Musings of a Bookish Kitty: January 2018

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

January 2018 in Review

January seems to have slipped through my fingers. It was such a crazy month, a mix of good and bad and everything in between. Life got back to normal after the holidays, fortunately letting us kind of ease back into things. Mouse is busy with school, dance, Girl Scouts and a martial arts class. She lost her first tooth in January! She's quite proud of that fact. She got an award in school. And Girl Scout cookie sales have started, which means our weekends will be filled up with cookie booths and walkabouts. My husband is settling into his new position at work (and loving being able to park closer to the entrance of his office building). Things still haven't quite settled down at my own office, with the retirement of one of my colleagues (and no replacement in sight), trainings galore, being short staffed, and some rather difficult cases that came our way. My mom had two more surgeries (her third in two months). She's been amazingly positive through it all, but I know it hasn't been easy for her. Thank you again for all your prayers and well wishes!

I am feeling really good about my January reading. I pushed myself a little harder, trying to fit in more reading. It helped that the books I chose to read were easy to fall into and hard to put down. There wasn't on I did not like, and I am hard pressed to come up with a favorite. I was able to publish the rest of my 2017 book reviews, and so have that out of the way.

Here is what I finished reading in January:

Solely For Me:

The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams
Betrayed by Karen E. Olson
Claws for Concern by Miranda James
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Sunday Sugar by Q. Gibson
Vanished by Karen E. Olson
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Some of the Books I Read With My Daughter (Guess which ones we read over and over and over and over again.):

Biscuit and the Little Pup by Alyssa Satin Capucilli & Pat Schories
The Thank You Book (Elephant & Piggie #25) by Mo Willems
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Erik Blegvad
A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young
Dog on a Frog? by Claire Gray, Kes Gray, illustrated by Jim Field
Splat the Cat: I Scream for Ice Cream by Rob Scotton, Laura Driscoll, illustrated by Robert Eberz
The Gingerbread Cookie Mystery (First-Grade Friends Forever) by Judy Katschke, illustrated by Clare Elsom
Our Cool School (First-Grade Friends Forever) by Judy Katschke
Farm Animals (National Geographic Readers: Level 1 Co-Reader) by Joanne Mattern
The Poky Little Puppy (Step into Reading) by Kristen L. Depken

Book Reviews Posted in January (but not necessarily read in January):

Non-Book Review Posts in January:

Challenge & Read-Along Updates:

#COYER Winter Switch ~ I managed to read five books for phase one, The Strict, of the challenge:

Mrs. Claus: Not the Fairy Tale They Say edited by Rhonda Parrish
Death Below Stairs by Jennifer Ashley
The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams
Claws for Concern by Miranda James
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Phase two, The List is well under way, and I have read four books from the list (I read one of the books during the previous phase and so it doesn't count). I hope to fit in at least one or two more books before the next phase begins on February 10th, The One With a Twist.

What's In A Name Reading Challenge ~ I have read one book that counts toward this challenge so far. Not a bad start for the beginning of the year. Five more categories to go!

The Grand World of Books Reviews Bingo ~ I have read four books that fit on my bingo card so far, only two on the same line. It's a start!

Unruly Reader Bingo ~ Since I am trying not to duplicate books read for categories in my other bingo challenge, I haven't yet checked off any boxes in this one.

2018 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge ~ I will soon be able to count at least one book towards this challenge--but not just yet.

2018 Discussion Post Challenge ~ I combined my first discussion post with the All About It Challenge, tackling the subject of seasonal reading. Of my list of topics to discuss, this was actually not on it, but it seemed to fit given the direction my post was going.

2018 Blog All About It Challenge ~ I may have went a little off track with this one as my post isn't exactly about winter, January's topic. I was following a stream of conscience you could say, and took it where it led me.

Les Misérables Read-Along ~ I did very well for the first month of this read-along, falling behind occasionally but then getting ahead. There was a lot of that. I love Victor Hugo's writing. You can tell he is a poet at heart. I have spent time with Jean Valjean as he struggled to get on his feet after so many years in prison and am now visiting with Fantine, young woman who gave her heart to the wrong man.

War and Peace Read-Along ~ I honestly didn't think I would be able to make the deadline for January, but I did with a few days to spare. What started out as a very slow read for me (and is still rather slow going) has been a better experience than in years past when I have attempted to read the book. Maybe it is the familiarity to the material or perhaps I am just more motivated to read the book this time. Regardless, I am looking forward to reading more and hoping I continue to keep up. I do have one complaint though about the translation I am reading. I do wish the French had been translated alongside the Russian. Having to visit the footnotes with the less familiar French passages is a bit of a pain.

My Bullet Journal: I am enjoying it quite a bit, although I wish I had made more time to set it up ahead of time. I decided to only do a month at a time in case I wanted to change how I was utilizing it. Finding time to sit down and work on the next month has proven to be a challenge given how busy life is right now. I am finding the checklists helpful, if a bit repetitive. I especially like my section for the challenges I am involved in. It's an easy reference at a glance.

A sample of my challenge pages

My January Calendar

Besides my daily checklists, I have a little section in which I track my daily water intake, exercise and time out for reading--I call it my self-care section. I also have a section in which each day I jot down at least three things I am grateful for. It could be something as simple as a hot shower to something bigger like my mom's surgery going well. It's become a part of my nightly ritual.

A sample of my daily log

Someone else wanted to keep her own journal too!

(Mouse drew the picture, but is willing to let Gracie take credit for it if she wants.)

How did your January shape up reading wise? What was your favorite book you read in January?

I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post, where any book bloggers who write monthly wrap-up posts can link up and visit other bloggers to see what they have been reading.

© 2018, 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.

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Wishing for Wednesday: The Storm King and Sunburn

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to

spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.

These two new titles caught my eye recently and I could not help but add that to my wish list.

The Storm King by Brendan Duffy (400 pgs)

Release Date: February 6, 2018 by Ballantine Books

Haunted by dark secrets and an unsolved mystery, a young doctor returns to his isolated Adirondacks hometown in a tense, atmospheric novel in the vein of Michael Koryta and Harlan Coben.

Burying the past only gives it strength—and fury.

Nate McHale has assembled the kind of life most people would envy. After a tumultuous youth marked by his inexplicable survival of a devastating tragedy, Nate left his Adirondack hometown of Greystone Lake and never looked back. Fourteen years later, he’s become a respected New York City surgeon, devoted husband, and loving father.

Then a body is discovered deep in the forests that surround Greystone Lake.

This disturbing news finally draws Nate home. While navigating a tense landscape of secrets and suspicion, resentments and guilt, Nate reconnects with estranged friends and old enemies, and encounters strangers who seem to know impossible things about him. Haunting every moment is the Lake’s sinister history and the memory of wild, beautiful Lucy Bennett, with whom Nate is forever linked by shattering loss and youthful passion.

As a massive hurricane bears down on the Northeast, the air becomes electric, the clouds grow dark, and escalating acts of violence echo events from Nate’s own past. Without a doubt, a reckoning is coming—one that will lay bare the lies that lifelong friends have told themselves and unleash a vengeance that may consume them all. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: Lately, I seem to be drawn to covers with water dripping down--the rain effect, I call it. That was what first caught my eye when I saw this one. Then I was drawn to the story itself--a haunting past that will no longer stay hidden.

Sunburn by Lisa Lippman (304 pgs)

Release Date: February 20, 2018 by William Morrow

New York Times bestselling author Laura Lippman returns with a superb novel of psychological suspense about a pair of lovers with the best intentions and the worst luck: two people locked in a passionate yet uncompromising game of cat and mouse. But instead of rules, this game has dark secrets, forbidden desires, inevitable betrayals—and cold-blooded murder.

One is playing a long game. But which one?

They meet at a local tavern in the small town of Belleville, Delaware. Polly is set on heading west. Adam says he’s also passing through. Yet she stays and he stays—drawn to this mysterious redhead whose quiet stillness both unnerves and excites him. Over the course of a punishing summer, Polly and Adam abandon themselves to a steamy, inexorable affair. Still, each holds something back from the other—dangerous, even lethal, secrets.

Then someone dies. Was it an accident, or part of a plan? By now, Adam and Polly are so ensnared in each other’s lives and lies that neither one knows how to get away—or even if they want to. Is their love strong enough to withstand the truth, or will it ultimately destroy them?

Something—or someone—has to give.

Which one will it be? [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: I have enjoyed Laura Lippman's work in the past and will pick up just about any book she's written just because it has her name on it. This one sounds a bit different than her other books, but I don't think I will be able to resist it.

Do either of these sound like something you would like to read too?

Monday, January 29, 2018

Discussion: Are You A Seasonal Reader?

While this post is not exactly about winter, January's theme for the Blog All About It Challenge, it is borne from my initial thought of winter and a recent conversation I had with my 6 year old. Kind of like a stream of conscience . . . Which then lead to an idea for a Discussion Challenge post.

My daughter was adamant her birthday was in the spring. That was until the bubble was burst, and she discovered she was really born in winter. I explained to her that this seemed to be a family pattern. She was born in winter but wished she was born in spring. Her dad wished he was born in summer, but was really born in spring. And I was born in the summer, but wished I was born in the fall. We were each born in season transition months, just too early to actually fall into our seasons of preference. I told Mouse we are all close enough—so we might as well say we were born in the spring, summer and fall, respectively. Why not? If people can say fall starts in August with the start of school . . .

This got me thinking about reading and the seasons. Christmas is about the only time of year I try to read seasonally-themed books. Even then, that is a fairly new practice of mine—or at least I am more consistent about it these days than I have been before. It all started when I began reading romance again. There is just something about the snow (which I do not get where I live), the high sucrose holiday spirit, and all those happy endings. It shouts Christmas, even if not winter exactly. More of an end of fall, early winter, really.

I know some readers gravitate toward summery books in the winter and snowy wintery books in the summer—maybe to compensate for the extreme weather at either end. Many of you who participate in the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril (R.I.P.) Challenge use fall as the opportunity to read more thrillers, horror, and fantasy. There are readers who like to read heavier or denser books during the winter months and lighter books in summer. I know one person who uses summer to read the classics—she has more time to concentrate on them with school being out.

I personally associate fall with cozies and spring with historical fiction. I cannot say I actually stick to those types of books during those times of year, but it’s what I think of when I think of books and seasons.

Tracking my reading over the years has given me a window into my own reading patterns. I do not feel like I read seasonally, other than around Christmas time. I cannot even say I read more quantity-wise in one season or another. My reading tends to fluctuate depending on what I have going on in my life. In high stress times, I may read lighter or fast paced reads, while at other times I delve into deeper and more emotional-charged reads.

This winter I find myself craving both thrillers and fantasy, and not necessarily together. I am not sure what the connection, if any, that has to the season, but it seems to be the direction my reading has gone as of late. I tend to think this has more to do with my general reading mood rather than the seasons themselves, however.

Do your reading moods swing with the seasons?
Have you ever noticed a seasonal pattern in your reading?
Are there certain types of books you associate with each season?
What is your favorite season?

Linking up to the Blog All About It Challenge, hosted by Anna from Herding Cats and Burning Soup

and the Discussion Challenge hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: Betrayed by Karen E. Olson

My name is Tina Adler, and I am an addict. ~ Opening of Betrayed

Betrayed (Black Hat Thriller #2) by Karen E. Olson

Severn House, 2017

Crime Fiction (Thriller); 224 pgs

Source: I purchased a copy of this book for my own reading pleasure.

I have enjoyed the Black Hat series since reading the first book, Hidden. I would strongly recommend starting at the beginning of the series if you are coming into it for the first time as the books do build on one another. Because this book is so wrapped up in the first two, it is hard to talk about it in detail without giving something away. I am trying to be as careful as possible.

Betrayed picks up after Tina Adler (aka Nicole Jones and Susan McQueen) has somewhat settled into her new life. She’s pulled in for an interview by the FBI when evidence of a hit against the notorious Tony DeMarco is found on a computer used at the shop where she’s working. Tina has managed to stay off the computer since the last trouble she ran into, and it seems someone is trying to set her up. Not only that, but the person is also trying to set up Tracker, the hacker who acts as her mentor from time to time. Tina is determined to find out who is behind the set-up and clear her name. The FBI is hoping she’ll do just that, only they want her to work for them. Used to being on her own, Tina isn’t comfortable with that—she works much better alone. The title Betrayed is a fitting one, speaking not just to the possible motive of the villain in the novel, but also to several other characters in the book. I think just about all the major players can claim having been betrayed at some point.

