Thursday, October 24, 2019

Bookish Mewsings: Death Overdue by Allison Brook & Friday Hop Fun



Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.


Death Overdue (The Haunted Library Mysteries #1) by Allison Brook
Crooked Lane Books, 2017
Crime Fiction/Cozy/Paranormal; 329 pgs

Book Beginnings:
Time to move on. I crossed the Green and headed for the library. A gust of wind bowed the branches of the nearby trees, showering me with red and yellow leaves. I paused to inhale the tangy air. It was a glorious October morning, and I stood in the center of the most glorious setting--the historic town of Clover Ridge, Connecticut. 

Friday 56 (excerpt from 56%):
The cottage was lovely, but it was also very isolated. It was only five, and the evening looomed ahead of me. I wished Dylan were home, simply to know someone was close by. Was this why the rent was so cheap? Because no one wanted to live this far from town without a neighbor for miles?
Don't be silly. You'll get used to it. 
My phone rang, sending a jolt along my spine.  

My thoughts:

Thank you to everyone who voted for Death Overdue in my October TBR Poll. I really enjoyed this cozy mystery featuring a library ghost. I loved the protagonist Carrie Singleton the moment I met her with her purple spiked hair and goth attire. She had no intention of making Clover Ridge, Connecticut her home but when her uncle and aunt appeal to her and with a job offer she just cannot refuse (and maybe the ghost whispering in her ear), she decides to give it a try. In her first event as head of programs and events at the local public library, the guest speaker falls dead of food poisoning. Carrie had taken an instant liking to the former detective and is determined to find out who murdered not only him, but the woman whose long ago murder he had claimed finally to have solved. Joining forces with the murdered woman’s son, Carrie is sure she and he will be able to solve the two homicides even as the police investigation seems to be going nowhere.

Carrie has to give up her goth appearance for a more conservative one when she takes the administrative assistant. While most everyone at the library is pleased to have her there, the reference librarian, Dorothy, is quite put out. She had been angling for the position Carrie was given. As it is, her boss doesn’t seem to be on Carrie’s side either. Dorothy is not above sabotage to try to get Carrie out.

I enjoyed getting to know Clover Ridge and some of its residents alongside Carrie. With the exception of the murders, being wrapped up in that investigation, and Dorothy and her boss, the pieces of Carrie’s life seem to be falling perfectly together. She has the perfect job, finds the perfect cottage with a rather attractive landlord, and, even despite not having an easy childhood, has a very supportive extended family by way of her aunt and uncle. Carrie also proves to be a good judge of character.

There are many possible murder suspects in Death Overdue, and the author does a good job of giving them all not only strong motives, but making them all realistic options. I had a strong suspicion early on who might be behind the murders, but the author made me doubt my assumption several times along the way. Death Overdue was such an engrossing novel that had me from page one. I got really caught up in the characters’ lives and wasn’t ready for my time with them to end. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for the next book. I had it on hand (review to come).


Does this sound like something you would enjoy reading? Have you read Death Overdue or anything else by Allison Brook (otherwise known as Marilyn Levinson)?



Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

What's your favorite horror book-to-movie adaptation?

I am not a huge fan of horror movies. Not because of the scare factor, but more because I have trouble buying into them. Gore and gruesomeness for the sake of a scare turns me off. And often times the way it is portrayed in films is, well, over the top funny. I much prefer more subtle horror.  Novels like Dracula by Bram Stoker and Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist come to mind (I loved them!), but none of the movies, in any of their incarnations, impressed me.  I have read a few Stephen King novels and seen their respective movies. None stand out as favorites of mine.

I am more drawn to a good psychological thriller. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris was good, and I enjoyed the movie. That has a horror flavor to it, don't you think? (Pun totally intended.)

My husband suggested I mention Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, which is very unfair of him. While it has definite Gothic elements which has similarities to the horror genre, I would not classify it as a horror novel. And, to be honest, I liked the film versions, but I would not count any among my favorites.

I haven't yet seen the series based on Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, but I absolutely loved the book and imagine I will like the show as well. But that doesn't count because I haven't yet seen it. Maybe most would not count it as horror, but the book sure scared me!

I think the closest to a favorite I can come up with is Interview With a Vampire. I really enjoyed the movie adaptation of Anne Rice's novel with the same title. It may not be all that scary as some prefer their horror to be, but it was beautifully done all around, even if not completely true to the novel.


What about you? Do you watch horror movies, particularly ones based on books? Do you have a favorite book-to-movie horror adaptation?


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 Character Most/Least Likely to go on a Road Trip

One of my favorite characters takes to the road quite often, whether walking or by vehicle. She doesn't have much choice really, given she's a ghost traveling the ghost roads. Her name is Rose Marshall, otherwise known as the Phantom Prom Date and the Girl in the Green Silk Gown. She can be found in both Sparrow Hill Road and The Girl in the Green Silk Gown,  both awesome urban fantasy novels.


The least likely to go on a road trip . . . definitely Dr. Anna Fox from The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn. Anna suffers from severe anxiety and agoraphobia. She mixes her medication and alcohol quite regularly to cope--which makes it all too easy to question whether she really did see what she thought she did while looking out her window . . .



What characters would make your most/least likely to go on a road trip list? 


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

© 2019, 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, October 22, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: The Ruins of Ambrai/Lady Takes the Case/Get a Life,Chloe Brown/A Sanctuary of Spirits



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

The Ruins of Ambrai (Exiles #1) by Melanie Rawn (DAW, 1994)
A thousand years ago, Mageborns fled prejudice and persecution to colonize the planet Lenfell—pristine, untouched, a perfect refuge for those whose powers were perceived as a threat by people not gifted with magic. But the greater the magic, the greater the peril—and Lenfell was soon devastated by a war between rival Mageborn factions that polluted land, sea, and air with Wild Magic and unleashed the hideous specters known as Wraithenbeasts.

Generations after that terrible war, with the land recovered from crippling wounds and the people no longer threatened by genetic damage, Mageborns still practice their craft—but under strict constraints. Yet so long as the rivalry between the Mage Guardians and the Lords of Malerris continues, the threat of another war is ever-present. And someone has been planning just such a war for many long years, the final strike in a generations-old bid for total power….
Why I want to read this: I got The Ruins of Ambrai many many years ago in mass paperback format. The print is tiny because it's such a long book. I used to love epic fantasy, and, while I still do enjoy it from time to time, my tastes have run more along the lines of urban and dark fantasy as of late. I am sure someone somewhere in my past recommended this book (long before my blogging days), but I couldn't tell you who. After doing a little research, I see the author hasn't yet completed the third book in in the trilogy--and so I imagine it is a good thing I've put it off. I have several of her books in other series as well I might jump into before this one as a result. 


Have you read anything by Melanie Rawn? Have you tried this trilogy? Does this sound like something you would like?


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


Lady Takes the Case (Manor Cat Mystery #1) by Eliza Casey
Release Date: November 26, 2019 by Berkley Books
When a dinner party turns deadly, the feisty Lady Cecilia Bates and intuitive cat Jack are on the case, in this first entry to an exciting new historical-mystery series.

England 1912. Danby Hall is the only home Lady Cecilia Bates has ever known. Despite the rigid rules of etiquette and her mother the Countess of Avebury's fervent desire to see her married off, Lady Cecilia can't imagine life anywhere else. But now, with an agricultural depression sweeping the countryside, the Bates family's possession of the hall is suddenly in peril.

A possible solution arrives in the form of the imperious American heiress Annabel Clarke. The Earl and Countess of Avebury are determined that Cecilia's brother, Patrick, will win Annabel's hand in marriage--and her fortune along with it. To help the lackluster Patrick in this pursuit, the Bates and their staff arrange a grand house party upon the heiress's arrival.

When a guest dies after sipping from a glass meant for Annabel, it's clear the Bates have a more poisonous problem on their hands than a lack of chemistry. As the scandal seizes Danby, Cecilia sets out to find the culprit, with help from Annabel's maid, Jane, and Jane's curiously intelligent cat, Jack.

