Weekly Mews: My June and Mid-Year Wrap Up

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.

Mouse is off to an open mic event with friends, and I am spending part of my evening with you. The days have been warm and unfortunately the nights too (makes it hard to sleep). Work has been mostly calm, which is a nice change. I cannot believe June is coming to an end! It feels like the summer is slipping by too fast, and yet it's just begun. 

Books Read in June

I considered waiting until next weekend to post my mid-June and mid-year wrap ups, but I do not think I will be finishing my current two reads before the month is out. I read many good books in June. I started off the month with Etta Easton's The Kiss Countdown which I adored.

My daughter asked me to read one of her favorites, a middle grade thriller/horror novel, The Keeper, which was a fun read. I can see why she liked it! One of my favorite anime series is Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, which Mouse got me hooked on a couple or so years ago, and I finally convinced her to let me read the manga the series it is based on. The books are just as good, if not better.

I am all caught up with one of my favorite historical mystery series by Jennifer Ashley, and I was finally able to read something by Daphne du Mauier; both books I enjoyed. I am continuing to enjoy Kim Harrison's The Hollows series. I finished American Demon this month. 

I was one virtual bookmark away from earning the entire set for Spring on the Kindle Insights feature, and so I read Iris Beaglehole's Accidental Magic, a fun cozy paranormal mystery which I had been wanting to read for awhile now, to earn that last one. Thank you again to everyone who voted in my June TBR List poll! If it hadn't been for work and needing sleep, I would have finished it in one sitting.

• Accidental Magic (Myrtlewood Mysteries #1) by Iris Beaglehole
• Don't Look Now and Other Stories by Daphne du Mauier
• The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton
• American Demon (The Hollows #14) by Kim Harrison
• The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall
• Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, Vol. 1 by Osamu Nishi
• Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, Vol. 2 by Osamu Nishi
• Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun, Vol. 3 by Osamu Nishi
• Murder Road by Simone St. James
• Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell #4) by Ashley Weaver

It was yet another month of not reading a book I did not like in the bunch. I just can't pick a least favorite this month, try as I might. I struggled choosing a favorite too. It came down to Murder Road and The Kiss Countdown, two very different books, both of which I loved for different reasons. In the end, I decided to go with the book that left me smiling for days after. It hit the right spot for me at the exact moment. So, my June favorite is The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton. 

 

What was your favorite book read in June? Did you have a good reading month?

Mid-Year Check-In

Although I did not sign up for any reading challenges this year (the Goodreads and Storygraph ones don't count because I purposefully set that bar low), I am making a point of reading more. I am not aiming for a particular number goal, but I am making a concerted effort to choose reading over some of my less productive activities (I'm talking about you, phone games and social media). Unfortunately, it may have cut into my blogging time too. I am a work in progress. All that to say, I have read 52 books so far this year, which to some may not seem like a lot, but for me, it is the total number of books I read last year. Of course, there are novellas, short stories, graphic novels, and manga in that mix, but I am still averaging more reading per month than I have in a while. 

Of the books I read so far this year, I have yet to DNF a book and none rated below three paws (meaning good) on my rating scale. Only four books have earned my top rating of 5 paws. This year I set out to select a favorite book each month and these were the ones that have come out on top so far: 

January ~ Legends & Lattes (#1) by Travis Baldree

February ~ Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (#2) by Heather Fawcett

March ~ Speculations in Sin (Below the Stairs Mystery #7) by Jennifer Ashley

April ~ Dune by Frank Herbert

May ~ The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo & Kindred by Octavia Butler 

June ~ The Kiss Countdown by Etta Easton

One of my favorite Storygraph features is their moods graph. Admittedly, it is dependent on the moods the majority of users of the app apply to the books, but I find it fun to see which direction my reading is going mood-wise based on their findings. 

I set a few personal reading goals for myself for the year and have been steadily making progress on, and even completing several of them. Of the ones for which I have made progress:

• Read one classic this year and I have read two: David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and Kindred by Octavia Butler (three if you count the short story collection, Don't Look Now and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier). 
• Listen to six audio books, which I managed to do in the first half of this year. 
• Read at least one fiction/nonfiction pairing, and I accomplished that: Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders and One Woman's Army: A Black Officer Remembers the WAC by Charity Adams Earley.  
• Read a book over 700 pages and I ended up reading David Copperfield, 768 pages. I also read Legacy (Keeper of the Lost Cities #8) by Shannon Messenger, 780 pages.
• Read three books recommended by my daughter, which I did do--not counting the recent manga volumes I had to twist her arm to get her to let me read. She recommended I read Misfit Mansion by Kay Davault, Legacy by Shannon Messenger, and The Keeper by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. 
• Read all my TBR List Poll winners, which I have--and all but one in the month they won (I was so close to finishing it in its appointed month, but I went over by a day or two). 

