Molly Gray may look like an ordinary 25-year-old woman, but she's not. She possesses an innocent guilelessness and a forthright manner, the combination of which is discombobulating to say the least. People just don't know how to react to her and vice versa. Molly's beloved Gran was the one who helped her navigate the confusing world of social interaction. Now that she's gone, Molly's feeling more at sea than ever. Grieving the devastating loss of the only person who's ever really understood her, she throws herself even more doggedly into her job as a maid at the elegant Regency Grand Hotel. There's nothing she loves more than donning her crisply-ironed uniform, organizing her housekeeping cart just so, and returning untidy rooms to perfection.

When Molly enters the room of Charles Black, a wealthy business tycoon, and his new, much younger wife, she expects to do her usual cleaning, with the bonus of a wee chat with the lovely Giselle, who—to Molly's shock—seems to enjoy these regular convos with her lowly maid. Molly's stunned when she, instead, finds Charles dead in his bed, the victim of a bloody homicide. It's not long before Molly, with her unusual demeanor, becomes the lead suspect in the mogul's murder. She didn't do it, but who did? In order to clear her name, Molly must find the man's real killer. With her keen attention to detail and her intimate knowledge of the Regency Grand, she's the perfect woman for the job, even if some of the hotel's more subtle inner workings have escaped her until now. Can this unconventional Nancy Drew solve the case? Or will Molly be forced to exchange her spotless maid's uniform for a germy prison jumpsuit?

Book hype often has a weird negative effect on me. Instead of enticing me to read a much-lauded tome, it pushes me away from it. This was the case with The Maid, the bestselling debut novel by Canadian author Nita Prose. Although it was touted as a clever, heartwarming, fun mystery—four adjectives I'm very much in favor of—I wasn't sure I really wanted to read it. One too many rave reviews later and I just had to know if the book is all it's cracked up to be. Guess what? It is. The Maid truly is a gem. I adored it. Molly is an appealing heroine, whose antics made me laugh. I love that she's authentically herself while also being much more than she seems. The other characters are colorful (Many even have colors for last names—a homage to Clue, I guess?), although not nearly as memorable as Molly. Her individuality, coupled with Prose's unique narrative style, makes this novel stand out. This is a good thing because The Maid's plot is actually fairly straightforward and generic. I saw all of its twists coming but one. I didn't love the Big Reveal at the end, but it definitely gives the book another layer of depth that will make book clubbers happy by giving them something juicy to discuss. All in all, I loved The Maid. It's entertaining, hopeful, and just all-around enjoyable. In this case at least, you can believe the hype!

(Readalikes: Hmm, I can't really think of anything. You?)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Maid with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

October 31st is right around the corner. Are you ready for Halloween? How do you usually celebrate the holiday? We're still in the middle (well, hopefully, nearing the end) of remodeling, so I'm not putting up any decorations this year. My 13-year-old is going to go trick-or-treating with her friends, my 17-year-old will probably hide out in his room, and the husband and I will likely attend a block party with friends who live on a street in our neighborhood that's apparently a lot more happening than ours! For TTT, we're acknowledging the spooky season with a Halloween freebie. My mind often blanks on open topics like this, so I'm excited to see what everyone does with it.

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and who wouldn't?), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

When I was combing through my Goodreads TBR lists last week for my TTT list of Book Title Words That Always Catch My Eye, I noticed an interesting word popping up among my TBR titles: monster. I read very little horror these days, so it was kind of odd that I could find even one monster book among them, let alone almost ten. The fact that only one of them is in that genre made me think this might be a fun topic to explore today. So, here we go with:

1. Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia—Eliza is the anonymous creator of a wildly popular webcomic with an equally popular (and carefully curated) online persona. The problem is that real-life Eliza is nothing like the Internet version. When a new boy moves into town, Eliza's tempted away from the safety of her digital community. And that's when everything starts to go wrong...I've read tons of rave reviews for this YA novel. It really does sound cute.

2. Monster by Michael Grant—I enjoyed the first six books in the YA dystopian Gone series. Monster, which came out in 2017 (four years after the series "ended"), is the seventh. It starts up four years (Coincidence? I think not!) after the dome disappeared, freeing the kids trapped inside. Now, meteorites are bombing the earth and spreading a deadly virus. Can the teens rally once again to face off against a terrifying new menace?

