Where Is Your Bookmark: A Peek into Mother-Daughter Murder Night (& Other Friday Fun)

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

Beth knew she couldn't leave for work until she dealt with the dead body on the beach. [opening line from the prologue of Mother-Daughter Murder Night]

and

Three hundred miles south, Lana Rubicon lay sprawled on the dark slate floor of her kitchen, wondering how she got there. [opening line of chapter one of Murder-Daughter Murder Night]

The first is the opening of the prologue and the second of the first chapter of Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon. Both are attention grabbers, aren't they? They certainly made me want to read more. I am not too far into the book yet, but I am already invested in the story and characters. 

Nothing brings an estranged family together like a murder next door.

A lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder.

“Mother-Daughter Murder Night is the perfect mix of family drama and murder mystery.” — Kellye Garrett, award-winning author of Like a Sister

High-powered businesswoman Lana Rubicon has a lot to be proud of: her keen intelligence, impeccable taste, and the L.A. real estate empire she’s built. But when she finds herself trapped 300 miles north of the city, convalescing in a sleepy coastal town with her adult daughter Beth and teenage granddaughter Jack, Lana is stuck counting otters instead of square footage—and hoping that boredom won’t kill her before the cancer does.

Then Jack—tiny in stature but fiercely independent—happens upon a dead body while kayaking. She quickly becomes a suspect in the homicide investigation, and the Rubicon women are thrown into chaos. Beth thinks Lana should focus on recovery, but Lana has a better idea. She’ll pull on her wig, find the true murderer, protect her family, and prove she still has power.

With Jack and Beth’s help, Lana uncovers a web of lies, family vendettas, and land disputes lurking beneath the surface of a community populated by folksy conservationists and wealthy ranchers. But as their amateur snooping advances into ever-more dangerous territory, the headstrong Rubicon women must learn to do the one thing they’ve always resisted: depend on each other. [Goodreads Summary]

Does Mother-Daughter Murder Night sound like something you would like to read? What book is your bookmark in currently? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is co-hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because Reading is Better than Real Life, and Karen from For What It’s Worth. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Do you download freebies? Read free preview chapters?

When I got my first e-reader, I downloaded freebies right and left. I subscribed to all the free and discount e-book newsletters I could find. Ultimately, I unsubscribed to all of them, and now limit myself to the monthly free Amazon Prime book or two. If you count Edelweiss and NetGalley for books in exchange for reviews, then yes, I use both to request books sometimes. 

In terms of previewing chapters, the closest I come is to sometimes using the Amazon sample feature for a book I am on the fence about reading to see if I like the writing style and whether or not the book will grab hold of me from the start. I do the same in a bookstore with physical books if I am considering buying a book.

Do you download freebies and read free preview chapters?

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.

Never judge a book by its film adaptation. Do you concur? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I am with Billy on this one. Some books are better. Some movies are better. Sometimes both are good in their own right, whether a close adaptation or completely off script. 

Do you judge a book by its film adaptation?

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

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© 2023 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait to Read Wednesday: The Scarlet Alchemist / An Inheritance of Magic / The Leftover Woman / Magic Rises

The New

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

My three picks for this week include alchemy and political intrigue, magic and more political intrigue, and a poignant mother/daughter story that is sure to pull at my heart strings. Is it any wonder these are on my wish list? 

The Scarlet Alchemist (#1) by Kylie Lee Baker

(Inkyard Press, October 3, 2023; 432 pgs)  

Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.  [Goodreads Summary]

An Inheritance of Magic (Stephen Oakwood #1) by Benedict Jacka

(Ace, October 5, 2023; 336 pgs)

Wealth, education, resources—some people seem to exist in a glittering world on a different plane from the rest of us. Almost as if by…magic.

Stephen Oakwood knows there’s a magical world hidden from view. Before his father disappeared, he taught Stephen how to create and use sigls to channel power. But unlocking the full potential of drucraft takes money, power, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum-wage job and a cat.

When a chance meeting leads to Stephen’s skill being recognized by a member of House Ashford, everything changes. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and powerful by hoarding their knowledge, and for a brief moment it seems as though all of that is about to be offered to Stephen.

But this isn’t that kind of story.

House Ashford have no more interest in sharing their privileges with Stephen than they do with anyone else. What they are interested in is increasing their own power, and now Stephen’s been thrust into a world he doesn’t understand. To survive he’ll have to take his talent and build it up into something greater—for only then can he beat them at their own game. [Goodreads Summary]

The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

(William Morrow, October 10, 2023; 336 pgs)  

An evocative family drama and a riveting mystery about the ferocious pull of motherhood for two very different women--from the New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York City from her rural Chinese village without money or family support, fleeing a controlling husband, on a desperate search for the daughter who was taken from her at birth--another female casualty of China's controversial One Child Policy. But with her husband on her trail, the clock is ticking, and she's forced to make increasingly desperate decisions if she ever hopes to be reunited with her daughter.

Meanwhile, publishing executive Rebecca Whitney seems to have it all: a prestigious family name and the wealth that comes with it, a high-powered career, a beautiful home, a handsome husband, and an adopted Chinese daughter she adores. She's even hired a Chinese nanny to help her balance the demands of being a working wife and mother. But when an industry scandal threatens to jeopardize not only Rebecca's job but her marriage, this perfect world begins to crumble and her role in her own family is called into question.

The Leftover Woman finds these two unforgettable women on a shocking collision course. Twisting and suspenseful and surprisingly poignant, it's a profound exploration of identity and belonging, motherhood and family. It is a story of two women in a divided city--separated by severe economic and cultural differences yet bound by a deep emotional connection to a child. [Goodreads Summary]

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

The Old(er) 

Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight those unread books on my TBR in her Books from the Backlog feature, reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

It's been a few years since I last read a book in the Kate Daniel's series. It doesn't feel like it's been so long, but my reading log tells me otherwise. This is one of many series I want to continue reading, one of many next books of many of those series I have waiting patiently for me to finally read it. 

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews (Ace, 2013; 329 pgs)

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap… [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Magic Rises?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2023, 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.

Where Is Your Bookmark: A Peek into Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (& Other Friday Discussion Fun)

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

Shadow is not at all happy with me. He lies by the fire while the child wind rattles the door, tail inert, staring out from beneath that shaggy forelock of his with the sort of accusatory resignation peculiar to dogs, as if to say: Of all the stupid adventures you've dragged me on, this will surely be the death of us. I fear I have to agree, though this makes me no less eager to begin my research.  [opening paragraph of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries]

Such an inviting opening with an introduction first to her dog and then the main character! And then a sense of foreboding--just what are they in for? 

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. NOTE: Friday 56 is currently on an indefinite hiatus.

For a moment, I saw something--a shadow upon my third finger. It was only visible from the corner of my eye, and only then when I let my mind wander and did not think of it. My hand was very cold. [excerpt from 46% of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries]

I am deep into Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett and loving it so far. It is the book that won my September TBR List Poll earlier this month. 

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart. [Goodreads Summary]

Does this sound like a book you would like to read? What book is your bookmark in this week? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is co-hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because Reading is Better than Real Life, and Karen from For What It’s Worth. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

New to me authors: who have you discovered this year?

I do not know if "discovered" is the right word since I had already heard of many of the new to me authors I read for the first time this year. At the head of the list would be Julie Mulhern, author of the Country Club Murders Mystery series, which I FINALLY began this year. T.J. Klune (Under the Whispering Door) is another one I am glad I finally took a chance on. Aida Salazar (The Moon Within) and Anna V.Q. Ross (Flutter, Kick) are brilliant poetesses. This year, I also read and enjoyed books by new to me authors Shannon Messenger (Keeper of the Lost Cities series), T.J. Newman (Falling), Jessica Ellicott (Murder at a London Finishing School), and Colson Whitehead (Nickel Boys). I am sure there are more I am forgetting, but these are the ones that most stand out. 

Which new to you authors have you read for the first time this year and enjoyed? 

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.

Has reading helped you become a better person? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

 

Personally, I believe reading in general has helped shape who I am and what I believe. It has expanded my worldview and caused me to examine my own motivations, thoughts, and feelings in ways I might not have if it hadn't been for reading. I have traveled the world in books, shared experiences with characters leading very different or similar lives, exposing me to new ideas and ways of thinking. Is it the same as traveling in the real world and being exposed to real people in those same or similar situations? Not nearly to the same degree, but I still believe it has an influence on my overall outlook on life. 

Reading is food for the mind and the soul. I am more knowledgeable thanks to reading. It has helped me get where I am in my career and continues to help as I grow and learn in every aspect of my life, a process that is never-ending--as it should be for all of us. And reading helps calm my racing mind when I need something singular to focus on, to distract me, or relieve stress. It's good for my mental health. Reading has shown me that I am not alone, given me comfort, and challenged me to do and be better.  

Reading has made me more curious, ask more questions, think critically, and look beyond the surface. It's helped me better understand the why just as much as the how and who. How much of this is due to the books I read versus other influences or just who I am intrinsically, I cannot say. It's likely a combination of them all at varying degrees.  

Has reading shaped who you are as a person?

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

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© 2023 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait to Read Wednesday: Starling House / The Roaring Days of Zora Lily / The Salvation Gambit / Mooncakes

The New

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

Even had I not read and loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow, I would want to read Starling House. It sounds like Gothic goodness! 

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

(Tor Books, October 3, 2023; 320 pgs)  

A grim and gothic new tale from author Alix E. Harrow about a small town haunted by secrets that can't stay buried and the sinister house that sits at the crossroads of it all.

Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland--and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. [Goodreads Summary]

A dual time line historical novel set in Seattle and speakeasies . . . How can I resist? 

The Roaring Days of Zora Lily by Noelle Salazar

(Mira, October 3, 2023; 414 pgs)  

In this dazzling new novel, the discovery of a hidden label on a famous gown unearths the story of a talented young seamstress and her journey from the smoke-filled speakeasies of Jazz Age Seattle to the costume houses of Hollywood.

2023, The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History: A costume conservator is preparing an exhibition featuring movie costumes from the 1920s to present day. As she gingerly places a gown once worn by Greta Garbo on a mannequin, she discovers another name hidden beneath the designer's label, leaving her to wonder—who is Zora Lily?

1924, Seattle: Poverty-stricken Zora Hough spends her days looking after her younger siblings while sewing up holes and fixing hems for clients to bring in extra money, working her fingers to the bone just to survive. But at night, as she lies in the bed she shares with one of her three sisters, she secretly dreams of becoming a designer like Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin.

When her best friend gets a job dancing in a club downtown, Zora is lured in by her stories of music, glittering dresses and boys. She follows her friend to the underground speakeasies that are at once exciting and frightening—with smoke hanging in the air, alcohol flowing despite Prohibition, couples dancing in a way that makes Zora blush and a handsome businessman named Harley. It’s a world she has only ever imagined, and one with connections that could lead her to the life she's always dreamed of. But as Zora's ambition is challenged by tragedy and duty to her family, she'll learn that dreams come with a cost.  [Goodreads Summary]

I do not read enough science fiction, but I enjoy it when I do, and this one has my name written all over it. I look forward to reading it.

The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie

(Del Rey, September 26, 2023; 310 pgs)  

A hotheaded hacker must outwit the AI at the heart of a rogue warship–turned–penal colony if she and her crew of con women want to escape with their lives in this electrifying sci-fi thriller from the acclaimed author of Bonds of Brass.

Murdock has always believed in Hark, the woman who shaped her from a petty thief and lowlife hacker into a promising con artist. Hark is everything Murdock aspires to be, from her slick fashion sense to her unfailing ability to plan under pressure. Together with Bea, a fearless driver who never walks away from a bet, and Fitz, Murdock’s infuriatingly mercurial rival who can sweet-talk the galaxy into spinning around her finger, they form a foursome with a reputation for daring heists, massive payoffs, and never, ever getting caught.

Well, until now.

Getting caught is one thing. Getting tithed to a sentient warship that’s styled itself into a punitive god is a problem this team has never faced before. Aboard the Justice is a world stitched together from the galaxy’s sinners—some fighting for survival, some struggling to build a civilized society, and some sacrificing everything to worship the AI at the heart of the ship.

The Justice ’s all-seeing eyes are fixed on its newest acquisitions, Murdock in particular. It has use for a hacker—if it can wrest her devotion away from Hark. And Murdock’s faith is already fractured. To escape the Justice ’s madness, they need a plan, and Hark might not be up to the task.