How did the first half of 2024 go for you reading wise? What is your favorite book of the year so far? How are you doing on your reading goals? 

I am about half way through Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead. Having recently read David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, I am very conscious of the similarities in the story and characters. From what I have read so far, Kingsolver's modern adaptation of the classic is very well done. I cannot help but wonder if she wrote Demon Copperhead with David Copperfield open by her side to make sure she kept true to the original story. 

Someone on Threads mentioned reading and enjoying the Shades of Magic trilogy recently, and so last night I started reading A Conjuring of Light (Shades of Magic #3) by V.E. Schwab. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to jump back into the series. It feels like I never left--and it's so intense!

What are you reading right now?

My mom, Mouse and I went to see Inside Out 2 the week before last. We loved the first movie and have seen it multiple times. The second was wonderful too--and with the main character turning 13, just like my daughter did this year, it made the movie even more poignant for all of us. 

Have you seen Inside Out 2? If so, what did you think? 

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

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© 2024, 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: My Bookish Mewsings of Accidental Magic by Iris Beaglehole (& Other Friday Fun)

Along with this mini review, 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 Anne of My Head is Full of Books, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading.  

Thunder roared and lightning crashed through the sky, illuminating the clouds above Thorn Manor. [opening of Accidental Magic]

               ★                    

"Hello there," he said. "Taxi to the train station, ready and waiting."

"To the train station, eh?" Constable Perkins said, his voice dripping with suspicion. "I thought you said you were going to stay with old Marjie."

Rosemary sighed. She was backed into a corner, and she knew there was nothing for it but the truth.  [excerpt from 49% of Accidental Magic] 

Accidental Magic (Myrtlewood Mysteries #1) by Iris Beaglehole

Te Rā Aroha Press, 2022    

Mystery/Cozy/Paranormal; 314 pgs

Welcome to Myrtlewood, a quirky town, steeped in magic, tea and mystery…

Life’s a struggle for Rosemary Thorn and her teen daughter, Athena. But their regular troubles are turned upside down after Granny Thorn’s mysterious death.

Despite her cousin's sinister manoeuvrings, Rosemary returns to Myrtlewood and the sprawling, dilapidated Thorn Manor. But there's more to the old house than meets the eye, as Rosemary and Athena soon find out — in a whirlwind of magic, adventure, mystical creatures and endless cups of tea.

Life in Myrtlewood would be bliss if Rosemary could only clear her name in a certain murder investigation, solve the mystery and stay out of mortal peril – for at least a little while!

A small town with endless secrets, strange activities and a house with a mind of its own.

If you love mystery, witches, magic and a big dose of humour, you’re going to love Myrtlewood Mysteries Book 1. [Goodreads Summary]

My thoughts: I first heard about this book and series in a Facebook book group I follow in which the author took over for a short time one day. Paranormal cozies featuring witches are among my favorite type of mysteries, and so it seemed like a no brainer that Accidental Magic would end up on my wish list. When I found it was available through Amazon Prime for free, I jumped at the chance to read it. 

I feel like I only got a small glimpse at all the wonders and charm Myrtlewood has to offer in Accidental Magic. It was a great introduction to the town, and I look forward to discovering more about it and it's inhabitants in the coming books. This novel was full of eccentric and interesting characters like Ferg and Marjie. I love Thorn Manor--who wouldn't love to have a self-cleaning house?! Rosemary and her 16 year old daughter, Athena, know nothing about magic when they arrive in Mrytlewood for the reading of Rosemary's grandmother's will. As Rosemary and Athena discover more about the not-so-secret magic in Myrtlewood and the other supernatural beings, so does the reader. 

Rosemary spent a good part of her childhood in Myrtlewood but her memories are fragmented, and, in some cases, appear to be completely nonexistent. Initially, she comes across as a rather forgetful and flighty character, but as the story progresses, the reader--and the characters--gain a better understanding of why. Rosemary has pretty much raised Athena on her own. The mother and daughter have a close relationship, even with their occasional bickering. Athena is a teenager after all, moody and pushing the boundaries and spreading her own wings as an individual. It sometimes felt like a bit much, but it is obvious there is a strong bond between them. Athena is smart and considered the logical one of the two. She's good at reading people.

I liked the world building and enjoyed the mystery as events unfolded. Athena and Rosemary may have stumbled their way through their investigation into Granny's death, but they make a good team. I may have always been a step or two ahead of them, but that is not unusual for me--and perhaps the author intended it that way.  Accidental Magic was an enjoyable read. It was fun, light reading. I definitely plan to spend more time in Myrtlewood. 

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think?

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 hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Mid-Year Check-In: What books have you loved so far in 2024? 

So many! It has been an exceptional reading year so far. I am planning to share my mid-year top reads in a future post, but thought this would be the perfect time to give some love to books I read the first half of the year that didn't make that final list. I loved each and every one of these and highly recommend them!

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

The Bandit Queens by Parini Schroff

An Inconvenient Wife by Karen E. Olson

The Witch With No Name (Hollows #13) (The Hollows #13) by Kim Harrison

Murder Road by Simone St. James

Women of the Post by Joshunda Sanders

Spy x Family, Vol. 11 by Tatsuya Endo

Are there any books that have stood out for you the first half of this year?

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.

Which do you enjoy doing more on the 4th of July: watching fireworks light up the sky or reading an inviting book? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I have many good memories of celebrating the 4th of July when I was growing up: spending the day at my aunt and uncle's house, swimming in their backyard pool, barbecues, and joining the neighbors in my aunt and uncle's cul-de-sac to watch my uncle set off fireworks; or that time we traveled across the country to spend the holiday with family in Pennsylvania, seeing a parade and the town fireworks display. 

When my daughter was younger, my husband and I made an effort to make sure Mouse wouldn't miss out on the fireworks. Family get togethers weren't really a thing for us since we lived so far from our families. One year we went over to a friend's for pool time and enjoyed the city's firework show from her backyard. Another summer, my coworker offered us a view of the city's fireworks from her backyard. Then there were a couple years we went to minor league baseball games and the firework shows after. The year we all had COVID, we stood in our driveway and caught partial views of some of the illegal fireworks going off in the neighborhood. Mouse and I ended up catching a recorded television broadcast of the fireworks in Washington D.C. that year as well (Anjin was so sick he went to bed early). Watching them on television just isn't the same though. 

Our enthusiasm for catching a fireworks display for the 4th of July isn't what it used to be. I think we all would rather be home reading and trying to keep the cats calm. Mouse is older now and the holiday doesn't hold the same magic for any of us that it once did. 

Do you celebrate the 4th of July? Do you enjoy seeing the fireworks or do you prefer staying in with a good book? 

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

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© 2024 Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Love of My Afterlife / The Lion Women of Tehran / Murder on Devil's Pond / Year of Yes

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.

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

The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
Release Date: 07/02/2024 by Berkley

A recently deceased woman meets “the one” in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on earth before ten days are up…

If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, but now she’s standing in her ‘shine like a star’ nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.

As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is until someone comes running out of a door, yelling something about a huge mistake, and sends the dreamy stranger back down to earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.

When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to earth and reconnect with the mysterious stranger, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start at life. But in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind… [Goodreads Summary]

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
Release Date: 07/02/2024 by Gallery Books

From the nationally bestselling author of the “powerful, heartbreaking” (Shelf Awareness) The Stationery Shop, a heartfelt, epic new novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.

In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move to a tiny home downtown. Lonely and bearing the brunt of her mother’s endless grievances, Ellie dreams of a friend to alleviate her isolation.

Luckily, on the first day of school, she meets Homa, a kind, passionate girl with a brave and irrepressible spirit. Together, the two girls play games, learn to cook in the stone kitchen of Homa’s warm home, wander through the colorful stalls of the Grand Bazaar, and share their ambitions for becoming “lion women.”

But their happiness is disrupted when Ellie and her mother are afforded the opportunity to return to their previous bourgeois life. Now a popular student at the best girls’ high school in Iran, Ellie’s memories of Homa begin to fade. Years later, however, her sudden reappearance in Ellie’s privileged world alters the course of both of their lives.

Together, the two young women come of age and pursue their own goals for meaningful futures. But as the political turmoil in Iran builds to a breaking point, one earth-shattering betrayal will have enormous consequences.

Written with Marjan Kamali’s signature “evocative, devastating, and hauntingly beautiful” (Whitney Scharer, author of The Age of Light) prose, The Lion Women of Tehran is a sweeping exploration of how profoundly we are shaped by those we meet when we are young, and the way love and courage transforms our lives. [Goodreads Summary]

Murder on Devil's Pond (Hummingbird Hollow B&B Mystery #1) by Ayla Rose
Release Date: 07/09/2024 by Crooked Lane Books

A quaint Vermont inn offers idyllic peace–until a body is found on the property–in this charming series debut perfect for fans of Ellen Byron and Ellery Adams. 

When 33-year-old Hannah Solace returns to her hometown to renovate and reopen the inn she co-owns with her sister Reggie, her mission is to give the old Victorian hotel an entirely new life. She’s even planting pollinator gardens around the inn–native flowers and fruit trees to lure honeybees and houseguests alike. Hannah’s fresh start is stymied by Reggie’s continual interference, unreliable contractors, a check-the-couch-for-coins budget, and townspeople Hannah left behind fifteen years ago. Her main source of camaraderie is Ezra Grayson, an 80-year-old recluse who lives nearby. After an unsettling conversation with a disgruntled Ezra, Hannah is horrified to discover him dead on her property later that day. Ezra had always had plenty of people to complain about, especially locals trying to force him out of his property for its prime real estate. As buzz around town grows after his death, Hannah finds herself on the short list of suspects. Hannah starts digging and quickly discovers that secrets lurk beneath the charming surface of the town she once again calls home. [Goodreads Summary]

Do any of 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!

These past few months I have been featuring books on the losing end of my TBR List Poll, all books which are on my TBR shelves. This one was one of the options in my January 2017 poll that I have not managed to get to yet.

Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person by Shonda Rhimes (2015)

In this poignant, hilarious and deeply intimate call to arms, Hollywood's most powerful woman, the mega-talented creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder and Catch, reveals how saying YES changed her life -- and how it can change yours too. With three hit shows on television and three children at home, Shonda Rhimes had lots of good reasons to say no when invitations arrived. Hollywood party? No. Speaking engagement? No. Media appearances? No. And to an introvert like Shonda, who describes herself as 'hugging the walls' at social events and experiencing panic attacks before press interviews, there was a particular benefit to saying no: nothing new to fear. Then came Thanksgiving 2013, when Shonda's sister Delorse muttered six little words at her: You never say yes to anything. Profound, impassioned and laugh-out-loud funny, in Year of Yes Shonda Rhimes reveals how saying YES changed -- and saved -- her life. And inspires readers everywhere to change their own lives with one little word: Yes. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Year of Yes?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2024, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Haunting License / Secrets of Rose Briar Hall / The Bitter Truth / Murder at the 42nd Street Library

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.

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

Haunting License (A Haunted Haven Mystery #3) by Carol J. Perry
Release Date: June 25, 2024 by Kensington Cozies

When a fisherman is murdered, Florida innkeeper Maureen Doherty must cast a wide net to catch a killer—with a little help from her ghostly tenants . . .

It’s June in Haven, Florida, a “between seasons” time in the tourism business, and Maureen’s Haven House Inn is feeling the pinch. There are plenty of ghosts in residence, but Maureen needs living guests to pay the bills.

Inspired by an old brochure she finds in a trunk she inherited along with the inn from her mysterious benefactor Penelope Josephine Gray, she gets the brilliant idea to revive a June fishing tournament from twenty years ago, hoping to reel in anglers who’d love to catch the Gulf Coast’s popular kingfish and take home a trophy.

But one fisherman won’t make it to the tournament. While walking on the beach with her golden retriever Finn, Maureen discovers a body. When Officer Frank Hubbard arrives, he recognizes local charter boat fisherman Eddie Manuel.