Tina is struggling to unravel her mixed emotions about Tracker’s real identity. And it really is no wonder she is in such turmoil about it, given her past relationship with his alter ego. Can she reconcile her feelings for one and the other? Will she ever be able to see them as the same person? The reader spends a lot of time in Tina’s head as she sorts out just how she feels about everything that is happening—or has happened—to her. This throws Tina off her game a bit, and I figured this was why she wasn’t as clear headed or careful as she usually is.

Betrayed was just as intense as the previous books in the series. There were a couple of instances things fell into place a little too nicely, but I was so caught up in the novel that I did not spend much time thinking about it. Like with the previous books, it was addicting, and I had a hard time pulling away from it once I started reading. As ever, author Karen E. Olson keeps the suspense up at top notch. I guessed early on who was behind everything, but it did not take away from my enjoyment of the book.

I am glad I had a copy of Vanished, the next book in the series, on hand to read, as Betrayed left off with the perfect set up for the next novel.

To learn more about Karen E. Olson and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Weekly Mews: New Books & Buzzing with Busy-ness

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, 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 to Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. As well as Book Photo Sunday, hosted by the sweet Ronyell of Rabbit Ears Book Blog in which participants post photos of their own books.

Can you believe January is almost over? This month has flown by. It was a very busy week, both at work and on the home front. I attended a two day training this past week for work. We are still short staffed with no relief in sight. It makes my being away difficult for those who are left behind especially. I get my turn of being left behind this next week with the next group going in for the training. What is it they say? What goes around, comes around.

My mother's surgery on Friday went well. Thank you again for all your good thoughts and prayers! Hopefully this time the surgeon got all the cancer. We should find out soon.

Girl Scout Cookie season has started in our part of the country, Sunday being the first day of sales for Mouse. This weekend is also the start of Mouse's martial arts class. She has been wanting to do martial arts for some time now, and I finally was able to find a class that fits our schedule--and our budget.

What are your plans this weekend?

New to My Shelves:

My daughter talked her dad into getting her the latest Supergirl graphic novels, volumes 1 & 2.

It's all about poetry:
The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace
Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward
Of Yesteryear by Lauren Eden

(I do not need any more bookmarks, but I could not resist the one with the cat and a tiny gold mouse attached to the moon and stars. The ballerina key chain is my daughters. She asked that I add it into the photo.)

Recommended by my friend and fellow blogger Ellen of 15 and Meowing, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst, illustrated by Erik Blegvad ~ This one was one both Mouse and I needed to read. Thank you, Ellen!

I picked up an e-copy of A Cold Creek Noel by RaeAnne Thayne & A Very Crimson Christmas by Michelle Major while it was on sale for $0.99.

My most recent Going Postal Mail Group book arrived in the mail this past week. I am really excited about reading The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez. It has been on my to read list for a while now.

What I Am Reading: I am making good progress overall with my year long reading projects. I am all caught up with Les Misérables, but have some catching up to do with War and Peace. I am really enjoying both--even War and Peace which I had struggled with in the past. I finished reading Vanished by Karen E. Olson this week haven't quite settled on my next read. Maybe the runner up to my January TBR poll, Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews.

What I Am Watching: This my daughter got me hooked on the Prime Amazon show Just Add Magic, about three teen friends who discover a cookbook full of magic spells.

What I Am Looking Forward To: I am looking forward to the upcoming holiday weekends this next month.

What I Am Grateful For: Maybe this should be who I am grateful for this week. Medical professionals, teachers and crosswalk guards. All of you.

This Week In Reading Mews:

Tell me about what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your week? Do you have anything planned for this coming week?

© 2018, Wendy Runyon of 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.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A peek into Vanished by Karen E. Olson & Favorite Winter/Summer Reads)

Again this week I find myself nearing the end of a rather intense book, although I doubt I will be able to finish it tonight (Thursday, as I write this). I am exhausted and can hardly keep my eyes open--I may try though! I am reading Karen E. Olson's Vanished, the 4th in her Black Hat series.