3. The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope—Historical fantasy isn't my usual cup of tea, but I love this book's cover and the story sounds compelling as well. It stars Clara Johnson, a woman living in 1925 Washington, D.C., who can talk to spirits. Indebted to a powerful entity for saving her life, Clara accepts a risky bargain to free herself from its bondage. She must steal a valuable ring from D.C.'s wealthiest lady. It doesn't take long for Clara to realize she's caught up in something—both earthly and otherworldly—that is way more than she bargained for. 

4. Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier—Maybe historical fantasy is my genre because this MG novel also sounds really intriguing to me. It's about a young chimney sweep in Victorian London who defies death every time she goes to work. When her luck runs out and she's caught in a chimney fire, she thinks it's the end—until she wakes up in an abandoned attic and meets her unlikely savior.

5. Monster by Walter Dean Myers—This acclaimed YA novel is about a 16-year-old boy who is on trial for felony murder. Is he guilty or innocent? Is he really the monster everyone thinks he is?

6. Valentina Salazar Is Not a Monster Hunter by Zoraida Córdova—The Salazars take their job as protectors of magical creatures seriously, rescuing those who accidentally wander into the real world and making sure they get home safely. When Mr. Salazar is killed during a mission, his wife decides the family has risked enough. She moves her children to a boring little town where nothing exciting ever happens. When Valentina notices something strange in a viral video game, she knows the Salazars are desperately needed. Can she convince her family to find a magic egg before it hatches havoc on the world? Or are their days as protectors really over?

7. The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession With the Unexplained by Colin Dickey—I don't believe in monsters or aliens, but this still sounds like a fun read.

8. The Monsters We Make by Kali White—Based on a real-life crime spree, this novel focuses on the disappearance of a paperboy in a small Iowa town. Both a local police officer and an enterprising young woman looking for a way out are determined to solve the case.

9. Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen—Although she doesn't look like it with her blonde hair and blue eyes, 15-year-old Sarah is Jewish. This makes her a perfect tool for the Resistance. Posing as a student, she goes undercover at a posh boarding school for the daughters of powerful Nazi leaders. She's to befriend the child of the scientist in charge of making a deadly bomb and use her to steal the blueprints and stop the planned destruction. Can Sarah fulfill her dangerous mission without being found out?

10. Monsters by Ilsa J. Bick—The only real horror book on this list, Monsters is the final volume in a YA zombie series that I never finished. I loved the first novel, Ashes, so I'll give it a re-read then continue on with the series. 

There you are, ten "monster" books that I want to read. Have you read any of these? Which "monster" books would you recommend? 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!

As book lovers, we spend hours feasting on deliciously-crafted sentences, but do we ever consider the individual morsels that make up a tasty word string? I do and I don't. I mean, I like words and wordplay, but I don't spend a lot of time contemplating things like which words are my favorites. Do you? If you do, you'll have no problem with today's TTT prompt: My Top Ten Favorite Words. As for me, I'm going to have to twist things up a bit. When it comes to the books I read, there are definitely words in a title or plot summary that always catch my eye. So, I decided to comb through my Goodreads TBR lists and see which ones show up most often in the 1331 titles there. I realize some of these may be more about title trends than my particular preferences, but it's still kind of interesting. Let's just go with it, shall we?

If you want to join in the TTT fun (and of course you do!), click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.

My Top Ten Favorite Words to Find in a Book Title (According to My TBR Lists)  

1. Girl

This one shows up 139 times on my list. I think this one has more to do with title trends then anything else, but still, I do tend to read books with female protagonists.

2. Home/House

One hundred eighteen titles on my list have "home" or "house" in them. Makes sense as I love atmospheric Gothic novels, juicy domestic thrillers, and shivery ghost stories.

3. Mystery

This word mostly shows up in subtitles or the name of a series, but still, you all know that I love me a puzzling mystery. One hundred seven of the titles/subtitles on my list contain this word.

4. Book

Like a lot (maybe most) of you, I enjoy books about books. It's not exactly a shocker, then, that "book" shows up in 83 of the titles on my list. I'm actually surprised it's not more than that.

5. Life

Another word that's not exactly a head-scratcher. Most books deal with life in some way, right? It makes sense that "life" is part of 79 titles on my list. 