Now it’s up to Maureen and her spirited sleuths to sort through the red herrings and bait a hook for a killer before someone else ends up sleeping with the fishes . . . [Goodreads Summary]

Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James
Release Date: June 25, 2024 by A John Scognamiglio Book

In this Gilded Age gothic homage to “Gaslight” starring Ingrid Bergman, a wealthy young newlywed in early 20th century New York is isolated within her opulent, yet ominously empty mansion by the charismatic and controlling new husband plotting to undermine her sanity…

1908, Long Island: For Millie Turner, the young and beautiful wife of a powerful New York stockbroker, Rose Briar Hall—a gleaming edifice of white marble on the North Shore—is more than a home. Every lavish detail speaks of Charles Turner’s status and wealth, and its stylish interior is testament to Millie’s sophistication. All that’s left is to prove her worthiness to be his bride. What better way than to throw a grand party for New York’s social elite?

After painstaking planning, the night of the event arrives and all is perfection—until Millie wakes to a cold, eerily quiet house, and a gray cloud where her memory should be. Can it be true that she has been in and out of consciousness for weeks, ever since the party took a terrifying turn? Millie recalls nothing. But her friends have shunned her, and it soon becomes clear that if she can't find out what really happened that night, much more than her reputation will be at risk . . .

As the house that promised so much happiness begins to feel more like a prison, Millie wonders whether a woman alone, even a wealthy one, can ever be entirely safe. And if she succeeds in finding the truth, will it bring relief, or shake her marriage, and her life, to the core? [Goodreads Summary]

The Bitter Truth by Shanora Williams
Release Date: June 25, 2024 by Dafina

An upstanding political candidate. A determined stalker. A shattering lost weekend. Now, when his worst secret comes calling, how far will one man’s elegant, all-too-devoted wife go to uncover the truth . . . or bury it?

For Jolene “Jo” Baker, the least she can do for her adoring husband, Dominic, is give unwavering support for his North Carolina gubernatorial run. He is not only the love of her life, he's also helping her prove that she's far more than just a pampered trophy wife. With huge crowds showing up at Dominic’s speeches and the polls consistently in his favor, she's never been happier to stand proudly by his side . . .

Until she and Dominic start seeing the same, strangely ominous woman turning up all along the campaign trail. Until their tour starts becoming a nightmare of botched events, crucial missed information, and increasingly dangerous “accidents.” Suddenly Jo can't get any answers from Dominic—or understand why he is acting so paranoid and terrified . . .

What Jo can do is start digging into his past—one she's never really questioned beyond his perfect image and dazzling accomplishments. What results is an alarming series of events that leave her Good friends turn into enemies, truths are revealed to be lies, and all clues lead back to one secret, shattering weekend that changes Jo’s entire life. With her world splintering into pieces, can Jo risk trying to set things right? Or will hiding the bitter truth by any means necessary destroy her as well? [Goodreads Summary]

Do any of 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!

These past few months I have been featuring books on the losing end of my TBR List Poll, all books which are on my TBR shelves. This one was one of the options in my September 2016 poll that I have not managed to go to yet.

Murder at the 42nd Street Library (#1) by Con Lehane
(Minotaur Books, 2016)

This first book in a series that introduces librarian and reluctant sleuth Raymond Ambler, a doggedly curious fellow who uncovers murderous secrets hidden behind the majestic marble façade of New York City’s landmark 42nd Street Library.

Murder at the 42nd Street Library follows Ambler and his partners in crime-solving as they track down a killer, shining a light on the dark deeds and secret relationships that are hidden deep inside the famous flagship building at the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.

In their search for the reasons behind the murder, Ambler and his crew uncover sinister, and profoundly disturbing, relationships among the scholars studying in the iconic library. Included among the players are a celebrated mystery writer who has donated his papers to the library’s crime fiction collection; that writer’s long-missing daughter, a prominent New York society woman with a hidden past, and more than one of Ambler’s colleagues at the library. Shocking revelations lead to the traumatic events that follow―the reading room will never be the same. [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read Murder at the 42nd Street Library?  Does this book sound like something you would like to read? 

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© 2024, 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: Middle of June Check-In

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.  

This is just a quick check in to let you know what I have been up to this past week and to see how you are doing. My agency has started back up the big in-person supervisor quarterly meetings, the first of which was this past week. There were a lot of new faces among the attendees. I think the last all-agency supervisor meeting we had like that was pre-pandemic. Mouse is enjoying her summer break so far. It isn't packed with activities like it has been in the past, and she's enjoying the extra downtime. Her Girl Scout Troop had their last meeting of the season, celebrating with a potluck. They are looking forward to a summer visit to Knott's Berry Farm this next month. 

