Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril, which is narrated by Rebecca Gallagher. It's the second cozy novel in the 'A Killer Chocolate Mystery' series.

This is another enjoyable cozy mystery novel with a wintry/Christmas theme to it. I also enjoyed the high school class reunion theme as the setting where the murder takes place! It was the perfect setting for knocking off that one classmate from high school that was a jerk and whom everyone despised. So, when this particular classmate is murdered at the reunion, it's makes it difficult to narrow down the killer when everyone disliked the person so much. Then another victim is killed along the way as well. 

Loads of red herrings to be found and some good amateur sleuthing too by the main character, Alex. Once again though, I figured out the killer early on... I'd say about 84% into the novel itself is when I figured out who killed both victims in A Nutcracker Nightmare!

For the most part I enjoyed this cozy mystery novel overall. It was nice to have a refresher as to who some of the characters were from the last novel that were also in this novel as well as some of the background of the small town/village where the story is set. This way readers who read the first novel a while back have a chance to become reacquainted again with the characters and setting as they read the second novel. 

I didn't care much for the narrator for A Nutcracker Nightmare. The voices Rebecca Gallagher used for some of the characters weren't well rendered in my opinion. 

I also felt like Alex, the main character, was off in a few scenes. Alex plays amateur sleuth and in at least one scene she just peppers another character with one question after another in trying to find clues to in order to help identify the killer. The scene(s) felt stilted/unnatural as to how two people would interact in really life.

Below is the publisher's summary for A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril from the Goodreads website:

When twin sisters Hanna and Alex head to their high school reunion, will they bite off more than they can chew when they find a former classmate’s dead body?

Hanna and Alex, owners of the Murder and Mayhem book and chocolate shop, are busy preparing for the Harriston High School’s reunion weekend. They’re eager to see old friends—and perhaps avoid old foes. One person they can’t avoid is Kyle, the former star quarterback, who is busy using his entire playbook to try and score with Hanna. He even uses his status as a judge at the upcoming chocolate competition to threaten her if she doesn’t play nice. At the reunion, the twins soon bond with their fellow classmates over their nostalgia of their youth—but the party is put on hold when Alex finds the dead body of none other than Kyle himself, bludgeoned to death by a nutcracker that the sisters admired earlier in the night.

Hanna quickly becomes the prime suspect—everyone saw her slap Kyle across the face at the reunion dance. She’ll need her sister, their sleuthing canine, Watson, and their old friends and colleagues to help break this case wide open. While looking through old yearbooks and taking a stroll down memory lane, Alex uncovers a few secrets about Kyle, now, it seems like everyone had a motive to kill him: Is there a football team secret Coach Fenton was covering up? Could the mayor, Everett, have a skeleton or two in his closet? And for some classmates, maybe time doesn’t heal all wounds.

When the suspects start becoming the victims, Alex and Hannah know that they can’t melt under the pressure—they must find the killer before they become just another yearbook memory.

I am giving A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

I have soooooooo many books waiting to be read in my 'to be read' pile, which made it very difficult to narrow down which ones to read during the first quarter of 2025!! I am such a mood reader. So let's see if I can read the following ten books next quarter.

1. Death by A Thousand Sips by Gretchen Rue

2. In the Line of Fire by R. J. Noonan

3. Furious Hours by Casep Cep

4. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

5. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

6. Deceptive Calm by Patricia Skipper

7. The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

8. Rodin's Lover by Heather Webb

9. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

10. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent

Have you read any of the above books? Share in the comments section below if you have.

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril

 

I love reading cozy mystery novels! With it being the month of December and so close to the Christmas holiday, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril, which was well narrated by Bernadette Dunne.

A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril is the first cozy mystery in the 'A Killer Chocolate Mystery' series. I have the second novel in the series, A Nutcracker Nightmare, downloaded and ready to listen to and enjoy next! Cozy mysteries are great for fun, relatively quick, and lightweight reads this time of the year when we're all so busy with everyday life and preparing for the holiday season.

I enjoyed listening to A Christmas Candy Killing. It's a cozy mystery, features chocolate, a mystery bookstore, is tied to Christmas, and is a fun read. What's not to like?

I liked the storyline, plot twists, pacing, and the characters for A Christmas Candy Killing. There seemed to be quite a few characters to initially remember and keep straight, but nothing too burdensome to handle. I did figure out who the killer was long before the identity was revealed to readers due to the clues mentioned throughout the novel. 

I did like A Christmas Candy Killing. And as I already mentioned, I look forward to listening to the second novel.