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

The hacker known as Tracker moves along the sidewalk, a hoodie pulled up over his head, his eyes darting from side to side.

My thoughts: Is he up to know good? Is he hiding from someone? Tracker is one of my favorite characters in the series, and I would follow him just about anywhere. I was hooked the instant I read the first sentence.

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

A shadow crosses one of the windows.

"They can't see you," she whispers. [56%]

My thoughts: Uh oh. Sounds like trouble is coming. it is a fairly tense scene in the book, and it looks like the protagonist will be on the run again soon.

What do you think? Does this sound like something you would be interested in reading?

Everyone has a favorite and then we also have something we dislike. Like a coin, there are two sides to every question. Each week, Carrie at The Butterfly Reads and Laura from Blue Eye Books ask participants to list what they like and don't like about that week's topic.

This week's topic is Favorite Book Set in Winter/Summer

I really struggled with this week's topic and am tweaking it a bit to make it an easier fit for me. If you knew how much time I put into trying to find books that I count as favorites set in just one season . . . The truth is I don't remember what season most of my favorites are set in. Then the question became: do I go with a books that are mostly set in winter and summer? Or perhaps have a more summer or winter feel to them regardless of when they are set? In the end, I decided to pick a couple of favorite books that have the feel of the particular season I read them in--at least in my memory.

Winter:

First Sentence: It was November.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield is well written, intriguing, and spoke to me, sometimes the voice sounding a little like mine.

The Thirteenth Tale is a love letter to reading, a book for the feral reader in all of us, a return to that rich vein of storytelling that our parents loved and that we loved as children. Diane Setterfield will keep you guessing, make you wonder, move you to tears and laughter and, in the end, deposit you breathless yet satisfied back upon the shore of your everyday life. [excerpt from Goodreads Summary]

Summer:

First Sentence: Later, when memory was all she had to sustain her, she would come to cherish it:

Old Honolulu as it was then, as it would never be again.

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert ~ Having lived in Hawaii for a short time during my childhood made me forever interested in the Hawaiian Islands and their history. I can't say enough about Moloka'i and how much I loved it.

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. [excerpt from Goodreads]

What favorite book of yours speaks to you of winter? Of Summer?

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

The champagne bottle knocks against the marble kitchen counter, making me jump. ~ Behind Closed Doors

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

St. Martin's Press, 2016

Crime Fiction (Thriller); 320 pgs

Source: I purchased for my own reading pleasure.

Goodreads Summary:

Everyone knows a couple like Jack and Grace: he has looks and wealth, she has charm and elegance. You'd like to get to know Grace better. But it's difficult, because you realize Jack and Grace are never apart. Some might call this true love.

Picture this: a dinner party at their perfect home, the conversation and wine flowing. They appear to be in their element while entertaining. And Grace's friends are eager to reciprocate with lunch the following week. Grace wants to go, but knows she never will. Her friends call—so why doesn't Grace ever answer the phone? And how can she cook such elaborate meals but remain so slim?

And why are there bars on one of the bedroom windows?

The perfect marriage? Or the perfect lie?

Reading Behind Closed Doors was a spur of the moment decision. I was in between one of my sweet holiday romances, when I noticed an online book group I belong to was reading the book. I thought, “Why not?” Behind Closed Doors is one of those books that takes right off, my suspicions high and anticipating what direction the author might go. I admit I thought of all the different possibilities as I read the first chapter. I hadn’t read the synopsis for the book since I had bought it quite a while ago, and remembered hardly anything about it. I knew it was a thriller, at least. And so I came up with all sorts of theories after reading the first paragraph. Things quickly became clear, however. There wasn’t much twist in what was going on. A dinner party. A nervous wife aiming for perfection. A doting husband. Something seeming a bit off . . .

As much as I was hooked right away, the story became somewhat predictable after a while, but I still wanted to know how it would all play out. Luckily, it wasn’t too long before I was completely sucked in again, thankfully. The narrative alternatives between the past and present. We learn in increments how Grace and Jack met, about their wedding and their marriage to follow. We find out exactly how Jack and Grace ended up in their current situation and get to see how all of it plays out.