Happy Father's Day to all the father's and father figures out there! We are celebrating my husband today. He's such a great dad to Mouse. We feel very lucky to have him in our lives!

Stretchy Nina

 

What have you been up to this week? 

This past week I read Locked in Pursuit (Electra McDonnell #4) by Ashley Weaver, a historical mystery set during World War II London. It's always fun to spend time with Ellie and Major Ramsey, and this latest installment in the series did not disappoint. I also finished Don't Look Now & Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier. This was a haunting collection of stories, and I am hard pressed to pick a favorite from the bunch. I am looking forward to trying her full length novels next. Thank you again to all who voted in my TBR List Poll for June. This month's selection was Murder Road by Simone St. James, which I enjoyed immensely. You can read my thoughts on it here.

My husband pointed out the other day that I was reading two books with the word "demon" in the titles. I hadn't noticed! However, once I knew I couldn't leave it at just two and decided to start a third (which I will likely finish before the other two because of the length and type of book it is). It takes at least three to make a pattern in a theme, after all. My current slow read (slow meaning I am stretching it out, reading a chapter or so  day over the next couple months) is Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead. Right from the start I saw the similarities to David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, which I read earlier this spring. I think I am really going to like this. I also decided it was time to jump back into Kim Harrison's urban fantasy series which I have been neglecting. I am about a quarter of the way into American Demon (Hollows, #14) now. I also am reading the young adult manga series Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-Kun, Vol. 1 by Osamu Nishi. My daughter got me hooked on the anime series and offered to loan me the manga series (at least those books she has). Okay, so I may have begged her if I could read them. I thought now would be the perfect time to start. 

What are you reading at the moment? Have you read anything recently you would recommend? 

New to my shelves:

Friday I asked my daughter if she wanted to go out for frozen yogurt after I got off work. She asked to go to the bookstore instead. I hadn't intended to go after having gone twice the week before, much less spend money on new books, but these things never seem to go as expected.

James by Percival Everett

The Wren in the Library by K.A. Linde

The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

Mouse had a gift card to spend and came home with these books (I may have to borrow a couple of them): 

Things in the Basement by Ben Hatke

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising #1) by Susan Cooper

Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1 by Wataru Nadatani, translated by Zack Davisson

Alpi the Soul Sender, Vol. 1 by Rona

I discovered gift cards in an old card I received from 2022 recently and decided to spend it on a books that were on sale and a few others on my wish list:

Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (Inheritance #1) by N.K. Jemisin

Ebony Gate (Phoenix Hoard #1) by Julia Vee an Ken Bebelle

Witch King (The Rising World #1) by Martha Wells

I'm Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto

The Curious Secrets of Yesterday by Namrata Patel

Murder Knocks Twice (Speakeasy Mystery #1) by Susanna Calkins

The Angel Makers (Constance Piper Mystery #2) by Tessa Harris

The Library by Bella Osborne

Beechwood Harbor Magic Mysteries #1-12 by Danielle Garrett

Bearly Departed (A Teddy Bear Mystery #1) by Meg Macy

Have you read any of these books or authors? If so, what did you think? What books did you purchase or borrow this past week?

Yesterday my family and I went to see the musical Mrs. Doubtfire at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. It was funny, sweet and very well done. I think we were all a little unsure going in, not knowing much about the musical (although Anjin and I have both seen the movie with Robin Williams and Sally Field so we knew the story). Rob McClure made the perfect Daniel (aka Mrs. Doubtfire) and  Maggie Lakis was the perfect Miranda, the ex-wife. I was very impressed with Giselle Gutierrez's performance as Lydia, the oldest daughter. She has such a beautiful voice. Nik Alexander and Aaron Kaburick were adorable and funny. It was such a fun show. It was a great way to celebrate Father's Day weekend.

Our watching of Doctor Who continues and we are enjoying the Jodie Whittaker seasons. We just finished season 12, I believe. I love her three companions and will be sad when their time on the show comes to an end. 

What have you been watching lately?

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

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© 2024, 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: My Bookish Mewsings on Murder Road by Simone St. James (& Other Friday Fun)

Along with this mini review, 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 Anne of My Head is Full of Books, in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. 

