Weekly Mewsings: Spring Break

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz  where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I am linking up Stacking the Shelves hosted by Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.  

Spring Break is winding down for us. Mouse wanted to do an unofficial bookstore crawl during Spring Break, and so we visited several of the independent bookstores in and around town in addition to the local Barnes and Noble throughout her time off. That was a lot of fun! We also spent a couple days in San Diego just to get away. We went on a ghost tour that took us inside a few of the well known haunts in San Diego--we all enjoyed it immensely. We also spent a day at Balboa Park, visiting the botanical gardens and a couple of the museums there. No vacation is complete without a bookstore visit, and we stopped in at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, which my husband and daughter had to drag me out of--but not without books, of course! I think we all needed the break and a chance to recharge. 

The above photo is of the backside of the Villa Montezuma in San Diego, built (1887) and once owned by pianist, spiritualist and author Jesse Shepard (aka Francis Grierson). Although we weren't allowed to take photos inside, we did get to visit the music room. It's a beautiful house with an interesting history. The below photo is of the front, including the stained glass windows attached to the music room.

We also had the chance to tour the Davis-Horton House (below), which is said to be one of the most haunted houses in the area, particularly popular among ghost and paranormal activity hunters. Alas, there were no ghost sightings while we were there, but we enjoyed hearing about the house's history.

Outside the Davis-Horton House

Inside the Davis-Horton House

Dante, one of your tour hosts, explaining the use of an 

antique picnic basket at the Davis-Horton House

On the ghost tour, we had the chance to go into the present day Horton Grand Hotel in the Gaslamp District, where two of the rooms are said to be haunted, both having been built on properties that had been a brothel run by the famous Ida Bailey and also Wyatt Earp's Seven Buckets of Blood gambling hall. And we visited the well-known haunted Whaley House in Old Town San Diego, which has quite a history. The tour ended with a visit to a seemingly small graveyard in Old Town, which turns out not to be so small--when you think of all the bodies still buried under the sidewalks and paved street.

I am most familiar with Balboa Park because of our many visits to the San Diego Zoo. We have never really taken the time to explore the other features the park has to offer on those visits, so this time decided to make that our focus. The park has eighteen museums, including the gardens and exhibits. We did not come close to visiting them all, but we enjoyed what we did see and would like to go back someday to see more. Here are some photos my husband and daughter took of our visit to Balboa Park: 

Outside the  Casa del Prado

Outside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Inside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Inside the botanical building (Balboa Park)

Lily pond outside the botanical building

Museum of Us

California Tower of the Museum of Us

Japanese Friendship Garden at Balboa Park

Even amidst moments of personal joy, the weight of events and news in the U.S. and around the world is always there. Americans may not feel the repercussions now, but we surely will even as some already are.

What have you been up to? I hope you are well!

At the moment, I am juggling three books. Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes is my latest nonfiction book (I have talked about it so much that my husband wants to read it). I am also reading A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher--I really do not like Evangeline. My current audiobook is Before I Go by Kennedy Ryan, which is the first book in the Skyland series. My diverse romance book club will be reading the second book of the series in May. While Ryan's books are part of a series, they can be read as stand alone novels (each book features a different couple), but my library had a copy so I thought I would give it a try. I am loving it to far!

What are you reading right now? Is it something you would recommend?

Where I share what everyone else in my family is reading

~ Mouse's Current Reads ~

The Language of Spells by Garret Weyr

The Apothecary Diaries, Vol. 11 by Nekokurage, Natsu Hyuuga, Itsuki Nanao

Sixteen Souls (#1) by Rosie Talbot

The False Prince (Ascendance #1) by Jennifer A. Nielson

~ Anjin's Current Reads ~

Too Many Losing Heroines, Vol. 3 by Takibi Amamori, illustrated by Imigimuru (light novel)

Uncle from Another World, Vol. 11 by Hotondoshindeiru, translated by Christina Rose

Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Vol. 1 by Izumi Tsubaki, translated by Leighann Harvey

Mouse wanted to do our very own personal bookstore crawl during her Spring Break, and so we visited several of the new and used independent bookstores (in addition to the local Barnes and Noble). These are the books I picked up: 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (#3) by Heather Fawcett

Oathbound (Legendborn Cycle #3) by Tracy Deonn

Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space edited by Zoraida Córdova

Tea You at the Altar (Tomes & Tea #3) by Rebecca Thorne

Translation State by Ann Leckie

Karaoke Queen by Dominic Lim

Metamorphoses by Ovid

Divine Might: Goddesses in Greek Myth by Natalie Haynes

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Foundryside (The Founders Trilogy #3) by Robert Jackson Bennett

Greenteeth by Molly O'Neill

The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz

The Undetectables (#1) by Courtney Smyth 

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What new books did you add to your shelf this week? 

Following in the footsteps of Deb of Readerbuzz - With all the worries and stressors in life, 

I want to highlight some of the good, even the seemingly small stuff. 

1. Mouse has had an awesome birthday month! 

2. Anjin and I attended Mouse's band competition a couple of weeks ago, and her middle school band received an unanimous superior for both their band performance and their sight reading test, which is the highest rating. They truly did sound good and Mouse enjoyed the experience. 

3. Many thanks to my mom for taking care of the cats while we were away!  

I hope you have a great week! Let me know what you have been reading!

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© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Drop of Corruption / Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) / How to Read a Killer's Mind

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings 

to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Here are three upcoming releases that caught my attention and immediately ended up on my wish list I am looking forward to reading all of them. 

A Drop of Corruption (Shadow of the Leviathan #2) by Robert Jackson Bennett
Release Date: April 1, 2025 by Del Rey

The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat. [from the Publisher]

I read The Tainted Cup earlier this year and cannot stop singing its praises. Of course I want to read the second book in the series too! 

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) (Vera Wong #2) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Release Date: April 1, 2025 by Berkley

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.…

Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored.

Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for.

Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents.

Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law. [from the Publisher]

I will read anything Jesse Q. Sutanto writes, and the first Vera Wong book was one of my favorites of hers. I am excited about reading this second book in the series.

How to Read a Killer's Mind by Tam Barnett
Release Date: April 7, 2025 by Boldwood Books

Enthralling, unsettling and darkly comic, this crime thriller is perfect for fans of Bella Mackie, Katy Brent and Alex Michaelides' The Silent Patient.

I’m psychologist Dr Emy Rose, but that’s not my real name.

I work with serial killers who've hidden their victims. My job is to find the bodies - and I'm kind of awesome at it.

The trick is to get inside these murderers' minds. And there's one in particular I'm hellbent on breaking.

Why? None of your business! Just know, I'll stop at nothing to read that killer's mind...

Tam Barnett's brilliant new novel will get into your head and under your skin... [from the Publisher]

Getting into the minds of serial killers to find their victims is interesting enough, but now I want to know more about this person she's specifically hoping to learn more from and why.

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

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© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Did Not Finish (DNFed)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana at The Artsy Reader Girl.

 

Sometimes a reader and a book are not a good fit, and it is okay to give up on a book. Sometimes it is a mattering of timing--right book, wrong time/mood. This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is the Books I Did Not Finish (DNFed). I do not often give up on a book and so this list is fairly short. It could be that some have slipped from my memory, given the lack of impression they made on me. I last posted on this topic in 2015 from what I can tell (you can find that post here).

. 

A sweeping, emotionally riveting first novel - an enthralling family saga of Africa and America, doctors and patients, exile and home.

Several years ago, I attempted to listen to Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese, narrated by Sunil Malhotra. I enjoyed the few chapters of this audiobook I got through. Perhaps it was because my listening time was limited to 30 minutes at a time when I was able to fit it in and that was the problem. Of all the books on this list, Cutting For Stone is one I do hope to revisit, perhaps in print--so not really a DNF book for me, but more of a TAL (Try Again Later) book. I still think I will like this one when I do get around to reading it!

Chicago, 1920: Hadley Richardson is a quiet twenty-eight-year-old who has all but given up on love and happiness—until she meets Ernest Hemingway and her life changes forever. Following a whirlwind courtship and wedding, the pair set sail for Paris, where they become the golden couple in a lively and volatile group—the fabled “Lost Generation”—that includes Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

I looked forward to reading Paula McLain's The Paris Wife as it seemed like something I would really enjoy, but when I picked it up to read, I could not get into it. I liked the writing, but I could not bring myself to care about the characters or what was in store for them. For me, that's always the kiss of death for a book. 

Don Quixote has become so entranced by reading chivalric romances that he determines to become a knight-errant himself. In the company of his faithful squire, Sancho Panza, his exploits blossom in all sorts of wonderful ways. While Quixote's fancy often leads him astray—he tilts at windmills, imagining them to be giants—Sancho acquires cunning and a certain sagacity. Sane madman and wise fool, they roam the world together, and together they have haunted readers' imaginations for nearly four hundred years.

When my husband was cast as Don Quixote in a ballet production my daughter's former dance studio was putting in 2019, I decided to give the novel, Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra a try. I struggled with as much as I did manage to read, and in the end decided not to continue. 

The first book of Jenny Colgan's delightful new four-part series, set at a charming English boarding school on the sea. Over the course of one year, friendships will bloom and lives will be changed forever. Life at the Little School by the Sea is never dull... 