If Hark—brilliant, unflappable Hark—can’t plot a way out, Murdock will have to use every last trick she’s learned to outwit the Justice, resist its temptation, and get her crew out alive. [Goodreads Summary]

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

The Old(er) 

Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight those unread books on my TBR in her Books from the Backlog feature, reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

I was reminded of this book when someone I follow on Threads mentioned they were reading it. I was so eager to get my hands on a copy when I first heard about it a few years ago, but it's still sitting on my shelf unread. 

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu (Oni Press, 2019; 243 pgs)

A story of love and demons, family and witchcraft.

Nova Huang knows more about magic than your average teen witch. She works at her grandmothers' bookshop, where she helps them loan out spell books and investigate any supernatural occurrences in their New England town.

One fateful night, she follows reports of a white wolf into the woods, and she comes across the unexpected: her childhood crush, Tam Lang, battling a horse demon in the woods. As a werewolf, Tam has been wandering from place to place for years, unable to call any town home.

Pursued by dark forces eager to claim the magic of wolves and out of options, Tam turns to Nova for help. Their latent feelings are rekindled against the backdrop of witchcraft, untested magic, occult rituals, and family ties both new and old in this enchanting tale of self-discovery. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Mooncakes?  Does this graphic novel sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2023, 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.

Where Is Your Bookmark: Quick Peek into We Carry Their Bones (& Other Friday Discussion Fun)

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

Before the lawsuits and protests, before the ground-penetrating radar and DNA testing, before we stalked and before the citizens of Jackson County tried to have me arrested, before we ever stuck a shovel in the red dirt of North Florida to exhume bodies, I stood in the women's restroom as the news media gathered in the large room outside and began setting up their cameras and checking their microphones and waiting for me to step before them and tell them what I had learned about the dead boys. 

I did not want to do this. [opening of We Carry Their Bones]

This is such an effective start to a book. The author is letting me know what to expect, preparing me for an emotional, at times tense, read, and also adding a hint of a more personal nuance to the story about her own experiences and thoughts in how it relates to the events she is about to share with the reader. 

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. NOTE: Friday 56 is currently on an indefinite hiatus.

A few hours after noon on the first day, with thunderstorms rolling in, we found the first signs of a burial at the bottom of our first shallow hole about thirty meters north of those rows of crooked pipe crosses. [excerpt from 56% of We Carry Their Bones]

I am only about 20% into We Carry Their Bones, and have not yet reached the chapter with the above excerpt. What these boys and their families went through . . . There are no words.

One of my reading goals this year was to pair a fiction and nonfiction book together, and read them back to back. I recently read Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys and intentionally am following it up with this book. While the subject matter may be heavy, these are important stories, a part of America's history (and frankly, present) that we cannot afford to hide or ignore. 

We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle

Forensic anthropologist Erin Kimmerle investigates of the notorious Dozier Boys School--the true story behind the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Nickel Boys--and the contentious process to exhume the graves of the boys buried there in order to reunite them with their families.

The Arthur G. Dozier Boys School was a well-guarded secret in Florida for over a century, until reports of cruelty, abuse, and "mysterious" deaths shut the institution down in 2011. Established in 1900, the juvenile reform school accepted children as young as six years of age for crimes as harmless as truancy or trespassing. The boys sent there, many of whom were Black, were subject to brutal abuse, routinely hired out to local farmers by the school's management as indentured labor, and died either at the school or attempting to escape its brutal conditions.

In the wake of the school's shutdown, Erin Kimmerle, a leading forensic anthropologist, stepped in to locate the school's graveyard to determine the number of graves and who was buried there, thus beginning the process of reuniting the boys with their families through forensic and DNA testing. The school's poorly kept accounting suggested some thirty-one boys were buried in unmarked graves in a remote field on the school's property. The real number was at least twice that. Kimmerle's work did not go unnoticed; residents and local law enforcement threatened and harassed her team in their eagerness to control the truth she was uncovering--one she continues to investigate to this day.

We Carry Their Bones is a detailed account of Jim Crow America and an indictment of the reform school system as we know it. It's also a fascinating dive into the science of forensic anthropology and an important retelling of the extraordinary efforts taken to bring these lost children home to their families--an endeavor that created a political firestorm and a dramatic reckoning with racism and shame in the legacy of America. [Goodreads Summary]

Does this sound like something you would want to read? What book is your bookmark in right now?  

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. It is co-hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell, Roberta from Offbeat YA, Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About, Berl's from Because Reading is Better than Real Life, and Karen from For What It’s Worth. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Libraries: do you prefer to visit in person or check out on-line?

Some of my fondest memories of the library are the weekly summer children's hour at the small library my brother, mother, and I frequented when I was a child. Entertainers and educators would share books and knowledge, sometimes we would do crafts, and always my brother and I would browse the shelves looking for our next books to check out and read. As I got older, the library, both the public and school libraries, became more a source for material for papers, research, studying, and access to computers. My favorite job was working in the university library as part of the work study program when I was doing my undergraduate studies. It was home away from home. 

When my daughter was younger, Saturdays were designated for soccer class, park time, and the library. We always looked forward to going to the library, picking out books to check out and other books to read right there. My husband and I took turns sitting on the little couch in the children's section with Mouse, reading to and with her. We would always stop at the craft table if there was a project set out, whether coloring or cutting and gluing, or what have you. 

Visits to the library are less common for us now, but there's still something almost magical about being inside one: being surrounded by all those books, reaching out to touch or hold them, flipping through the pages, and randomly reading pages to see if the book is a good fit. The library is a great place to stop in for some quiet time, to read or rest--even to use the restroom in a pinch. It is a sanctuary. 

I haven't really explored all the online options the library offers, other than seeing if the local library has a particular book Mouse or I need (sadly, I'm often left disappointed). I have tried a couple of times to figure out and explore the city's library system for e-books, but have not had much success with it so far. My personal shelves (both physical and electronic) are full of TBR books already, and so it has not been a priority to figure out. 

So, the short answer to today's question is that I much prefer to visit libraries in person. 

Do you prefer to visit libraries in person or do you prefer their online services?

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.

How long does it usually take you to finish a book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

It depends on a multitude of factors: writing style, length, genre, how engaged I am with the book, access to the book, how many other books I am reading at the time, life and work commitments and responsibilities, my mood and emotional state, non-bookish distractions, my attention span at any given moment, and other reasons I am sure I am forgetting. And honestly, I am all over the map when it comes to the amount of time it takes me to finish a book. It could be one day to over a hundred days. Poetry, manga and graphic novels are often the ones that I can fit in within a day or so. Short story anthologies and audiobooks take the longest for me to get through. The first I stretch out over months, reading a story here and there in between other books; and the latter because fitting in listening time is a challenge for me. I am not as fast as many book bloggers seem to be at finishing books, but I am definitely a faster reader compared to the average person. That is, if you consider the average person reads about twelve to fifteen books a year (at least according to one source). 

How long, on average, does it take you to finish a book?

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

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© 2023 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait to Read Wednesday: The Hexologists / The Wake-Up Call / The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch / The Strangers on Montagu Street

The New

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

Magical artifacts, rivals coming together for a common cause, and a witch-y Jane Austen re-telling--I cannot wait to read each of these books!

The Hexologists (#1) by Josiah Bancroft

(Orbit, September 26, 2023; 409 pgs)  

The first book in a wildly inventive and mesmerizing new fantasy series from acclaimed author Josiah Bancroft where magical mysteries abound and only one team can solve The Hexologists.

The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost. Well-acquainted with the weird, they never shy away from a challenging case.

But when they are approached by the royal secretary and told the king pleads to be baked into a cake—going so far as to wedge himself inside a lit oven—the Wilbies soon find themselves embroiled in a mystery that could very well see the nation turned on its head. Their effort to expose a royal secret buried under forty years of lies brings them nose to nose with a violent anti-royalist gang, avaricious ghouls, alchemists who draw their power from a hell-like dimension, and a bookish dragon who only occasionally eats people.

Armed with a love toughened by adversity and a stick of chalk that can conjure light from the darkness, hope from the hopeless, Iz and Warren Wilby are ready for a case that will test every spell, skill, and odd magical artifact in their considerable bag of tricks. [Goodreads Summary]

The Wake-Up Call by Beth O'Leary

(Berkley, September 26, 2023; 367 pgs)  

Two hotel receptionists--and arch-rivals--find a collection of old wedding rings and compete to return them to their owners, discovering their own love story along the way.

It's the busiest season of the year, and Forest Manor Hotel is quite literally falling apart. So when Izzy and Lucas are given the same shift on the hotel's front desk, they have no choice but to put their differences aside and see it through.

