Sunday Post: Welcome November and My November TBR List Poll

Happy November! I had not meant to be away so long. I've been crazy busy and haven't had much time to spend on the computer or even reading. I managed to read four books, although I did listen to two as well. Put together that's not bad. It was a month for mysteries: three cozies, two with a mix of paranormal, along with two historical mysteries. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Rich Zahradnik's A Black Sail, a historical mystery set in 1976 New York featuring crime reporter Coleridge Taylor. It's one of my favorite series.

My October Reads:

A Black Sail by Rich Zahradnik

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates

Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart

A Dark and Stormy Murder by Julia Buckley

The Madness of Mercury by Connie Di Marco

I hope you will take time to vote for my November TBR book! I really enjoyed October's pick: A Dark and Stormy Murder (review to come this month). You will find the November poll near the end of this post. 

New to My Shelves: My November My Lit Box arrived in the mail Friday, and it's my favorite so far! My daughter and I are already fighting over the handmade, carved color pencils and coloring book. And, as you can see, my cat has claimed the box. I am anxious to read The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. It's getting a lot of good buzz.

What I Am Reading: I began the month by finishing Kirsten Weiss's cozy mystery The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum, and am now reading The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist, a Dystopian novel set in the near future.

Caught Reading in the Hair Salon

My husband has been reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White to Mouse in the evenings. She seems to really be enjoying it. Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not the one reading it to her, but it's the only time of night I really get to myself before turning in for the night. She told me she wants him to read Harry Potter to her next. We'll see.

What I Am Listening To: I took a break from listening to Tim Johnston's Descent, narrated by Xe Sands and R.C. Bray these last two weeks, but am back to it, and hope to finish it within a week or two. It is good so far, but very dark.

What I Am Watching: Although I followed the World Series baseball games, I hadn't been able to watch any of them until the last half of game seven. And what a game it was! I was thrilled the Chicago Cubs won, although think both teams were pretty awesome throughout. I am actually not much of a sports-on-TV fan, but I could not resist in this case.

I went to see Girl on the Train last week and really enjoyed it. Have you seen it? We're hoping to catch Trolls either this weekend or next. My daughter has really gotten into the troll craze in recent weeks.

I continue to watch Timeless, although I admit makes me cringe a bit at times because of the way they play with history. I'm not loving the show, but it keeps me entertained. Despite my exclamations that I would never watch The Walking Dead again (I say that a lot throughout the seasons) after this season's premiere episode, I did catch the second one. I had to know how Carol and Morgan were fairing. After the punch in the gut that was the season's first episode, this past week's was a bit lighter.

Mouse and I watched the movie The Secret of Moonacre recently, based on the book The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge. Now I want to run out and buy a copy of the book and read it!

What's Going On Off the Blog: Everyone in the house is fighting an upper respiratory infection right now. So rest, lots of fluids and playing dress up was (and is) on our agenda this weekend.

We had a lovely Halloween weekend. Our visit to the pumpkin patch was last minute, but we managed to find two pumpkins that Mouse painted and dressed up with yarn hair for display on Halloween night. Both my husband and I were able to attend the costume parade at her school--surprising our little Pirate Queen Izzy-Bella. Her class had a little party with cupcakes and other goodies. Then there was trick-or-treating Halloween night around our neighborhood. Mouse still managed to get to bed on time that night.

My little social butterfly was moved to a new table in class; "a quieter table," Mouse says. She seems really happy about the move, and doesn't mind it is closer to the teacher. We had a chance to visit her old preschool/daycare this past Friday, and Mouse was able to play with some of her old friends. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed my conversations with her teacher--it was nice to catch up.

I had been looking forward to my mom's visit this month, but it isn't going to happen. She recently made a trip up to Washington to visit her aunt who is having health problems. She will for sure be coming down in December for the Winter Holidays, at least.

What I Am Thinking About: My blog. I was so excited this summer, with plans to add to my blog, but that was also a time in my life when I had more time for blogging. Now it feels like I'm fighting to make time for it. So, I have been doing a lot of thinking about what that means for my blog and how I want to proceed. Also, I have not been able to get around to visit other blogs as much as I would like.

I am also thinking about the upcoming holidays: do I want to write a Christmas letter; what gifts to get for whom; getting the holiday cards ordered; and everything else that comes with the holidays.

What I Am Enjoying: I love this weather we've been having! The temperatures have been in the 70's and 80's. We got some rain here and there. I hope we get more. I have been enjoying the time with my family. My husband and I got some rare "us" time recently that was much needed.