6. Murder

No detective is needed to figure out why "murder" appears 71 times on my lists. I'm a mystery lover after all.

7. Story

Like "life," "story" is what reading is all about. I don't care what genre it is, if a book tells a riveting story, I'm in! This word shows up 67 times on my TBR list.

8. Last

There's something mysterious about the word "last," isn't there? It calls to me. Fifty-one times, to be exact.

9. Dead

Again with the murder mysteries. "Dead" comes up 50 times on my list. That's it??

10. Night

"Night" is also a mystical sort of word. It's prominent in the mystery/suspense/thriller genres as well as in a lot of historical fiction. It appears 49 times on my lists.

Edited to add: I was in a hurry when I posted this list, so I forgot to add some of the other most common words I found among my TBR titles: 

There you go ten (ish) words that I dig in a book title. Which titular words always catch your eye? Do you have favorite words? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Although she knows war is raging in foreign lands, 15-year-old Olive Alexander never thought it would really reach her. She thought she was safe on the isolated ranch in New Mexico's Jornado del Muerto desert, where her family has lived for generations. Then, her beloved older brother enlisted. And now, the Army has claimed 75% of the Alexanders' land for a top-secret military project. Olive's seen the posters—everyone must do their part for the war effort—she just never thought her part would include leaving her home. Especially without her mother, who has to stay behind to work the portion of the ranch that still belongs to the Alexanders.

Olive's not happy about moving to Alamogordo to live with her grandmother. She's not happy that her mother isn't coming along. And she's really not happy about being forced to go to public school, when she's always been taught at home. Olive's Alamogordo classmates either ignore her or make fun of her, except for one—Jo Hawthorne, who's also new to the school. Sure, she's a pious Jesus freak, but at least she's nice. There's only one problem. Jo's father is the Army sergeant who's taken over Olive's ranch. The two can't possibly be friends. Except they do form an unlikely bond. Then, one day, the sky explodes, Jo disappears, and the girls never see each other again.

Seven years later, Jo is back in Alamogordo. Changed by her years away, she has returned to demand answers from her estranged father. What really happened on the day of the explosion? What was he actually doing out in the desert? And where is Olive? Jo won't stop digging until she has the answers.

I loved Jennifer L. Wright's debut novel, If It Rains, so I was thrilled when I discovered she had a new book coming out. Come Down Somewhere, her sophomore effort, revolves around a homefront World War II event that I'd never heard of before. Bonus. I dig historical novels that highlight interesting but forgotten incidents. The book is more about the characters than anything, though, and both Olive and Jo are likable and sympathetic, even if they're not particularly unique or memorable. Their relationship definitely needed more development; it didn't feel strong enough to send a grown-up Jo on such a determined quest to figure out what happened to a childhood friend. Even though I didn't feel super connected to either of the girls, I did become invested in their story. Plot-wise, the novel kind of crawls along, with most of the action happening at the end of the novel. Although it defintiely drags in places, I found the story compelling enough to keep reading. The Big Reveal wasn't a huge surprise; it wasn't super obvious either. All these things considered, I didn't enjoy Come Down Somewhere nearly as much as I did If It Rains, which is disappointing. Still, I liked it for the most part. I do think Wright is a talent to watch, so I'll be keeping en eye out for her next book.

Wright's books are Christian novels, which are always hit-or-miss for me. As a religious person, I appreciate stories that are uplifting and faith-promoting. If they get cheesy or heavy-handed? I'm out. Unfortunately, Come Down Somewhere tilts a little too much in the preachy direction, which gets annoying at times. I prefer subtle lessons. Nevertheless, I give Wright props for writing clean, hopeful, God-positive books.  

(Readalikes: Wright's books remind me of those by Amy Lynn Green and Jocelyn Green.)

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of Come Down Somewhere with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Today's TTT topic is a nostalgic, walk-down-memory-lane type deal, but my memory is just not up to the task! If yours is good enough, then you might enjoy listing the Top Ten Books I Read On Vacation (bonus points if you can tell us where you were). Me? I'm going to twist the topic around a bit. I toyed with some vacation-y spins and finally decided to steal an idea from Wendy over at The Bashful Bookworm. A couple weeks ago, she made a TTT list of book covers with vehicles on them. I thought that was a fun topic and since vehicles mean travel, it works well for today. 