Below is the publisher's summary for A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril from the Goodreads website:

Identical twin sisters Alex and Hannah are the owners of Murder and Mayhem, a mystery bookshop that sells their famous poison-themed Killer Chocolates. But now, there’s a real killer in their midst. Shortly before Christmas, their septuagenarian neighbor, Jane, confides to Alex that a murderer from a true-crime show has taken up residence in the village. Unfortunately, she’s also shared her suspicions with town gossip Netta. The next morning, Alex shows up at Jane’s house to watch the show, but instead she discovers Jane's body, with a box of Killer Chocolates nearby. The sheriff quickly zeroes in on two Alex, a beneficiary in Jane’s will, and Zack, a handyman who was seen leaving the crime scene. But Alex maintains her innocence and sets out to draft a list of other potential suspects―townsfolk who’d recently been seen arguing with Jane. When Alex gets hold of Jane’s journal, she begins to understand the truth. But a bearer of ill tidings is arriving early this year―and Alex just might not make it to Christmas.

I am giving A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Alta Journal's California Book Club Event - Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

 

Last Thursday evening, I enjoyed attending Alta Journal's California Book Club virtual event, which featured Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong. This event began at 5pm PST and lasted well over an hour.

I enjoyed hearing the the author, Rachel Khong, discuss her novel, Goodbye, Vitamin, and give a short reading from it. This novel spotlights the topic of Alzheimer's disease. My understanding is that Goodbye, Vitamin didn't start out as book about Alzheimer's, but rather inspired by the topic of memory.

Memory was discussed quite a bit by the author in the online event. She talked about how memory shapes who we are and without them we'd essentially not no who we are. Plus, how people have different memories about the same event/situation. 

Other things were discussed, of course, but the discussion regarding the topic of memory was the most fascinating to me.

This will probably be my last author event for 2024 and it was another wonderful one from Alta Journal. 

Have you attended any virtual or in person author events recently? Let me know in the comment section below!

Have You Met Any Book Bloggers, Book Podcasters, Or BookTubers In Real Life?

I'm just curious if you've ever met any of the book bloggers, book podcasters, or booktubers you've followed online over the years? I'm not talking about famous people here... Just the ordinary, everyday person who shares their love of all things reading, books, and/or other bookish things in some online format.

I've never met any other book bloggers, book podcasters, or booktubers that I know of in real life! I kinda of think it would be fun to perhaps meet up with another avid reader/book lover whose blog, podcast, or YouTube channel I currently follow sometime in the future. Perhaps, we'd be able to met up for lunch and discuss books, or meet at a really unique bookstore for an author event or have fun browsing the book stacks, or even attend a book festival together.

What do you think? Would you ever want to meet up with a book blogger you've followed online for a meet and greet?

New Little Library Find In San Ramon This Afternoon!!

 

This afternoon, my husband and I did a quick drive out so that we could seek out a new Little Free Library that recently launched in our area. 

We found the above LFL sitting on the homeowner's walkway. I dropped off two books and snagged two books. 

One of the books I took home with me, A Well Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler, had been a wishlist book. I've been lucky enough to find several wishlist books at Little Free Libraries over the years!

Glad we missed the rain while seeking out this LFL. But a storm is brewing and the skies have been cloudy and overcast all day, along with a wind advisory.

Happy Friday everyone! I hope you're all safe and doing well!!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

Yesterday, I finished listening to the unabridged audio version of The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, which is narrated by the author. 

I had previously finished reading The Sentence by Louise Erdrich last month for Native American Heritage Month. I enjoyed The Sentence so much that I decided to follow it up with another novel by Louise Erdrich. The Night Watchman didn't disappoint! 

After reading two back to back novels by Louise Erdrich, I can safely say that I have a new favorite novelist. I look forward to reading more books by Louise Erdrich.

What can I say about The Night Watchman? The writing is spectacular! The characters are amazing, well rounded, and a full bodied in a way that is very satisfying to the storyline. The storyline is very captivating and well paced. There isn't a dull moment to be seen in this novel.

There's so much to convey about The Night Watchman that I am not sure where to begin first. I don't want to over share the plot details either that I end up giving away too much of the plot details! 

I will keep my review very simple to prevent too many spoilers. The Night Watchman takes place in the 1950s and is set mainly in rural North Dakota on the Turtle Mountain Reservation. The night watchman of this novel is Thomas Washashk. Thomas's last name means muskrat and there'e a lot of Native American Folklore surrounding the muskrat that is touched upon in the novel. Thomas Washashk is based on the author's own grandfather. 

I love that Louise Erdrich focuses on Native American history and issues/themes in her novels. I also enjoy that she incorporates real life events and real life people into her novels as well. In The Night Watchman, we read about Thomas Washashk's fight against Native dispossession which takes him all the way to Washington DC. All the while, Thomas tries to sustain life for his family through farming and as a night watchman at the local jewel bearing plant.

Another main character is Pixie/Patrice. She's a young women who works at the jewel bearing plant making the jewel bearings along with several other Native American women. We see Pixie/Patrice and others on the reservation struggle with poverty and the Native American identity.

Each character in The Night Watchman is very nuanced. How these characters mingle together to make a cohesive story is magic on Erdrich's part. The readers are provided a snapshot into life on the reservation and what the new 'emancipation' bill would mean for indigenous groups across the USA if it should pass.

Below is the plot summary for The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, which I discovered on Amazon's website:

Winner of the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction

New York Times Best Seller

Washington Post, Amazon, NPR, CBS Sunday Morning, Kirkus, Chicago Public Library, and Good Housekeeping Best Book of 2020

Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, DC, this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.

Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation” bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination” that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans “for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run”?

Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life.

Thomas and Patrice live in this impoverished reservation community along with young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain and his mother Juggie Blue, her niece and Patrice’s best friend Valentine, and Stack Barnes, the white high school math teacher and boxing coach who is hopelessly in love with Patrice.

In the Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.

I am giving The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars. 

In fact, The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich may be my favorite novel of 2024. The writing is incredible! I fully understand why it won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Gifts From My Secret Santa On Bookcrossing!!

 

This year, I decided to participate in a Secret Santa exchange hosted by another Bookcrosser!! I love this idea. You list things you'd like to receive as a gift(s) for Christmas and are then paired up with another Bookcrossing member. Gifts are then exchanged, of course. However, the person you send a gift to is not the same person who will send a gift to you. This makes for truly wonderful surprise as you don't know what you'll receive or from whom! 

Last weekend, I received a brand new, hardback copy of The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer, which was a wishlist book. Plus, two boxes of Earl Grey tea from Tazo. Such a thoughtful gift!

I've been a proud Bookcrossing member since January 6, 2007!! I can't believe next month will mark 18 years of being a member of Bookcrossing. I've pretty much been an active member on Bookcrossing since joining back in 2007. It's free to become a member of Bookcrossing, incidentally. I've even hyped Bookcrossing quite a few times here on my blog in the past.

What do I LOVE about Bookcrossing? 

1. The connection with other avid readers from around the world!! Bookcrossing has several forum sections where avid readers can connect and discuss all things books and reading. There are even forum sections devoted to specific foreign languages, like Spanish, French, German, Russian, and many more for those that do not speak English.

2. Bookcrossing offers a way to share books with others!! Essentially, you register a book on Bookcrossing which you've read and no longer wish to keep in your personal collection. Once you've registered the book, you can make a journal entry regarding your thoughts about the book you've read and give it a numerical rating. From there, you may share the in a variety of ways... Like leaving the book at a Little Free Library, for instance or sending it off to another Bookcrosser who has the book you've read on their wishlist. Finally, you'll make release notes on where to find the book if you've left book at a Little Free Library for instance. 

Once a book has been picked up by another reader, hopefully, they will then make a journal entry letting you know they have it in their possession, read the book themselves, rate/review it, and then pass it on to someone else. You'll receive a notification via email when a journal entry has been made by another Bookcrosser. I find it fun when someone reads/reviews books I've released out into the world and enjoy seeing where the book has traveled or will travel to in the future!! I've had books travel all over the USA and even to Europe and beyond! This is pretty cool!

3. Participating in book exchanges/swaps and various sweepstakes hosted by other Bookcrossers. It's a lot of fun!! I won a tea and chocolate sweepstakes once and received a flood of books, tea, and chocolate from Bookcrossers around the world. 

There's a whole lot more to Bookcrossing than this... like real life meetups, Bookcrossing conventions, etc. But, I chose to stick to my top three favorite things I love about Bookcrossing.

As a side note, I initially learned about Bookcrossing from my husband, who is not an avid reader. I forget how my husband first learned about Bookcrossing. All I know is that he loves to support my love of reading and all things related to books, bookstores, author/book festival events, and so on. 

I'm looking forward to many more years of Bookcrossing fun and hope to met more Bookcrossers in the future.

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Four Books to Cozy Up With This Holiday Season!

Oooo, all new to me book titles were mentioned in the above video. In fact, all four books sound amazing! I'm off to add them ALL to my reading wishlist!

Brick and Mortar Bookstores Are BOOMING Once Again!!

 

I'm thrilled to hear both brick and mortar chain bookstores and independent bookstores are thriving and gaining ground once again!! It's been so easy for us all to buy books online through Amazon and the like and have books shipped to us or downloaded to our e-readers.

 Plus, during the pandemic, people weren't doing much in store shopping. 

So, it's thrilling to see a resurgence of brick and mortar bookstores popping up around the USA.