How I Am Feeling: I got my evaluation at work, and with all the stress I have been feeling on that front, it made me feel better. I'm starting to feel in the Holiday spirit, which is unusual this early in the season.

What I Am Planning and Looking Forward to: I need to really sit down this weekend and jot down some ideas for the upcoming Girl Scouts meeting this coming week. There's also a big Girl Scouts day camp event coming up next weekend we are all excited about. It's called GirlDerness, which drives my husband absolutely crazy.

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

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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.

When you settle in for the night with a good book, do you read until you can't stay awake or simply have a nightly page goal?(submitted by Elizabeth) 

Generally, I get in a little reading done in the evenings before the bedtime routine for my daughter and I begins. Once I tuck my daughter into bed at night--after that, it is lights out for me too. As much as I would like to stay up, I need my sleep to function, and I have to get up very early most mornings for work. On the rare occasion I stay up and read, I am more likely to read until I can't keep my eyes open anymore. Although I often tell myself, "Just one more chapter," it is usually followed by, "Just one more" again and again.

What about you? If you read before bed, do you read until you can't stay awake any longer or do you set a goal?

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Help me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow. While I will attempt to post my review that same month, I make no promises--it may go up the following month. 

I went round and round about which books to choose for this month's TBR List poll. I had a dozen or so picked out and narrowed it down to these three. They are very different books, but each one is calling to me. Will you please help me decide which one I should read next?

Here are my choices:

Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Goodreads Summary: 

Capturing the distinct rhythms of Jamaican life and dialect, Nicole Dennis- Benn pens a tender hymn to a world hidden among pristine beaches and the wide expanse of turquoise seas. At an opulent resort in Montego Bay, Margot hustles to send her younger sister, Thandi, to school. Taught as a girl to trade her sexuality for survival, Margot is ruthlessly determined to shield Thandi from the same fate. When plans for a new hotel threaten their village, Margot sees not only an opportunity for her own financial independence but also perhaps a chance to admit a shocking secret: her forbidden love for another woman. As they face the impending destruction of their community, each woman—fighting to balance the burdens she shoulders with the freedom she craves—must confront long-hidden scars. From a much-heralded new writer, Here Comes the Sun offers a dramatic glimpse into a vibrant, passionate world most outsiders see simply as paradise.

Lazaretto by Diane McKinney-Whetstone

Goodreads Summary: 

Diane McKinney-Whetstone’s nationally bestselling novel, Tumbling, immersed us into Philadelphia’s black community during the Civil Rights era, and she returns to the city in this new historical novel about a cast of 19th-century characters whose colorful lives intersect at the legendary Lazaretto—America’s first quarantine hospital. 

Isolated on an island where two rivers meet, the Lazaretto quarantine hospital is the first stop for immigrants who wish to begin new lives in Philadelphia. The Lazaretto’s black live-in staff forge a strong social community, and when one of them receives permission to get married on the island the mood is one of celebration, particularly since the white staff—save the opium-addicted doctor—are given leave for the weekend. On the eve of the ceremony, a gunshot rings out across the river. A white man has fired at a boat carrying the couple’s friends and family to the island, and the captain is injured. His life lies in the hands of Sylvia, the Lazaretto’s head nurse, who is shocked to realize she knows the patient. 

Intertwined with the drama unfolding at the Lazaretto are the fates of orphan brothers. When one brother commits a crime to protect the other, he imperils both of their lives—and the consequences ultimately deliver both of them to the Lazaretto.  

In this masterful work of historical fiction, Diane McKinney-Whetstone seamlessly transports us to Philadelphia in the aftermath of the Civil War and Lincoln’s assassination, beautifully evoking powerful stories of love, friendship and humanity amid the vibrant black community that flourished amid the troubled times.

The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon

Goodreads Summary: 

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story. 

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.  

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

Have you read any of these three books? If so, what did you think? Which one will you vote for?

I hope you all have a great week! Happy Reading!

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimba, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, and gives us all a chance to 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. 

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates (Audio)

This was a grand adventure, I told myself. ~ Opening of Brownies and Broomsticks

Brownies and Broomsticks (Magical Bakery Mystery #1) by Bailey Cates, Narrated by Johanna Parker

Signet/NAL, 2012 (Tantor Audio, 2013)

Crime Fiction (Paranormal/Cozy); 7 hrs and 4 minutes

Brownies and Broomsticks is a fun romp of mystery and magic. I enjoyed settling in as Johanna Parker read Bailey Cates's novel featuring Katie Lightfoot, who recently moved to Savannah, Georgia to work in her aunt and uncle's bakery. Katie is a master in the kitchen, baking irresistible treats I am sure I would not be able to refuse. She has also just learned she is a witch. When Katie's uncle becomes the prime suspect in a murder of a not-so-well-liked woman in town, Katie is determined to investigate on her own.