Before we get to my list, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give Jana, our hostess with the mostest, some love!

1. New From Here by Kelly Yang—It's hard to see, but the cover of my current read features an airplane flying through the title. The book is about a Chinese-American family living in Hong Kong who decides to flee to their summer home in California to escape the coronavirus. It's told from the point of view of 10-year-old Knox, whose struggles with ADHD are exacerbated by missing his father (who stayed behind to work), going to a new school, sharing a bedroom with his annoying older brother, and dealing with prejudice against Asian people (who are being blamed for bringing the virus to the U.S.). I'm only a few chapters in, but this middle grade novel is already proving to be a powerful, impacting read. 

2. All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes (available December 13, 2022)—I love this gorgeous cover with its Venetian gondola! The story is about a baby who's discovered floating in a basket along the canals of Venice. Taken in by a guild of artisans, he's raised as their own, although he still wonders about his mysterious origins. One hundred years later, a translator comes to the city to procure a rare book. Within its pages, he'll discover an intriguing story about a floating infant...

3. Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare—Lena Aldridge lives a gritty, unfulfilling life as a lounge singer in London, where she must hide her mixed-race heritage and pass as white. When she's offered the opportunity to sing on Broadway, she eagerly boards the RMS Queen Mary, excited to begin a new life in America. Her hopes sink when she finds herself embroiled in a murder onboard that puts all her dreams—not to mention her life—at risk.

4. Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves—This World War II mystery sounds interesting. The titular character is the owner of a flock of racing pigeons which she hopes will be requested by the National Pigeon Service to help with the war effort. A duo do come calling, but they're intelligence officers asking Olive to aid in a covert operation against the Germans. Soon after they arrive, a local woman is found murdered outside Olive's pigeon loft. Just what has Olive gotten herself into?

5. The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris—Similar to the above, this WWII novel features an illusionist's assistant who specializes in creating spectacular escapes to thrill audiences. When British military intelligence asks her to use her expertise to help them win the war, she's eager to help. It soon becomes clear, however, that her mission is much more dangerous than she ever imagined it could be.

6. Iceberg by Jennifer A. Nielsen (available March 17, 2023)—I enjoy Nielsen's historical fiction for middle graders as well as books about the Titanic, so I'm very excited for this one. It's about a young stowaway with big plans for her new life in America who gets caught up in an intriguing mystery and a desperate struggle for survival.

7. Simmer Down by Sarah Smith—This rom-com featuring dueling food trucks on a Maui beach sounds fun. I was an exchange student in the Philippines during high school, so I can't wait for all the Filipino food talk. Yum!

8. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower—I love this charming cozy mystery series. This installment, book seven, has Bailey King providing sweets for a big Thanksgiving event in town. When a man dies from an allergic reaction after eating her desserts, she's shocked. Once again, she finds herself investigating a puzzling murder.

9. The Call of the Wrens by Jenni L. Walsh—Speaking of carrier pigeons, this novel revolves around a woman who joins the Women's Royal Naval Service (aka, the "wrens") and becomes a motorcycle dispatch rider tasked with delivering the birds to the front during World War I. Two decades later, she's called back into service at the beginning of another world war.

10. Better Off Read by Nora Page—Desperate to save her town's storm-damaged library, Cleo Watkins hits the road in her bookmobile to drum up support in her small Georgia town. When a potential benefactor ends up dead and her best friend stands accused of his murder, Cleo must play Nancy Drew to figure out whodunit. 

Like any bookworm, I love me a store full of books. I can't resist them and I rarely leave without buying at least one new volume. My local indie, Changing Hands, is a wonderful place to browse for new reading material as well as a great place to trade used books for store credit (which I do at least once a year). I've been to some other well-known bookshops: the Strand (New York City), Powell's Books (Portland, Oregon), and Shakespeare and Company (Paris, France). My family and I visited Paris last year around this time, when there were still COVID restrictions in place. The store was limiting how many people could be inside at one time and there was already a long line to get in, so I wasn't able to actually go inside the famous shop, but I did see it, so I'm counting it! I don't have a bookstore bucket list (Maybe I should start one?), so I got nothin' for this week's prompt—Top Ten Favorite Bookstores OR Bookstores I'd Like to Visit. No matter, I'll just twist it up a little bit.