I had enjoyed two of Jenny Colgan books in the past and was really looking forward to reading this one when it won my August TBR poll in 2023. Welcome to the School by the Sea (Maggie Adair #1) by Jenny Colgan was a reprint of one of the author's earlier books, and I just could not get past the frequent negative references to one of the student's weight. If it had just been a bullying situation that was eventually resolved, it might have been different; but it wasn't just her peers comments, the teachers and staff could not help but comment on her weight as well, even if just amongst themselves. I read a few other reviews to see if the body shaming would be addressed--because then I might want to continue--but learned it wasn't and that I was not alone in being put off by it. While many people I know have read and enjoyed this book, I found myself pulled out of the story too often because of the comments on the child's weight to make it worth trying to continue.  

At a time when society is more fractured than ever before, beloved Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle invites us to see the world through a new lens of connection and build the loving community that we long to live in—a perfect message for readers of Anne Lamott, Mary Oliver, and Richard Rohr.

Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times Gregory Boyle came recommended to me earlier this year. It is not my usual type of read, but I was told it would bring me a bit of hope to an otherwise dark and divisive time in U.S. history and that it wasn't overly religious and would appeal even to those, like me, who aren't religious. Unfortunately, I did find it too heavy in religious themes and references for my taste. It is nothing against the author or the great work he has and continues to do for the community--he and I probably agree more than we disagree in our philosophies--just not on the faith aspect. 

What books have you recently been unable to finish? 

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© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree / The Keeper of Lonely Spirits / A Spirited Blend

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings 

to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Here are three upcoming releases that caught my attention and immediately ended up on my wish list I am looking forward to reading all of them. 

The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree by India Hayford
Release Date: March 25, 2025 by A John Scognamiglio Book

Disguised by years in exile and a name she found on a gravestone, an unconventional young woman returns to her childhood home in rural 1967 Arkansas in this hauntingly visceral Southern tale of desperate choices, found family, folk magic and noisy ghosts.

Genevieve Charbonneau talks to ghosts and has a special relationship with rattlesnakes. In her travels, she’s wandered throughout the South, working in a Louisiana circus and as a hootchy kootch dancer in Texas. Now for the first time in a decade, she’s allowed her winding path to bring her to the site of her grandmother’s Arkansas farmhouse, a place hallowed in her memory.

Disguised by years in exile and a name she found on a gravestone, Genevieve intends only to visit briefly and leave. But a chance meeting with a guilt-ridden young Vietnam veteran draws her into more unexpected connections. Her hard-won independence inspires an abused woman and her daughters to find their own path to empowerment, and a hypocritical preacher is brought to a long-deserved reckoning.

With undertones of magical realism and dark humor, here is a powerful story of discovering—and sometimes rediscovering—one’s place in the world, and the unexpected challenges and gifts that present themselves along the way. [from the Publisher]

This one just sounds so amazing! 

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson
Release Date: March 25, 2025 by MIRA

In this mesmerizing, wonderfully moving queer cozy fantasy, an immortal ghost hunter must confront his tragic past in order to embrace his found family.

Find an angry spirit. Send it on its way before it causes trouble. Leave before anyone learns his name.

After over two hundred years, Peter Shaughnessy is ready to die and end this cycle. But thanks to a youthful encounter with one o’ them folk in his native Ireland, he can’t. Instead, he’s cursed to wander eternally far from home, with the ability to see ghosts and talk to plants.

Immortality means Peter has lost everyone he’s ever loved. And so he centers his life on the dead—until his wandering brings him to Harrington, Ohio. As he searches for a vengeful spirit, Peter’s drawn into the townsfolk’s lives, homes and troubles. For the first time in over a century, he wants something other than death.

But the people of Harrington will die someday. And he won’t.

As Harrington buckles under the weight of the supernatural, the ghost hunt pits Peter’s well-being against that of his new friends and the man he’s falling for. If he stays, he risks heartbreak. If he leaves, he risks their lives. [from the Publisher]

Doesn't this sound fun? A ghost hunter, found family and a curse. Yes, please!

A Spirited Blend (Crystals & CuriosiTEAS #3) by Lauren Elliott
Release Date: March 25, 2025 by Kensington Books

For charmed tea shop owner Shay Myers, getting steeped in Bray Harbor, California’s October festivities is spookier than she ever could have bargained for—especially when a bone-chilling murder mystery spells grave danger . . .

With Halloween around the corner, Shay Myers is brewing witchy seasonal sips at Crystals and CuriosiTEAS—while simultaneously steaming over pub owner Liam Madigan’s decision to take anybody but her to the town’s Monster Mash dance. Her romantic premonitions have missed the mark since she settled into coastal Bray Harbor, opening the door to questions about whether she’s really the gifted seer her late mother imagined. It’s why she second guesses the dark vision in her tea leaves about a local citizen and their obsession with genealogy, Irish folklore, and magic . . .