While Katie probably should leave things to the police (Detective Quinn seems more than capable), she does uncover helpful clues that point her in an altogether different direction than her uncle. Nosiness aside, Katie generally remembers to take someone along with her when the situation seems questionable. Whether it be a fellow witch from her aunt's coven, or DeClan McCarthy, a local firefighter, and Steve Dawes, the local reporter, who are both more than willing to help when Katie calls. Of course, the two men's interest goes behind just wanting to be neighborly. Katie herself is coming off a bad relationship and unwilling to get involved with someone else just yet--but she's not above finding both men rather attractive.

I enjoyed getting to know Katie and the cast of characters in Brownies and Broomsticks. From the eccentric coven members who all have their own interesting backstories to the residents in the dead woman's apartment complex, DeClan and Dawes, Detective Quinn, and some of the Honeybee costumers, it was hard not to be taken in by the charm of them all.

I felt that the mystery was well done. While I had my suspicions who was behind the murder, the reality was  bit more complicated than that. I liked the introduction of magic and the way it was used to help solve the crime. I also appreciated Katie's initial disbelief--who wouldn't be skeptical having grown up in a world without magic?

This seems a perfect choice for this time of year, with Halloween and all. It was a quick listen and likely would be a quick read. I enjoyed Johanna Parker's narration and would be interested in listening to more of her work. While perhaps not a stand out cozy read, Bailey Cates's Brownies and Broomsticks kept me entertained and I wouldn't mind spending more time with Katie and her new coven.


To learn more about Bailey Cates (aka Cricket McRae & Bailey Catrell) and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

The London air was full of smog and filth. ~ Opening of The Masked City

The Masked City (The Invisible Library #2) by Genevieve Cogman

Tor, 2015

Fantasy; 352 pgs

[I did my best to avoid any major spoilers of the first book in the series in writing this review.]

The Invisible Library series is becoming a fast favorite. I love how cool under pressure Irene is, not to mention resourceful. If ever there was a heroine I would like to have on my side, I would ask for Irene in a heartbeat--especially seeing her in action in The Masked City, the second in the series. Heck, I wouldn't mind being Irene.

Irene is a Librarian attached to a Library whose doorways lead into multiple dimensions. She is one of many whose job it is to protect and preserve books, in part to protect humanity and help maintain the balance between Order and Chaos. Recently assigned as a Librarian-in-Residence, she is happy to settle down roots for a change. 

When Irene's apprentice and friend, Kai, is kidnapped by the fae in the alternate London they have been calling home most recently, she must piece together what happened and where he's gone. To fail could mean war between two powerful and magical species, putting at risk many innocent lives. With such high stakes, the Library isn't willing to intervene to save Kai, but they won't stop Irene from trying.

With the help of the not so trustworthy fae Lord Silver, Irene travels to an alternate Venice where the Carnival never ends. It is deep in chaos and controlled by the fae. Author Genevieve Cogman's world has many nuances to it, and I especially enjoyed exploring the history and hierarchy of the fae in this installment in the series. If I had any complaints about this novel, it would be that I wish I could have spent more time with Aunt Isra and the other students Irene met in her travels.

I enjoyed The Invisible Library so much that I jumped right into The Masked City, a book I ended up liking even more. Dragons, the fae, magic, mystery, and the Library . . . what more could I ask for in a fantasy novel? Irene is no damsel in distress. She can take care of herself. And I'm quite fond of characters Kai and Private Investigator Vale too. The Masked City an adventure, light and fun, and a great way to spend some time. I cannot wait to dive into the third book in the series.

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.   

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Irene passed the mop across the stone floor in smooth, careful strokes, idly admiring the gleam of wet flagstones in the lantern light. ~ Opening from The Invisible Library

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Roc, 2015

Fantasy (Crime Fiction, Urban); 352 pgs
Source: E-copy provided by publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Goodreads Synopsis: 

Irene must be at the top of her game or she'll be off the case - permanently . . .  

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she's posted to an alternative London. Their mission - to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it's already been stolen. London's underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book. 

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested - the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene's new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.  