After the poison that someone had stashed away inside the manor is discovered, Cecilia is left with two possibilities: Either a resident of Danby snapped and tried to kill the arrogant heiress, or the threat is coming from one of their guests, who would love to see the Bates family's decline become permanent. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I enjoy historical mysteries, especially ones set in England. Plus, there's a cat. How could I not want to read this?!


Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters #1) by Talia Hibbert
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Avon
Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life”, and she’s already completed the first: finally moving out of her glamourous family’s mansion. The next items?

Enjoy a drunken night out.Ride a motorcycle.Go camping.Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.And... do something bad.
But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.
Redford ‘Red’ Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior… [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love that Chloe is stepping outside her comfort zone, and I want to go along with her on her journey.


A Sanctuary of Spirits (Spectral City #2) by Leanna Renee Hieber
Release Date: November 12, 2019 by Kensington Books
New York, 1899, and the police department’s best ally is the secret Ghost Precinct, where spirits and psychics help solve the city’s most perplexing crimes . . . ether . . .

There’s more than one way to catch a killer—though the methods employed by the NYPD’s Ghost Precinct, an all-female team of psychics and spiritualists led by gifted young medium Eve Whitby, are unconventional to say the least. Eve is concerned by the backlash that threatens the department—and by the discovery of an otherworldly realm, the Ghost Sanctuary, where the dead can provide answers. But is there a price to be paid for Eve and her colleagues venturing beyond the land of the living? ether . . .

Searching for clues about a mortician’s disappearance, Eve encounters a charismatic magician and mesmerist whose abilities are unlike any she’s seen. Is he a link to mysterious deaths around the city, or to the Ghost Sanctuary? Torn between the bonds of her team and her growing relationship with the dashing Detective Horowitz, Eve must discern truth from illusion and friend from foe, before another soul vanishes into the ether . . . [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I have the first book on my wish list, which surprised me since I thought I had already purchased a copy. I can't believe I don't have it! Now I want this one. I love the idea of a mystery Ghost Precinct made up of psychics and spiritualists.


Do any of these books sound like books you would like to read?


© 2019, 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, October 17, 2019

Bookish Mewsings: Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece by Rose Pressey



Along with my mini reviews, I am linking to both Book Beginnings, a meme in which readers share the first sentence of a book they are reading, hosted by Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader and Friday 56 hosted by Freda of Freda's Voice, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.


Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece (Haunted Craft Fair Mysteries #1) by Rose Pressey

Kensington, 2019
Fiction; 304 pgs

Book Beginnings:
Travel trailer trip 1:
When hooking up a travel trailer, remember to watch out for the hitch.
Your shins will thank you.
With a pitch-black sky full of twinkling stars and a warm summer breeze caressing my skin, I stood in front of my fabulous pink-and-white Shasta trailer. 

Friday 56 (excerpt from 56%):
If I catch you around my trailer again, you'll be sorry. I'll give you something to be afraid of." She placed one hand on her slender hip and pointed with her other. 
She'd seemed so nice at first. Now she seemed like she wanted to kill me.  

My thoughts:
Celeste Cabot is eager to hit the craft fair circuit with her Chihuahua Van Gogh. Her first craft fair doesn’t turn out quite as she expected, however. Not only is one of her paintings returned by a customer who claims it is haunted, but suddenly she is being visited by a ghost—only Celeste doesn’t believe in ghosts. At least she didn’t . . . until now. Add to that someone stealing from the fair’s vendors; and then Celeste stumbles upon dead body. Celeste sees possible suspects all around her. She’s determined to find out who is behind the murder and thefts, and if, in fact, there is a connection between the missing money and the murder.

Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece was an entertaining cozy mystery—charming and funny. Celeste is an easy to like character, and I especially liked her ghost companion. Oh, and her family! I adore her family. She has one of those close-knit and probably-overly-involved families that is perfect for a cozy. I just love her grandmother and hope there is more of her in future books in the series.