The hotel won't stay afloat beyond Christmas without some sort of miracle. But when Izzy returns a guest's lost wedding ring, the reward convinces management that this might be the way to fix everything. With four rings still sitting in the lost & found, the race is on for Izzy and Lucas to save their beloved hotel--and their jobs.

As their bitter rivalry turns into something much more complicated, Izzy and Lucas begin to wonder if there's more at stake here than the hotel's future. Can the two of them make it through the season with their hearts intact? [Goodreads Summary]

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub

(Grand Central Publishing, October 3, 2023; 440 pgs)

A sparkling, witchy reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, told from the perspective of the troublesome and—according to her—much-maligned youngest Bennet sister, Lydia.

In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice—while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister. [Goodreads Summary]

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

The Old(er) 

Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight those unread books on my TBR in her Books from the Backlog feature, reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

I confess I am not a huge fan of Melanie, the main character in the Tradd St. series, but I love White's writing and keep thinking I need to give this series another chance. I've read the first two books and have had this one on my e-reader, waiting for me to make up my mind. I am leaning toward yes.

The Strangers on Montagu Street (Tradd St. #3) by Karen White (Berkley, 2011; 354 pgs)

With her relationship with writer Jack Treholm as shaky as the foundation of her family home, Melanie’s juggling a number of problems. Like restoring her Tradd Street house...and resisting her mother’s pressure to ‘go public’ with her talent—a sixth sense that unites them to the lost souls of the dead. But Melanie never anticipated her new problem.

Her name is Nola, Jack’s estranged young daughter who appears on their doorstep, damaged, lonely and defiantly immune to her father’s attempts to reconnect. Melanie understands the emotional chasm all too well. As a special, bonding gift Jack’s mother buys Nola an antique dollhouse—a precious tableaux of a perfect Victorian family. Melanie hopes the gift will help thaw Nola’s reserve and draw her into the family she’s never known.

At first, Nola is charmed, and Melanie is delighted—until night falls, and the most unnerving shadows are cast within its miniature rooms. By the time Melanie senses a malevolent presence she fears it may already be too late. A new family has accepted her unwitting invitation to move in—with their own secrets, their own personal demons, and a past that’s drawing Nola into their own inescapable darkness... [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read The Strangers on Montagu Street?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2023, 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.

Weekly Mews: Another Busy Week

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

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

We got more rain this morning. It was a nice surprise after a week of more heat. This past week was a busy one at work--we're in our busiest stretch right now, a time when I long for the slightly slower summer days. Mouse had her first school dance this past week (she had a great time with her friends), we celebrated a birthday, I accompanied my husband for a routine medical procedure, and I had an emergency dental visit. Mouse's friend is visiting for the day, and I am catching up on laundry, household chores, and taking time out to visit with all of you. I hope your weekend is going well! Tell me what you have been up to!

This past week I read Lodestar (The Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger. It's my daughter's favorite middle grade fantasy series, and I have been enjoying it as well. I recently started the sixth book in the series, Nighfall.

One of my reading goals this year is to read a fiction/nonfiction pairing, and I chose Colson Whitehead's The Nickel Boys and We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle. I recently read The Nickel Boys (which was very good) and am now a couple chapters into We Carry Their Bones. I am already finding these two books compliment each other very well. It is horrific and unjust what those boys went through under the guise of reform. 

Next up, I will be picking up the September TBR Winner of my TBR List Poll. Thank you again to all who voted. Mrs. Morris and the Witch (A Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton received 3 votes, while Mother-Night Murder Night by Nina Simon got 4 votes. 

Winning with 11 votes is Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1). I am excited about reading all three of these--and plan to--but first, I will be reading this one. Thank you to everyone who voted!

My TBR List is 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 Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and let you vote for my next read during that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise). 

Recent purchases:

Deacon King Kong by James McBride

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

Secrets and Sidekicks (Katie the Catsitter (#3) by Colleen A.F. Venable and Stephanie Yue (Mouse's)

Birthday Loot: 

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments (Edinburgh Nights #2) by T.L. Huchu

Death Checked Out (A Larkspur Library #1) by Leah Dobrinska

Morgan Is My Name by Sophie Keetch

Thief of Souls (Inspector Lu Fei Mystery #1) by Brian Klingborg

What new books made it onto your shelf recently? 

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

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© 2023, 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.