That July night seemed full of possibility, with the empty highway stretching out before us. [opening of Murder Road]

               ★                    

I stared blindly at the printout of account activity. A week ago, there had been several thousand dollars in the account. Then, a withdrawal of all of it. And now there was nothing. [excerpt from 56% of Murder Road] 

Murder Road by Simone St. James

A young couple find themselves haunted by a string of gruesome murders committed along an old deserted road in this terrifying new novel.

July 1995. April and Eddie have taken a wrong turn. They’re looking for the small resort town where they plan to spend their honeymoon. When they spot what appears to a lone hitchhiker along the deserted road, they stop to help. But not long after the hitchiker gets into their car, they see the blood seeping from her jacket and a truck barreling down Atticus Line after them.

When the hitchhiker dies at the local hospital, April and Eddie find themselves in the crosshairs of the Coldlake Falls police. Unexplained murders have been happening along Atticus Line for years and the cops finally have two witnesses who easily become their only suspects. As April and Eddie start to dig into the history of the town and that horrible stretch of road to clear their names, they soon learn that there is something supernatural at work, something that could not only tear the town and its dark secrets apart, but take April and Eddie down with it all. [Goodreads Summary]

 My thoughts: If it hadn't been for work, I likely would have finished Murder Road in one sitting. Instead it took two. From the very first page, I was glued to the pages. April and Eddie, both with their troubled pasts and very much deserving of some happiness in their lives (but nothing can ever be easy, can it?), won me over instantly. They each suffered childhood trauma along with other hardships, including Eddie's time in Iraq. April is the perfect narrator for this supernatural thriller. She is clever, resourceful and edgy. Trust has never come easy to her, and given her history, it's no wonder why. She never expected to fall in love, much less marry anyone. And yet, she and Eddie share a bond that cannot be easily swayed. I loved how they supported each other throughout the novel, even when faced with the worst.

Simone St. James has a way of portraying a real sense of place in her novels, and it was no different in Murder Road. I felt like I was right there in that small town in Michigan. I experienced the heat and occasional stormy weather right alongside the characters.

Murder Road was creepy and disturbing, and nearly always intense. I was just as suspicious of everyone in town as Eddie and April were, and I enjoyed seeing the pieces of  the puzzle fall into place the more the newlyweds learned. I found the mystery and backstories of the murders and different characters well developed and interesting. The couple get help from a few unlikely sources--and those characters became favorites too. 

Murder Road is my third Simone St. James novel and I have enjoyed every one. I am so glad I have more of her work to look forward to. 

Does this sound like something you would enjoy? If you have read it, what did you think?

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 hosted by Linda Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell and Jen from That’s What I’m Talking About. Join in by answering this week's question in the comments or on your own blog.

Have your reading interests changed over time?

Yes! My reading interests have expanded over the years. I have always had eclectic reading tastes, but  entering the book blogging community all those years ago opened my life to many more books and authors I might not have heard of or tried otherwise. On a smaller scale, my reading interests do tend to ebb and flow, depending on my mood and what is going on in my life. I go through reading phases, sometimes ones that have a quick turnover and others that last longer. Mystery and Fantasy have long competed for the top place in my reading heart (although I very much enjoy reading other genres as well) and that hasn't changed. But I do tend to rotate through the subgenres, on which one or several appeals to me most at varying times. Although I read it again now, I went years without reading romance after burning out on the genre. A more recent example would be my gravitating more towards lighter books with humor and happy endings the last few years--thanks to the pandemic and other life events. I have only recently been finding myself enjoying darker and more serious books again.

What about you? Have your reading interests changed over the years?

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 go-to book to start the summer, and why does it set the tone for the season? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I wish I could tell you I enjoy starting the summer with books featuring beach settings or snowy climates (anything to avoid the reality of summer heatwaves), but that isn't the case. And it isn't to say these types of books don't make great summer reads because they most certainly do! I have heard summer is a good time to dive into that big book or a classic, which I sometimes do, but not really because it is summer time. I am not much of a re-reader and so do not have a go-to book to kickstart the summer season (although my husband did point out that I have read the latest Electra McDonnell mystery by Ashley Weaver at this time of year for the past four years--I would argue that I have read it in the spring, not summer, so it doesn't count). My reading choices are more random than planned when it comes to the start of summer generally. I haven't decided yet which book will be my first for this summer (I can't believe it officially starts next week!). I could be one of the books I am currently reading or another book entirely. Whatever it is, I hope it will be a good one!

Do you have a go to book to kick off the summer season? 

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

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© 2024 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.