In this first book of the series, you will find a hint of romance mixed in with the mystery. Celeste does not want to believe the good looking wood sculptor could be involved in the theft or murder, but she cannot completely rule him out. And it’s clear that cute detective makes her pulse race a little faster. Unfortunately, I was not completely sold on Celeste’s need to be involved in the murder investigation, no matter her good intentions. The detective on the case was a lot more patient and accommodating to her than I think your average law enforcement officer would be. Still, I enjoyed Rose Pressey’s novel, and will look for the next book in the series.


Does this sound like something you would enjoy reading? Have you read Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece


Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

You're spending a night in a haunted house. What book would you bring with you?

Perhaps a Gothic novel or a mystery featuring ghosts. Something that would fit the atmosphere, I think. I would probably bring several books so I can decide which fits my mood once I am there--and in case I finish one and need to start another. There's a good possibility I will be unable to sleep because of things that go bump in the night, after all!

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White

Mrs. Morris and the Ghost by Traci Wilton

Ghost at Work by Carolyn Hart

What type of book would you want to bring with you if you were spending the night in a haunted house? Or do you have a specific book you would like to take with you?


 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!


© 2019, 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, October 15, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: A Thousand Splendid Suns/Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders/Unnatural Magic/The Family Upstairs



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!



A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead, 2007)
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a breathtaking story set against the volatile events of Afghanistan's last thirty years—from the Soviet invasion to the reign of the Taliban to post-Taliban rebuilding—that puts the violence, fear, hope, and faith of this country in intimate, human terms. It is a tale of two generations of characters brought jarringly together by the tragic sweep of war, where personal lives—the struggle to survive, raise a family, find happiness—are inextricable from the history playing out around them.

Propelled by the same storytelling instinct that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once a remarkable chronicle of three decades of Afghan history and a deeply moving account of family and friendship. It is a striking, heart-wrenching novel of an unforgiving time, an unlikely friendship, and an indestructible love—a stunning accomplishment.
Why I want to read this: The Kite Runner is among my all time favorite books, and so when A Thousand Splendid Suns came out, I scooped it up as soon as it came out. Perhaps it was the hype or something else that kept me from picking it up to read it right away. And there it still sits, waiting patiently. I do want to read it at some point still.


Have you read A Thousand Splendid Suns? If so, what did you think? If you haven't, does it sound like something you would enjoy? 


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders (A Woman of WWII Mystery #1) by Tessa Arlen
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Berkley
The start of an exciting new World War II historical mystery series featuring charming, quirky Air Raid Warden Poppy Redfern....

Summer 1942. The world has been at war for three long and desperate years. In the remote English village of Little Buffenden, the Redfern family's house and farmland has been requisitioned by the War Office as a new airfield for the American Air Force.

The village's Air Raid Warden, twentysomething Poppy Redfern, spends her nights patrolling the village and her days writing a novel of passion. It is a far cry from the experience of the other young women in town: within days, two of the village's prettiest girls are dating American airmen and Little Buffenden considers the "Friendly Invasion" to be a success.

But less than a week later, Doreen Newcombe, the baker's daughter; and the popular Ivy Wantage are both found dead. Poppy realizes that her community has been divided by murder, and the mistrust and suspicion of their new American neighbors threatens to tear this town, already grappling with the horrors of war, apart. Poppy decides to start her own investigation, but she soon unearths some unfortunate secrets and long-held grudges. She will have no choice but to lay a trap for a killer so perilously close to home, she might very well become the next victim.... [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I love Tessa Arlen's Lady Montfort's series and am eager to try her new series. 


Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Ace
Onna can write the parameters of a spell faster than any of the young men in her village school. But despite her incredible abilities, she’s denied a place at the nation’s premier arcane academy. Undaunted, she sails to the bustling city-state of Hexos, hoping to find a place at a university where they don’t think there’s anything untoward about providing a woman with a magical education. But as soon as Onna arrives, she’s drawn into the mysterious murder of four trolls.

Tsira is a troll who never quite fit into her clan, despite being the leader’s daughter. She decides to strike out on her own and look for work in a human city, but on her way she stumbles upon the body of a half-dead human soldier in the snow. As she slowly nurses him back to health, an unlikely bond forms between them, one that is tested when an unknown mage makes an attempt on Tsira’s life. Soon, unbeknownst to each other, Onna and Tsira both begin devoting their considerable talents to finding out who is targeting trolls, before their homeland is torn apart…  [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: How could I not want to read this one? Magic and a mystery, and two intriguing heroines . . . 


The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
Release Date: November 5, 2019 by Atria Books
Gifted musician Clemency Thompson is playing for tourists on the streets of southern France when she receives an urgent text message. Her childhood friend, Lucy, is demanding her immediate return to London.

It’s happening, says the message. The baby is back.

Libby Jones was only six months old when she became an orphan. Now twenty-five, she’s astounded to learn of an inheritance that will change her life. A gorgeous, dilapidated townhouse in one of London’s poshest neighborhoods has been held in a trust for her all these years. Now it’s hers.

As Libby investigates the story of her birth parents and the dark legacy of her new home, Clemency and Lucy are headed her way to uncover, and possibly protect, secrets of their own. What really happened in that rambling Chelsea mansion when they were children? And are they still at risk?  [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this:  Family secrets and an inherited old house . . . I have to read this one!


Do any of these sound like novels you would like to read? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to? 


© 2019, 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.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Weekly Mewsings: October's TBR Poll Winner

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by 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 The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics. 


What I Am Reading: Stepping away from the ghosts for a brief moment, I read Wild Hunger by Chloe Neill, the first book in the Heirs of Chicagoland Vampires series this week, which I enjoyed. I was worried I might feel a little lost not having read the original series this new one was spun off of, but fortunately, that wasn't the case. I am now in the middle of this month's TBR winner.

What I Am Watching: I started season 14 of Supernatural and am immersing myself in Sam and Dean's world for their final season. I am hoping to catch the new Nancy Drew series one of these days. Have you seen it? If so, what did you think? I hear it is on the dark side. At least in comparison to the books I grew up reading.

Off the Blog: It was a rather ordinary week in my world.  Work has been extremely busy, but it is nice to finally have that vacant supervisor spot filled. It means things have been a little less crazy at the office. But only just a very tiny bit of a little.

I feel like we live at the dance studio these days. Rehearsals are going well. My husband is playing Drosselmeier in the Nutcracker Ballet, and he has a lot more to do than he did in the summer's production of Don Quixote. My daughter continues to amaze me with her energy and stamina. I wish I had half of it. It's become sort of a ritual of ours to go out for dinner with a couple other families from the studio after the weekend rehearsals, and tonight we enjoyed dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory.

Tomorrow will be catch up day. Mouse has Girl Scout homework to finish up for this coming week's meeting, and I am sure there are errands that need to be taken care of.

I am feeling much better than I was these past two weeks. Thank you for all the well wishes.

We had a fire scare not too far from my workplace. Fortunately, the fire and rescue crews were able to work quickly enough to get the fire under control. We were worried one of my daughter's friends might have to evacuate as the streets just north of hers were mandated to, but they were allowed to stay. The air quality is awful from that and another fire not too far away. The winds are keeping the skies blue, but we've been warned to avoid too much outdoor activity for the time being.

Tell me what you have been up to! I hope you are all well. What are you reading, listening to and watching? 


Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 




October seems like the perfect month to read a book featuring a ghost, and so all my choices for this month's poll included a ghost of some kind. It just so happens each of the books is a mystery--which makes them all even more appealing in my mind. It started out as a close race. Two of the books were tied initially, but one quickly took the lead.


Mrs. Morris and the Ghost received six votes to The Summoning's seven. The majority of you voted for Death Overdue. I do not think could resist a library setting either. I started reading it today and am already half way through!


Death Overdue (The Haunted Library Mysteries #1) by Allison Brook
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.
The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.
Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue, the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!


© 2019, 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, October 08, 2019

Waiting to Read Wednesday: The Witch's Trinity/Penny for Your Secrets/Laughter at the Academy/The Christmas Keeper



The Old(er) 
I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!


The Witch's Trinity by Erika Mailman (Broadway Books, 2007)
The year is 1507, and severe famine strikes a small town in Germany. A friar arrives from a large city, claiming that the town is under the spell of witches in league with the devil. He brings with him a book called the Malleus Maleficarum—“The Witch’s Hammer.” It is a guide to gaining confessions of witchcraft. The friar promises he will identify the guilty woman who has brought God’s anger upon the town, burn her, and restore bounty.

The elderly Güde Müller suffers stark and frightening visions; none in the village knows this, and Güde herself worries that the sharpness of her mind has begun to fade. Yet of one thing she is absolutely certain: She has become an object of scorn and a burden to her son’s wife. In these desperate times, her daughter-in-law would prefer one less hungry mouth at the family table. As the friar turns his eye on each member of the tiny community, Güde dreads what her daughter-in-law might say to win his favor, and that her secret visions will be revealed. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I cannot remember how this landed on my TBR shelf, but there it sits and has for awhile. The mention of a witch is always going to attract my attention. This sounds like it will be heart wrenching. 


Have you read The Witch's Trinity? If not, does it sound like something you would enjoy?


The New
Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.


Penny for Your Secrets (Verity Kent #3) by Anna Lee Huber
Release Date: October 29. 2019 by Kensington
England, 1919. In Anna Lee Huber’s latest mystery, former Secret Service agent Verity Kent is finding that life after wartime offers its own share of danger . . .

The Great War may be over, but for many, there are still obstacles on the home front. Reconciling with her estranged husband makes Verity sympathetic to her friend Ada’s marital difficulties. Bourgeois-bred Ada, recently married to the Marquess of Rockham, is overwhelmed trying to navigate the ways of the aristocracy. And when Lord Rockham is discovered shot through the heart with a bullet from Ada’s revolver, Verity fears her friend has made a fatal blunder.

While striving to prove Ada’s innocence, Verity is called upon for another favor. The sister of a former Secret Service colleague has been killed in what authorities believe was a home invasion gone wrong. The victim’s war work—censoring letters sent by soldiers from the front—exposed her to sensitive, disturbing material. Verity begins to suspect these two unlikely cases may be linked. But as the connections deepen, the consequences—not just for Verity, but for Britain—grow more menacing than she could have imagined. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I loved the first book in this series and while I haven't yet read the second book, I cannot help but feel excited about the upcoming release of the third. Verity is such a great heroine. I look forward to visiting her again. 


Laughter at the Academy by Seanan McGuire
Release Date: October 31, 2019 Subterranean Press
From fairy tale forest to gloomy gothic moor, from gleaming epidemiologist’s lab to the sandy shores of Neverland, Seanan McGuire’s short fiction has been surprising, delighting, confusing, and transporting her readers since 2009. Now, for the first time, that fiction has been gathered together in one place, ready to be enjoyed one twisting, tangled tale at a time. Her work crosses genres and subverts expectations.

Meet the mad scientists of “Laughter at the Academy” and “The Tolling of Pavlov’s Bells.” Glory in the potential of a Halloween that never ends. Follow two very different alphabets in “Frontier ABCs” and “From A to Z in the Book of Changes.” Get “Lost,” dress yourself “In Skeleton Leaves,” and remember how to fly. All this and more is waiting for you within the pages of this decade-spanning collection, including several pieces that have never before been reprinted. Stories about mermaids, robots, dolls, and Deep Ones are all here, ready for you to dive in.
This is a box of strange surprises dredged up from the depths of the sea, each one polished and prepared for your enjoyment. So take a chance, and allow yourself to be surprised. [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: Seanan McGuire has fast become one of my favorite urban fantasy authors, and so of course this upcoming release of short stories caught my attention. While many of these stories have been out for awhile, they will all be new to me.


The Christmas Keeper (Happily Ever After #2) by Jenn McKinlay
Release Date: October 29, 2019 by Berkley
True love and holiday cheer combine for an unforgettable romance in this second Happily Ever After novel featuring a North Carolina bookstore from the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Ones.

