite books of all time, so I'm all in for this "romantic retelling." Will Jo and Laurie finally get their happily ever after?


8.  Chapter and Curse by Elizabeth Penney—Like the O'Sullivans, the Kimballs have a shop to save. This time, it's a bookstore in England. Molly has to find the killer of one of their customers in order to clear her great-aunt's name.


9.  Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae—Another first in a cozy mystery series, this is one I've been wanting to read for a while now but haven't been able to find in my local libraries. It also involves murder in a U.K. bookshop, this time in Scotland. 

This one was cheap on Kindle, so I snapped it up:


10.  The Wardrobe Mistress by Patrick McGrath—Set during the brutal winter of 1947, this one takes place in a very bleak London. When a famed actor dies, it leaves his widow—the wardrobe mistress—paralyzed with grief. A secret about him comes to light, forcing her down a dark, unexpected path.

There you have it, the last ten books I purchased and received. How about you? Did you get any fun books for Christmas? Have you used your bookish gift cards yet? Which titles have made it into your home, one way or another? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

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Reading

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Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth



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2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
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2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction