Musings of a Bookish Kitty

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Where Is Your Bookmark? (A Peek at Pressed to Death & My First and Last Reads as a Book Blogger)

When I finish my current book (likely tomorrow), I will have read all three of my TBR List poll choices for the month of February. It's been awhile since I last managed that! I currently am reading Pressed to Death by Kirsten Weiss, the second book in her Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum cozy mystery series. It's set in small town wine country, right outside of my old stomping grounds, Sacramento, California. I fell in love with the first book in the series and am enjoying this second book.

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

I was going to jail.

My thoughts: I couldn't help but wonder what trouble Maddie had landed herself in on the very first page of the book.

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.

"I'm starting to think your museum really is cursed," he said.

"The exhibits, not the museum," I corrected automatically. "Why? Did something happen at the museum?"

"No, I was talking about you. Why don't you tell me why you really went to Mrs. Paganini's home last night?" [56%]

My thoughts: Our handsome Detective Slate asks a very good question, but is Maddie ready to lay all of her cards on the table? I am guessing not, knowing her. Not yet, at least.

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

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

This week's topic is the My First and Last Reads as a Book Blogger.

Another not my the first book I reviewed on my blog, Thrity Umrigar's Bombay Time was the first book I read when I began blogging in July of 2006.

The last (or most recent) book I finished reading (a re-read for the umpteenth time) was Ed Vere's Max the Brave, one of my daughter's favorite books. Technically, she read it to me, but I read along. That counts right?

What was the first and last (as of today, anyway) book you read as a book blogger?

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Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Blog All About It: Red

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

February's Blog All About It Challenge it topic is "Red". It immediately brings to mind hearts and love, anger and blood. Maybe a little red wine. Here are a few other things that popped into my mind when I thought of the color red.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant ~ One of my favorite books. I am not really into biblical fiction and wasn't sure I would like Diamant's novel, but I ended up really liking it in the end. If you are looking for a book that is strong on women power, consider giving this one a try.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss ~ is a favorite of my daughter's. It was one of the first books she was able to read all on her own.

Die for Me by Amy Plum ~ One of my favorite covers featuring a red dress of a book I have read.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong ~ This is a book sitting on my TBR shelf, waiting to b e read. Don't you just love the cover?

Peanut Butter Patties (Tagalongs) ~ Although Caramel deLites/Samoas and Thin Mints are among my favorites, I cannot resist the Girl Scout Peanut Butter Patties.

My Kitchen ~ This isn't really my kitchen, but my kitchen has a definite red theme. Red rugs. Red mixer and toaster. Red towels. (My walls are brown.) I wouldn't mind a little more red in my kitchen.

Canada ~ I am not from Canada, although some of my ancestors were French Canadian. Canada is a great country, don't you think? I love my Canadian friends.

Dove Dark Chocolate ~ Heaven in the form of chocolate.

Red Rose ~ I know it is cliche, but I have always loved red roses.

The Rose by Bette Midler ~ Although this doesn't have the color "red" in it anywhere, thinking of roses brought to mind one of my all time favorite songs.

What sort of things come to mind when you think of red?

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Wishing for Wednesday: So Many Good Books!

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. (Based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.)

I tried to stop at just a couple this week, but I had trouble narrowing it down. Is it any wonder my wish list will outlive me?

Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh (384 pgs)
Release Date: March 13, 2018 by Berkley

The police say it was suicide.

Anna says it was murder.

They're both wrong.

One year ago, Caroline Johnson chose to end her life brutally: a shocking suicide planned to match that of her husband just months before. Their daughter, Anna, has struggled to come to terms with their loss ever since.

Now with a young baby of her own, Anna misses her mother more than ever and starts to question her parents’ deaths. But by digging up their past, she’ll put her future in danger. Sometimes it’s safer to let things lie…

The stunning, twisty new psychological thriller from number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh, author of I Let You Go and I See You. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: Enough of my fellow book bloggers have raved about Clare Mackintosh that this one immediately caught my eye. The synopsis of this one has me intrigued!

Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw (320 pgs)
Release Date: March 6, 2018 by Simon Pulse

Hocus Pocus and Practical Magic meets the Salem Witch trials in this haunting story about three sisters on a quest for revenge—and how love may be the only thing powerful enough to stop them.

Welcome to the cursed town of Sparrow…

Where, two centuries ago, three sisters were sentenced to death for witchery. Stones were tied to their ankles and they were drowned in the deep waters surrounding the town.

Now, for a brief time each summer, the sisters return, stealing the bodies of three weak-hearted girls so that they may seek their revenge, luring boys into the harbor and pulling them under.

Like many locals, seventeen-year-old Penny Talbot has accepted the fate of the town. But this year, on the eve of the sisters’ return, a boy named Bo Carter arrives; unaware of the danger he has just stumbled into.

Mistrust and lies spread quickly through the salty, rain-soaked streets. The townspeople turn against one another. Penny and Bo suspect each other of hiding secrets. And death comes swiftly to those who cannot resist the call of the sisters.

But only Penny sees what others cannot. And she will be forced to choose: save Bo, or save herself. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: How could I not want to read this one?! The cover is gorgeous. And from the description, this really does have a Hocus Pocus vibe to it. I cannot wait to read it!

It Takes a Coven by Carol J. Perry (384 pgs)
Release Date: February 27, 2018 by Kensington

There’s a new witch-hunt in Salem, Massachusetts . . .

When Lee Barrett joins a former student’s bridal party as maid of honor, she expects cake tastings and dress fittings. But wedding planning becomes more peculiar than Lee’s scrying talents could ever predict. There’s a magical baker, a best man with a checkered past, and a talking crow named Poe as the ring bearer. There’s also a kindly old man dead under his apple tree—one of a series of unexplained deaths hanging over the Wiccan community . . .

With witches dropping dead before they even come out of the proverbial broom closet, Lee’s best friend, River, fears she might have somehow unleashed a terrible curse on the city. Now, aided by Poe and her clairvoyant cat, Lee sets out to investigate. Are lives being claimed by vengeful supernatural forces—or by something more shocking? She soon discovers, casting light on the wicked truth can be one killer commitment . . . [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: It must be the season of the witches because here is another witch related book that has caught my eye. This is my favorite kind of cozy mystery. I cannot pass up a story about magic or witches.

All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages by Saundra Mitchell, Kody Keplinger, Kate Scelsa, Robin Talley, Shaun David Hutchinson, Tess Sharpe, Alex Sanchez, Nilah Magruder, Sara Farizan, Mackenzi Lee, Anna-Marie McLemore, Malinda Lo, Dahlia Adler, Tehlor Kay Mejia, Scott Tracey, Tessa Gratton, Natalie C. Parker, Elliot Wake (384 pgs)
Release Date: February 27, 2018 by Harlequin Teen

Take a journey through time and genres and discover a past where queer figures live, love and shape the world around them. Seventeen of the best young adult authors across the queer spectrum have come together to create a collection of beautifully written diverse historical fiction for teens.

From a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood set in war-torn 1870s Mexico featuring a transgender soldier, to two girls falling in love while mourning the death of Kurt Cobain, forbidden love in a sixteenth-century Spanish convent or an asexual girl discovering her identity amid the 1970s roller-disco scene, All Out tells a diverse range of stories across cultures, time periods and identities, shedding light on an area of history often ignored or forgotten. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: I occasionally like to read short stories, and I enjoy historical fiction. This particular collection appealed to me for those reasons, as well as that they feature LGBQT youth, an under represented group in literature that deserves more of a voice.

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

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Wishing for Wednesday: Lake Silence & Darkest Night

As if I need to add more books to my existing TBR pile, but these are two coming out that I don't think I will be able to resist.

Darkest Night by Tara Thomas (352 pgs)
Release Date: February 27, 2018 by St. Martin's Press

In this first novel in the explosive, brand-new romantic suspense Sons of Broad series from Tara Thomas comes a novel of deadly secrets and hidden danger. In the sultry streets of Charleston, one family, ruled by its powerful, take-no-prisoners sons, has risen to the top. But a merciless killer is out to destroy them…and everyone they hold close…

SHE THOUGHT SHE’D LOST HIM FOREVERTilly Brock has learned—the hard way—how to take care of herself. Once a pillar of Charleston society, her family lost everything in the wake of a shocking scandal. And then Tilly lost the only boy she ever loved.

BUT NOW THAT HE’S BACK IN HER LIFEKeaton Benedict is Charleston’s most notorious bachelor. But in spite of all his advantages—the money, the women,the family name—he longs for more: the heart of the young woman he still can’t forget.

THE DANGER HAS JUST BEGUN…When Keaton re-enters Tilly’s life, after all these years, she is torn between feelings of doubt and desire. Can they put the past behind them and learn to love again? Tilly is willing to try. But Keaton is afraid that a vengeful enemy is watching—and waiting to destroy them. Can the rekindled flame of their love defeat the deadliest rival and light their way forward in the darkest night? [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read it: I admit it was the Charleston setting that initially caught my attention first. I enjoy second chance romance from time to time and throw in a mystery/thriller type angle, and I am even more interested.

Lake Silence by Anne Bishop (416 pgs)
Release Date: March 6, 2018 by Ace

In this thrilling and suspenseful fantasy, set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Others series, Vicki DeVine and her lodger, the shapeshifter Aggie Crowe, stumble onto a dead body . . . and find themselves enmeshed in danger and dark secrets.

Human laws do not apply in the territory controlled by the Others–vampires, shapeshifters, and paranormal beings even more deadly. And this is a fact that humans should never, ever forget . . .

After her divorce, Vicki DeVine took over a rustic resort near Lake Silence, in a human town that is not human controlled. Towns like Vicki’s have no distance from the Others, the dominant predators that rule most of the land and all of the water throughout the world. And when a place has no boundaries, you never really know what’s out there watching you.

Vicki was hoping to find a new career and a new life. But when her lodger, Aggie Crowe–one of the shapeshifting Others–discovers a dead body, Vicki finds trouble instead. The detectives want to pin the man’s death on her, despite the evidence that nothing human could have killed the victim. As Vicki and her friends search for answers, things get dangerous–and it’ll take everything they have to stay alive. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Lake Silence is probably at the top of my most anticipated books coming out this year. The Others series is a favorite of mine, and I am eager to read this one.

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

Monday, February 12, 2018

Bookish Thoughts: Claws for Concern by Miranda James

I couldn't stop checking the clock on the wall nearby. ~ Opening of Claws for Concern

Claws for Concern (Cat in the Stacks, #9) by Miranda James

Berkley Books, 2018

Crime Fiction (Cozy); 288 pgs

Source: Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are embroiled in a new mystery when a cold case suddenly heats up in the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series.

Charlie Harris has been enjoying some peace and quiet with his new grandson when a mysterious man with a connection to an unsolved murder starts visiting the library...

This is the ninth book in the Cat in the Stacks series, but my first by Miranda James. Charlie Harris is a retired librarian who volunteers at the local library. He also enjoys every minute he is able to spend with his infant grandson. Charlie is well known about town, probably most notably because of his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, who goes just about everywhere with him.

Claws for Concern was a nice break from the more intense thrillers I have been reading lately, although it was not without its own suspenseful moments. The author takes his time setting up the story. A familiar looking stranger who frequents the library approaches Charlie and asks him about an address that just happens to be Charlie’s. In addition, a true crime author reaches out to Charlie in a roundabout sort of way to see if he would like to be a part of his latest project.

Charlie has a good head on his shoulders and is a very thoughtful man. I liked that he doesn’t rush into anything, something I see all too often in mystery novels. He takes his safety and that of those he loves seriously. He is reluctant about meeting with the true crime author, not wanting to be in the limelight. And, as for the stranger, he knows nothing about him or what exactly it is he wants. Of course, Charlie does make up his mind about both situations, and soon he is digging into a cold case of a triple homicide from years before.

I have read a number of cozy mysteries recently that have really knocked my socks off, and I was hoping this one would too. It didn’t quite, unfortunately, but I did enjoy it just the same. The novel took a little too long to get off the ground for me, and there were day to day details, which I read more like a checklist than naturally occurring events. That was not enough, however, to pull me out of the story. It’s a good solid book overall.

I adored Charlie’s cat, Diesel. Diesel may or may not understand everything going on around him (although it seems like he does), but he clearly is a smart cat. I loved that Charlie takes Diesel just about everywhere—on a leash, even! Talk about a good icebreaker when questioning folks about a murder! Charlie has a great support network from his family to his tenants to his friends, and I appreciated that he took their opinions into consideration.

I would consider reading another book by the author and in this series, although it isn’t at the top of my list. I liked getting to spend time with Charlie and Diesel and am curious to know how they got their start as amateur detectives.

To learn more about Miranda James (aka Dean James) and his books, please visit the author's website. You can also find the author on Goodreads, Facebook, and Diesel's Facebook Page.