All he wants for Christmas...

The second Joaquin Solis saw Savannah Wilson, he knew she was destined to be his wife. Unfortunately, Savannah's sights are set on a happily-ever-after of another kind: skewering the boss who got her fired. Until then, she won't act on the scorching sexual chemistry that is brewing between them, leaving Joaquin scrambling to find a way to capture her heart.

When the opportunity arises to use his ranch to boost Savannah's publicity career, Joaquin doesn't hesitate to invite her into his world at Shadow Pines and woo her with all of his Christmas loving mojo. It's a gamble since the holidays aren't really Savannah's thing and helping her might also mean losing her as she plans to shake the dust off of their quaint town in North Carolina and head back to New York City the first chance she gets.

But Joaquin believes in the magic of Christmas and he knows with a little help from his friends at the Happily Ever After Bookstore, he can convince the woman of his dreams that he's a keeper... [Goodreads Summary]
Why I want to read this: I really like Jenn McKinlay's mysteries and look forward to trying her romance novels. I really like the sound of this one. 


Do any of these sound like novels you would like to read? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading? 


© 2019, 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.

Saturday, October 05, 2019

Weekly Mewsings: Ghostly Reads and October's TBR List Poll

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by 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 The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants discuss what they are reading and other bookish topics. I am also linking to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. 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.  


New to My Shelves: 

I finally got around to spending a gift card to my favorite local independent bookstore my husband and daughter gave me for Mother's Day and picked up four new books (admittedly, two were my daughter's picks):


The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey



Flurries of Fun (Frozen Adventures)
Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami, Priya Kuriyan


A friend hosted an online Usborne Books for Kids party this past week and I picked three books to add to our family book collection:


Usborne Illustrated Stories from Shakespeare
Usborne Illustrated Ballet Stories, illustrated by Yvonne Gilbert Nanos


Secrets of the Seashore: A Shine-A-Light Book by Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner


What I Am Reading:  October has started off as the month for ghosts. I recently finished reading Rose Pressey's Murder Can Mess Up Your Masterpiece, which was a great way to start of October--a ghostly cozy mystery set at a craft fair. And Mouse and I are currently reading Ivy + Bean and the Ghost That Had to Go by Annie Barros and Sophie Blackall.

Off the Blog: I have been feeling under the weather recently. Nothing a little pain medication and antibiotics can't fix. Other than that, we have been on the go quite a bit between work, dance, Girl Scouts, and school. Mouse and I have resumed our usual visits to the public library, which was long overdue. Rehearsals for the Nutcracker ballet have been kicked up a notch, and my husband was talked into taking the stage again. This time there will be some actual dancing, which he's not too sure about, but I am sure both he and my daughter will do great.


Here is what I finished reading in September:
  • After the Flood by Kassandra Montag
  • Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires 
  • The Journey by Francesca Sanna 
  • The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories by Dr. Seuss
  • The Taken (Celestial Blues, #1) by Vicki Pettersson
  • Well Met by Jen DeLuca
  • Ivy + Bean (#1) by Annie Barrows & Sophie Blackall
  • The Girl in Red by Christina Henry
  • Goldilicious by Victoria Kann
  • Merry Christmas, Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
  • The Ten Thousand Doors by Alix E. Harrow

This Past September In Reading Mews:

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



Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

You've dropped your favorite book while being chased by a herd of zombies. Would you go back to retrieve it?

Only if they are far enough away, and I knew I could get away with the delay. Even a favorite book isn't worth my life.


Would you stop and pick up the book under the same circumstances? 


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 Best/Worst Read of September


It was another good month for me reading wise, and there were no books that really were the worst. My favorite by far, however, was The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow.

EVERY STORY OPENS A DOOR
In a sprawling mansion filled with exotic treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr. Locke, she feels little different from the artifacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored, and utterly out of place.
But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. As each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, January discovers a story that might just be the key to unlocking the secrets of her past. [Goodreads Summary]


If I had to pick a least favorite, I suppose it would be Dr. Seuss's The Bippolo Seed and Other Lost Stories. My daughter and I enjoyed all the stories, but none really stood out for us.