This really is a book I do not want to say a lot about because part of its allure is not knowing what to expect initially. It goes to a pretty dark place. That old adage how well do we really know anyone holds true in the case of this book. Jack is a well-respected lawyer and defender of women who are battered by their husbands. Grace would do anything for her younger sister with Downs Syndrome, whose care she took over because of her parents’ lack of interest. The stakes are high in this one, nail bitingly so. B.A. Paris has won me over with Behind Closed Doors and I cannot wait to read her next book.

To learn more about B.A. Paris and her work, please visit the author on the her Twitter page.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Wishing for Wednesday: Witches & A Childhood Mystery Come to Light

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to

spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read.

Fantasy and mystery are two of my favorite genres to read. Then is it any surprise these would catch my attention?

Keeper by Kim Chance (277 pgs)

Release Date: January 30, 2018 by Flux

When a 200-year-old witch attacks her, sixteen-year-old bookworm Lainey Styles is determined to find a logical explanation. Even with the impossible staring her in the face, Lainey refuses to believe it—until she finds a photograph linking the witch to her dead mother.

After consulting a psychic, Lainey discovers that she, like her mother, is a Keeper: a witch with the exclusive ability to unlock and wield the Grimoire, a dangerous but powerful spell book. But there’s a problem. The Grimoire has been stolen by a malevolent warlock who is desperate for a spell locked inside it—a spell that would allow him to siphon away the world’s magic.

With the help of her comic-book-loving best friend and an enigmatic but admittedly handsome street fighter, Lainey must leave her life of college prep and studying behind to prepare for the biggest test of all: stealing back the book. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: A bookworm and a witch? That alone caught my attention and makes me want to read this one.

A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart (352 pgs)

Release Date: January 30, 2018 by Minotaur Books

Fans of Jane Lawless new and old will be fascinated by newly minted Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Ellen Hart's latest intricate puzzle in A Whisper of Bones.

Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.

Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: I believe this is the 25th book in the series, would should be enough to make me have second thoughts about this one, but the premise fascinates me.

Do either of these sound like something you would like to read too?

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung

"What is the point of a high school reunion when you can already see who got fat and bald on Facebook?" ~ Opening of These Violent Delights

These Violent Delights by Victoria Namkung
Griffith Moon, 2017
Fiction; 243 pgs
Source: I purchased a copy of this book for my own reading pleasure.

Goodreads Summary:

At Windemere School for Girls, one of America’s elite private schools, Dr. Gregory Copeland is the beloved chair of the English Department. A married father with a penchant for romantic poetry—and impressionable teenage girls—he operates in plain sight for years, until one of his former students goes public with allegations of inappropriate conduct. With the help of an investigative journalist, and two additional Windemere alumnae who had relationships with Copeland as students, the unlikely quartet unites to take him down.

Set in modern-day Los Angeles, These Violent Delights is a literary exploration of the unyielding pressures and vulnerabilities that so many women and girls experience, and analyzes the ways in which our institutions and families fail to protect or defend us. A suspenseful and nuanced story told from multiple points of view, the novel examines themes of sexuality, trauma, revenge, and the American myth of liberty and justice for all.

I was excited when I received Victoria Namkung’s These Violent Delights in the most recent My Lit Box. I hadn’t heard of the author or book before, but I was immediately curious about this book described as being straight from the headlines. Just about every time I tune into the news, there is another story about sexual assault or sexual harassment. I had high expectations going into Namkung’s book, especially given how much I have loved and enjoyed my other My Lit Box selections.

An intern with a Los Angeles newspaper comes forward with a story of her own, opening a can of worms at a prestigious girls’ school, Windemere. Her disclosure leads to other disclosures, revealing just how deep the cover up and how long a well-respected teacher and chair of the English Department had been targeting teen girls, luring them into sexual relationships. Told from multiple viewpoints, Namkung’s novel gives voice to three of his victims as well as the news journalist covering the story.