But when bad omens come true, Shay doesn’t have time for self-doubt. A woman’s body has been discovered, frozen in a strange pose with an eerie black butterfly on her forehead, leading to suspicions that the victim took a conjuring ritual too far due to limited experience—or was murdered by someone with too much. As an investigation stirs up a sinister connection to a boardwalk mystic shop, Shay, guided by her knowing dog, Spirit, finds herself tracking down a shady figure from her past, navigating the sudden reappearance of her ex-husband, and chasing down a wickedly perceptive criminal who might finally be her match! [from the Publisher]

I haven't yet started this series, but I do like the sound of it. A mix of magic and murder-solving, what's not to like? 

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

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© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Bane Witch / O Sinners! / When the Moon Hits Your Eye

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings 

to spotlight upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Here are three upcoming releases that caught my attention and immediately ended up on my wish list I am looking forward to reading all of them. 

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn
Release Date: March 18, 2025 by St. Martin's Griffin

Practical Magic meets Gone Girl in Ava Morgyn's next dark, spellbinding novel about a woman who is more than a witch - she's a hunter. Piers Corbin has always had an affinity for poisonous things - plants and men. From the pokeweed berries she consumed at age five that led to the accidental death of a stranger, to the husband whose dark proclivities have become… concerning, poison has been at the heart of her story. But when she fakes her own death in an attempt to escape her volatile marriage and goes to stay with her estranged great aunt in the mountains, she realizes her predilection is more than a hunger - it’s a birthright. Piers comes from a long line of poison eaters - Bane Witches – women who ingest deadly plants and use their magic to rid the world of evil men. Piers sets out to earn her place in her family’s gritty but distinguished legacy, all while working at her Aunt Myrtle’s cafe and perpetuating a flirtation with the local, well-meaning sheriff to allay his suspicions on the body count she’s been leaving in her wake. But soon she catches the attention of someone else, a serial killer operating in the area. And that only means one thing - it’s time to feed. In Ava Morgyn’s dark, thrilling novel, The Bane Witch, a very little poison can do a world of good. [from the Publisher]

Faking one's death, a legacy of poison eaters, secrets, and suspense . . . Of course I want to read this!

O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy
Release Date: March 18, 2025 by One World

A journalist investigates a seductive and mysterious cult and its leader, an enigmatic Vietnam War veteran, in this not-to-be-missed novel.

Faruq Zaidi, a young journalist reeling from the recent death of his father, a devout Muslim, takes the opportunity to embed in a cult called The Nameless. Based in the California redwoods and shepherded by an enigmatic Vietnam War-veteran named Odo, The Nameless adhere to the 18 Utterances, including teachings such as “THERE IS NO GOD BUT THE NAMELESS,” “ALL SUFFERING IS DISTORTION,” and “SEE ONLY BEAUTY.” Faruq, skeptical but committed to unraveling the mystery of The Nameless, extends his stay over months, as he gets deeper into the cult's inner workings, compassionate teachings, and closer to Odo. Faruq himself begins to unravel, forced to come-to-terms with the memories he has been running from while trying to resist Odo's spell.

Told in three seamlessly interwoven threads between Faruq’s present-day investigation, Odo’s time before the formation of the movement as a Black infantryman during the Vietnam War, alongside three other Black soldiers, and a documentary script that recounts The Nameless’ clash with a Texan fundamentalist church, O SINNERS! examines both longing and belonging. Ultimately the novel What is it that we seek from cults and, inevitably, from each other? [from the Publisher]

I've been wanting to read something by Nicole Cuffy, and O Sinners! appeals to me on many levels, from the Vietnam War, to the lure of cults and coming to terms with the past for starters.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
Release Date: March 25, 2025 by Tor

From the New York Times bestselling author of Starter Villain comes an entirely serious take on a distinctly unserious subject: what would really happen if suddenly the moon were replaced by a giant wheel of cheese.

It's a whole new moooooon.

One day soon, suddenly and without explanation, the moon as we know it is replaced with an orb of cheese with the exact same mass. Through the length of an entire lunar cycle, from new moon to a spectacular and possibly final solar eclipse, we follow multiple characters -- schoolkids and scientists, billionaires and workers, preachers and politicians -- as they confront the strange new world they live in, and the absurd, impossible moon that now hangs above all their lives. [from the Publisher]

I just want to read this because it is by John Scalzi, but it does sound fun and ridiculous.

Do any of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

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© 2025, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.