I adore a good cozy mystery any time of year, but Fall seems like the best time to read them. I've noticed many that are set in bookshops and libraries. I've yet to find a good bookish cozy series that I love, but there are a number of them on my TBR list that I hope will fit the bill. Please suggest any that are not on my list and I'll check them out.

Don't forget to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our lovely host, Jana, some love. If you want to join in the TTT fun (which you definitely do!), all the details are on her blog.

Top Ten Bookish Cozy Mysteries I Want to Read 

1. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton—The first installment in the Scottish Bookshop series, this one tells the story of a woman from Kansas who, on a whim, applies for a job at a bookstore in Scotland. Naturally, the place is filled with quirky book people and tantalizing secrets. When a valuable artifact goes missing and a woman is killed, it also becomes a place where murder is fact instead of just fiction.

2. Crime and Poetry by Amanda Flower—I love Flower's Amish Candy Shop mystery series, so I'm sure to dig this one. In this opener to the Magical Bookshop series, Violet Waverly is called back to Michigan to help her ailing grandmother with her bookstore. When she sees that the woman is in perfect health, she realizes she's been tricked into coming home. Although she's determined to head right back to Chicago, Violet can't leave after a murder happens in the shop. She has to stay and clear her grandmother's name.

3. The Plot Is Murder by V.M. Burns—What is it with Michigan and people getting murdered in bookstores? Yikes! In this initial installment of the Mystery Bookshop series, Samantha Washington is about to make her dream of owning a bookstore come true. At the same time, she's writing a historical cozy mystery in which her heroine investigates a puzzling murder. Art starts to imitate life when Samantha discovers a dead realtor in her backyard. In order to prove her innocence, she'll have to play amateur sleuth and find the real killer.

4. Death On Demand by Carolyn G. Hart—Annie Laurance's bookstore, Death on Demand, isn't located in Michigan (it's in South Carolina), but it still becomes the site of a baffling murder. In this 1987 series opener, a famous mystery author is killed in the bookstore and Annie must figure out whodunit.

5. Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoon—The Tourist Trap mystery series has been recommended to me by multiple bloggers. This series opener introduces Jill Gardner, who owns Books, Coffee, and More in a quaint California tourist town. She's struggling to keep her business afloat when an elderly friend dies suddenly, leaving Jill her crumbling old house. The dilapidated home isn't the only thing she's been gifted, though—along with the old lady's abode, Jill seems to have inherited her secrets and enemies as well. Suspecting her friend was murdered, the bookshop owner launches her own investigation into the death.

6. Murder By the Book by Lauren Elliott—When Addie Greyborne inherits her aunt's home in the colonial New England town founded by their ancestors, she sees it as a chance to escape sour memories and start over. With her aunt's collection of rare books, Addie has enough inventory to start her own shop, Beyond the Page Bookstore. Unfortunately, her new life is not going as smoothly as planned. When Addie's friend is arrested for murder, she knows she can't stand idly by. She has to clear her friend's name, even if it means risking her own neck. 

7. By Book Or By Crook by Eva Gates—Lighthouses have always fascinated me, so I love that this series features a lighthouse library. How fun is that? In this first installment, Lucy retreats to the Outer Banks to lick her wounds and gets a job as a librarian. She soon finds herself investigation both a book theft and a murder.

8. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Ransom—Speaking of book thefts, this first installment in the Mobile Library Mystery series concerns a truckload of missing books. It's up to Israel Armstrong, the new mobile librarian to figure out what happened to his inventory.

9. Murder Past Due by Miranda James—This series features another male lead, Charlie Harris, and his pet coon cat, Diesel. In this first book, the pair are investigating the murder of a best-selling author, whose jerkiness has finally caught up to him.

10. Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington—When journalist Lila Wilkins loses her job, she accepts an internship at a North Carolina literary agency. Lila's thrilled at the idea of being paid to read, but when an author drops dead in the agency's waiting room, she finds herself in the middle of a disturbing real life crime. Who offed the unfortunate writer?

There you are, ten bookish cozy mysteries on my TBR list. Have you read any of them? Which bookish cozy series are your faves? Did you feature bookstores on your list today? Which do you love/dream of visiting? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.