I think books like this are important for many reasons, including bringing to light the trauma and impact sexual harassment or assault can have on a person. This isn’t something that just happens and you can get over it. It affects a person’s self-view and their relationships. Everyone has different coping mechanisms—some turn to drugs and alcohol, promiscuity, or even religion. Some are better able to deal with the guilt and shame that often follows being victimized. If the victims are lucky, the perpetrator is punished for his or her crime, but unfortunately the victim also suffers, often for a lifetime. Namkung doesn’t hold back in describing the backlash the women face for coming forward. The hate, threats and shaming, the blaming of the victims and the overall support for the perpetrator. I liked the example reporter Jane offers her coworker who questions why the victims waited so long to speak up. If someone has her cell phone stolen, we all feel bad for her. Our first instinct isn’t the blame her, but to blame the thief. Too often in sexual harassment and assault cases, the victims are the first to be blamed. Whether it be what they were wearing, something they said—or didn’t say—what they’d had to drink, and so on. They must have asked for it. Or they are lying to get money, fame or revenge. The question should not be why victims do not come forward or take so long, given our societal treatment and reaction to victims of sexual crimes, but why they do at all? It takes great courage to speak out, especially given social and news media today.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I think the women’s stories are all realistic and relateable. From Sasha to Eva, Caryn and even Jane. I liked that Namkung takes the reader through the “process”—from disclosure to the fallout and the investigation and through to the trial. The anger and sadness, the pain and doubt . . . All of it is very present in this novel and for good reason. She also touches on cultural issues through the voices of her characters. Eva, a Latina, and Caryn, a Korean American, as well as economic ones. Sexual assault does not have a set demographic. It crosses over every line. How families and communities deal with it, however, can differ depending on culture and economics.

My issues with the novel has more to do with the writing. It is clear the novel is well–researched. However, it felt like the author had a list of talking points she wanted to include, and so some of the conversations between the characters seemed forced, especially in the beginning. I also never quite felt the emotional connection to any of the characters I would have hoped to feel, especially given the type of novel it was. I would liked have had a little more depth--more showing instead of telling, if you will. Even with this though, I had a hard time putting These Violent Delights down when I had to.

I think These Violent Delights covers important ground, and I appreciated the insight and research the author put into it. It was compelling read, and I am glad I read it. While this book did not live up to my expectations, I know that several others have loved it. Maybe you will too.

To learn more about Victoria Namkung and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Weekly Mews: Longing for My Cozy Warm Bed

The Christmas tree is finally down. My house has returned to some semblance of normal. We got a little rain yesterday, which was nice. I hope it rains more today, but the sunshine peeking in the windows seems to indicate otherwise.

This past week was a tough one at work--busy too. It was the kind of week I come home each day and give my family extra hugs and am grateful for what I have. Mouse is settled back into school. She has decided she wants to try out for The Wizard of Oz musical. Auditions are still a month out, but it will be here soon enough.

What I Am Reading: I finished my January TBR List winner, Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr this week, staying up past my bedtime one night to finish it. Thanks again to all who voted in my poll! I am so tempted to spend the $3.99 for the next book in the series . . .

I used the time I was waiting in my car to pick up my daughter from school on Friday and then while she was in dance class to read Q. Gibson's poetry collection, Sunday Sugar. I cannot wait to tell you about it!

I also got in a little War and Peace (in which I am a bit behind) and Les Misérables (in which I am a couple chapters ahead). I admit to being a little worried reading both at the same time will get confusing, but so far it hasn't happened. Les Misérables is proving to be a much easier read. Although I am not struggling as much with War and Peace as I had in the past. It could be because I have read this portion of the book several times before so it is familiar to me. I like to think though that I am just in a better place to read it this time around.

Next up will be Karen E. Olson's Vanished. The cliffhanger at the end of Betrayed has me dying to know what happened next.

What I Am Watching: Mouse mentioned on Friday that one of the kids at school told her she looked like Pippi Longstocking. I do not see it, but maybe it was her outfit that day. Mouse definitely has her own sense of style, as often six year olds do. But even that would be a stretch. We have since watched the 1961 version of Pippi Longstocking on Amazon Prime, and Mouse is officially a fan. I wish I could find the version I watched growing up. I think she would enjoy that too. I look forward to introducing her to books now (plus they count towards the Classics Club!). Mouse is also into the old Popeye cartoons. Were they always this bad?! Popeye was not a nice guy . . .

I continue to work my way through the 12th season of Supernatural. This season seems a bit lighter in some ways than past seasons (if that's possible). I haven't been watching The Good Place because my husband hasn't been available to watch it with me. One of these days.