Soon, she's up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option - the nature of reality itself is at stake.

What a fun book! A couple people mentioned to me when I was starting this one that it got off to a slow start for them, but I did not find that at all. There was a bit of a slow down when Irene returns to the Library after the book's opening mission that had me trying to work out just what sort of "world" this Library was exactly, but once Irene, joined by her new apprentice Kai, steps into the alternate reality of their latest mission, I was definitely right there with them. 

There is so much to this world Genevieve Cogman has created! The Library itself is an amazing place. People do not age there and it seems endless, taking days and sometimes weeks or months to travel from one place to another. You can travel for days within the Library and not see a single soul. And then the many alternate realities outside the walls of the library--imagine all the directions Cogman can go with the series if she chose to. The Library's purpose seems a bit vague--meaning I think there is more to it than what our main protagonist Irene knows herself. Irene is one of many Librarians sent out on missions to retrieve books from various alternate realities. The Library helps maintain the balance in the world, trying to stave off chaos and help maintain order. 

Generally Librarians are chosen from various realities and bound to the Library and its mission--like Kai, an apprentice not yet Librarian, who was once a ruffian running and stealing with criminals and thugs. Very rare, is someone like Irene, who was born to two Librarians, and spent part of her growing up years in the Library itself. Her entire life has been spent in the service of the Library. She is very dedicated to her work and extremely capable. She has limited, but powerful, magical abilities, which she draws out using a special language only known to Librarians.

The reality Kai and Irene step into has a sort of Steampunk Victorian feel to it. There are Zeppelins flying overhead, vampires, werewolves, and the fae. The fae are a particularly chaotic force, making this version of London unbalanced--and dangerous. There's even a famous private detective who lives on Baker Street who Irene and Kai will have to decide to trust or not. 

This is a busy book in terms of the amount of action and events taking place. The analogy of a roller-coaster comes to mind, given all the ups and downs and the fast pacing. In search for the book, Irene and Kai encounter a number of obstacles, including the glamorous fae, Lord Silver, who also has an interest in the missing book. It seems a lot of people do, actually. I had a lot of fun reading The Invisible Library and getting to know the mysterious Kai, the well-read Librarian spy Irene, and Vale, the tenacious master of deduction. This will not be my last visit to the Library.

To learn more about Genevieve Cogman and her work, please visit the author's website. You can also find her on Twitter and Goodreads.

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Bookish Thoughts: A Black Sail by Rich Zahradnik

The NYPD Harbor Launch Patrolman Crane thudded over the waves toward the Brooklyn docks. ~ Opening of A Black Sail

A Black Sail (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #3) by Rich Zahradnik

Camel Press, 2016

Crime Fiction (Historical); 264 pgs

Source: E-copy provided by publisher for an honest review.

Reporter Coleridge Taylor would much rather be on the crime beat, but with the country's attention on the upcoming U.S. Bicentennial, his time and attention is focused on the ships and vessels coming into the New York Harbor. While on assignment on a Harbor Patrol boat, the body of a housewife is found in the harbor, drugs strapped to her body. Taylor's interest is piqued. Especially as rumors surface of a possible drug war between the Italian Mafia and the Chinese Tong. Taylor has a way of finding trouble . . . and the truth.

It was good to see Samantha Callahan, Taylor's girlfriend, again, who in introduced in the second book of the series, Drop Dead Punk. She's more likely to be found coming to his rescue than he to hers. She is smart and a good influence on Taylor.

Zahradnik does an amazing job of setting the scene for A Black Sail, capturing the tone and atmosphere of New York during July of 1976. This is one of the aspects I like most about Rich Zahradnik's books. He never fails to make me feel as if I am a part of the story and history he writes about. The author uses words to paint a clear picture of the time period, a time of celebration and excitement, one of hope for the future. But the crime and grit is still there, underneath. New York City is a city barely saved from the brink of ruin. Taylor knows that all too well as he struggles with figuring out what to do with his career, feeling stuck but wanting more. 

A Black Sail is the third book in the Coleridge Taylor series by Rich Zahradnik, and can be read as a stand alone. Taylor continues to be one of my favorite series' characters with his strong sense of doing the right thing and finding the truth even as he strives to get the story. I have enjoyed this series from book one, and Zahradnik continues to deliver with each installment.

Last Words (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #1)
Drop Dead Punk (Coleridge Taylor Mystery #2)

To learn more about Rich Zahradnik, and his work, please visit the author's website.

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© 2016, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.