What’s better than a lost treasure? Seven lost treasures! These rarely seen Dr. Seuss stories were published in magazines in the early 1950s and are finally available in book form. They include “The Bippolo Seed” (in which a scheming feline leads a duck toward a bad decision), “The Rabbit, the Bear, and the Zinniga-Zanniga” (about a rabbit who is saved from a bear by a single eyelash), “Gustav, the Goldfish” (an early rhymed version of the Beginner Book A Fish Out of Water), “Tadd and Todd” (about a twin who is striving to be an individual), “Steak for Supper” (in which fantastic creatures follow a boy home in anticipation of a steak dinner), “The Strange Shirt Spot” (the inspiration for the bathtub-ring scene in The Cat in the Hat Comes Back), and “The Great Henry McBride” (about a boy whose far-flung career fantasies are bested only by those of Dr. Seuss himself). An introduction by Seuss scholar Charles D. Cohen traces the history of the stories, which demonstrate an intentional move toward the writing style we now associate with Dr. Seuss. Cohen also explores the themes that recur in well-known Seuss stories (like the importance of the imagination or the perils of greed). With a color palette enhanced beyond the limitations of the original magazines, this is a collection that no Seuss fan (whether scholar or second grader) will want to miss. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? What was your favorite and least favorite reads this past month? 


Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 




Halloween is the perfect time for the supernatural, including ghosts. Since I am in the mood for something on the lighter side, I thought one of these cozy mysteries would make the perfect October read. Which one do you think I should read this month?



Mrs. Morris and the Ghost (A Salem B&B Mystery #1) by Traci Wilton
Charlene Morris knew Salem, Massachusetts had a spooky reputation. But when she decided to open her B&B there, she expected guests--not ghosts...

A grieving young widow, Charlene needed a new start--so she bought a historic mansion, sight unseen, and drove from Chicago to New England to start turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. On her first night in the house, she awakens to find a handsome man with startling blue eyes in her bedroom. Terror turns to utter disbelief when he politely introduces himself as Jack Strathmore--and explains that he used to live here--when he was alive. He firmly believes that someone pushed him down the stairs three years ago, and he won't be able to leave until someone figures out who. If Charlene wants to get her business up and running in time for the Halloween tourist rush, and get this haunting houseguest out of the way, she'll have to investigate. Though truth be told, this ghost is starting to grow on her . . .  [Goodreads Summary]

The Summoning (Krewe of Hunters #27) by Heather Graham
A CALL FROM BEYOND…

When Kristi Stewart inherits a property in the old part of Savannah, she knows it comes with stories of hauntings. But she doesn’t believe in ghosts, even while she runs seances for the guests of McLane House Bed-and-Breakfast. Until the inexplicable midnight appearance of one of her infamous ancestors. Terrified, she flees into the night—and right into the arms of Dallas Wicker.

Dallas is trying to uncover the truth about a colleague who died under suspicious circumstances. As strange happenings continue to plague Kristi’s home, it is soon clear that there’s a very living threat in the neighborhood—several people have disappeared without a trace. Dallas can’t find any connection between the victims, but someone wanted them gone, and it might be linked to the history of McLane House. And that means Kristi should be very afraid. [Goodreads Summary]

Death Overdue (The Haunted Library Mysteries #1) by Allison Brook
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost. Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies.

The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie feels responsible for having surged forward with the program despite pushback from her director. Driven by guilt, Carrie's determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it's the same man who killed Laura all those years ago. Luckily for Carrie, she has a friendly, knowledgeable ghost by her side. But as she questions the shadows surrounding Laura's case, disturbing secrets come to light and with each step Carrie takes, she gets closer to ending up like Al.

Now it's due or die for Carrie in Death Overdue, the delightful first in a new cozy series by Allison Brook. [Goodreads Summary]



Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!


© 2019, 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.