What I Am Worried About: My mom. Evidently the doctor's initial assessment that they had gotten all the cancer out during the first surgery was a premature. The second surgery revealed they hadn't gotten it all. This coming Friday she will be having a third surgery to hopefully get the remaining cancerous cells out. The prognosis is still very good, but you can imagine how worried I am, and what this must be doing to my mom. I hate that I cannot be with her right now. She's 442 miles away, and I am not in a position where I can drop everything and be with her. It's weighing heavily on my heart. My brother and his wife are much closer, but it's just not the same. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for her and sending good well wishes. Please keep them coming.

What I Am Grateful For: My cozy warm bed, my husband's macaroni and cheese and Mouse's big hug when I pick her up after work.

This Week In Reading Mews:

Tell me about what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your week? Do you have anything planned for this coming week?

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Peek into Wicked Lovely)

I am about to enter the final climactic chapter of Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely, and so am in a bit of a rush to put this post together and publish it tonight (please don't let there be a cliffhanger!). I expect to finish the book before I drift off to sleep tonight. That is the plan anyway. We'll see if my eyes cooperate.

Wicked Lovely is this month's TBR List poll winner, so many of you may already know what it is about. Just in case:

Rule #3: Don't stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty - especially if they learn of her Sight - and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.

Rule #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries. Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule #1: Don't ever attract their attention. But it's too late. Keenan is the Summer King, who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost — regardless of her plans or desires.

Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything.

Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale. [Goodreads Summary]

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

The Summer King knelt before her. "Is this what you freely choose, to risk winter's chill?"

My thoughts: This is the opening of the prologue, starting with a scene in the past that will set the stage for what is to come. With that opening question, I wanted to know too--what would the answer be?

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

She clenched her hands so tightly that icicles formed on the tips of her fingernails. Now comes the hard part. [56%]

My thoughts: I am well past this point now, and while this is just a couple sentences from the scene--and not even the part that really reveals anything--it is one of the more telling scenes in the novel. I like the image this particular tidbit forms in my mind though, and couldn't resist sharing.

What do you think? Does this sound like something you would be interested in reading?

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: Shadowed by Karen E. Olson

He is looking for me. ~ Opening of Shadowed

Shadowed (Black Hat Thriller #2) by Karen E. Olson

Severn House, 2016

Crime Fiction (Thriller); 224 pgs

Source: I purchased a copy for my own reading pleasure.

I nearly read the first book in the Black Hat series in one sitting and I came close to doing so with this one too (darn life interruptions). Shadowed is the second book in Karen E. Olson’s series featuring hacker Nicole Jones. Nicole has made a new life for herself in Quebec, Canada, on a remote island, making her living painting. She goes by the name Susan McQueen. Once she had been able to stay away from the computer, but now the pull is just too strong. When Nicole clicks on a link, thinking it was sent by her old friend Tracker, she immediately realizes her mistake. Her laptop now has a shadow, and someone is able to access all of her files and search history—and see everything she’s doing. The situation escalates very quickly as the shadow demands ransom and soon it is a game of cat and mouse as Nicole must go on the run again to save herself. She is determined to find out who her stalker is and stop whoever it is.

I loved Hidden, and I really enjoyed Shadowed as well. Nicole is such an interesting character, not your typical image of a hacker—older and a woman to boot. She’s used to living on her own, having to make something out nothing. In Shadowed, the reader learns a little more about her past, including a little about her relationship with her father. And also Tracker, a man she only knows through the computer, who she counts as her friend and only hope of getting out of her current situation. Only, now she even has doubts about him.

I have visited Quebec in books before, but never quite like I did in this one. Luck and tenacity seem to be on Nicole’s side as she evades law enforcement and the person(s) out to get her. Although, I am sure she wouldn’t agree given all the obstacles that came her way. She’s already lost so much, and longs to settle down somewhere and stop running. I found myself holding my breath a few times, not sure how Nicole would get out of the predicaments she found herself in.

Shadowed had me hooked from the start and I cannot wait to dive into the next two books in the series, Betrayed and Vanished. The Black Hat series has become one of my must read series.

To learn more about Karen E. Olson and her books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.