Top Ten Tuesday - FREEBIE - Favorite Things to Eat/Drink While Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Since we are in the middle of the holiday season, I thought it would be fun to share a list of foods and beverages that I typically like to snack on while reading books.

1. Organic Hot Herbal or Decaf Tea - I'm generally not an iced tea lover.

2. Hot Cocoa - Cocoa can be dark chocolate cocoa or mint hot cocoa. Hold the marshmallows and whip cream, PLEASE!!

3. Sparkling Water - Plain or flavored, like lime, lemon, mixed berry, or orange.

4.  Larabars - Current favorite flavor is Banana Chocolate Chip.

5. Siggi's Vanilla Yogurt

6. Organic Dark Chocolate Bar

7. Organic Bananas

8. Organic Apple Slices with Almond Butter

9. Organic Dried Nuts - Usually almonds or walnuts these days.

10. Organic Popcorn - Either plain with light sea salt or the Kettle Corn flavor.

I try to eat on the healthier side. But during the holiday season I may end up snacking on desserts while reading books! 

Which snacks and beverages do you enjoy while reading books?

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

 I listened to the unabridged audio version of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich and narrated by the author. This is my first experience with anything written by Louise Erdrich. 

I'm so grateful that I finally took the step to read a novel by Louise Erdrich!! Louise Erdrich's writing is amazing and The Sentence covers a lot of ground, so you're in for a good ride.

What did I like about The Sentence? Just about everything. The writing is great and so is the storyline. I loved the characters for this novel as well... I especially loved the main character, Tookie! I enjoyed the indigenous bookstore set in Minnesota. The bookstore is a haunted bookstore as in that it's haunted by a difficult, former customer named, Flora, who had passed away recently. Flora makes the most problems for Tookie throughout most of the novel. Tookie and the rest of the staff try to figure out why Flora is haunting the bookstore and help her cross over to the other side. We read about the lives of those running the bookstore and a few of the customers as well as about Tookie's friends and family, which make for a great read.

The time period for The Sentence is an entire year from November 2019 to November 2020. So, the Covid-19 pandemic is front and center for much of the novel and how it effected people's live. Additionally, the George Floyd murder and riots to follow were also front and center. Not to mention the lives of Indigenous Americans were also front and center for this novel. Louise Erdrich writes about each topic so well and interweaves each topic together in such a way as to be seamless to the storyline, including the haunting of the bookstore that we read about throughout the novel. 

Louise Erdrich also appears as a minor character in her own novel. Also, I can only assume that the bookstore in the The Sentence is somewhat based on the author's own bookstore.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Sentence by Louise Erdrich from the Goodreads website:

In this stunning and timely novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich creates a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage, and of a woman's relentless errors.

Louise Erdrich's latest novel, The Sentence, asks what we owe to the living, the dead, to the reader and to the book. A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store's most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Souls' Day, but she simply won't leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading "with murderous attention", must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.

The Sentence begins on All Souls' Day 2019 and ends on All Souls' Day 2020. Its mystery and proliferating ghost stories during this one year propel a narrative as rich, emotional, and profound as anything Louise Erdrich has written.

I am giving The Sentence by Louise Erdrich a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

I DNF'D Several Books This Month!

 

I rarely DNF books. However, this month I DNF'd listening to three audiobooks during the first half of November, because they were just NOT for me to say the least. I can't even be bothered to remember the book titles I DNF'd at this point in time or I'd share the titles in this post. By the way, DNFing three books in one month may be a new record for me as I usually finish reading the books I start reading.

I think there's a lot of reasons behind why I either keep reading a book, even if I don't like it, or ditch reading a book if I don't like it. For instance, in school if you're required to read books for a certain course, whether you want to the book or not, you are compelled to read the book in order to pass the course. There's not much you can do in that situation. In other instances, I often feel compelled to finish reading books I spend money on, especially full priced books, even if I am not enjoying the book at all. Or if I'm reading a book for a book club I'm involved with because I want to be able to participate in the discussion of the book with other readers in the book club meet up... And lastly, I will usually finish reading a book that someone else has gifted me that I'd wanted to read. After all, this person was nice enough to buy me a book I had wanted to read. However, if I've received the book for FREE from the public library, a Little Free Library, a free digital download, an ARC, etc., and I end up not liking the book, then by all means, I have no qualms about ditching the book ASAP!!!

Is there a foolproof way to prevent DNFing books? I suppose sticking to authors/genres you already know you enjoy reading would help reduce the amount of books one DNFs greatly... But there's no guarantee this will totally work. Plus, if you want to branch out and read more diversely, then there will always be a risk that you may not enjoy what you're read. I'm always willing to branch out and read widely, even if it means breaking out of my comfort zone. This is how I find new favorite authors, books, genres, and even learn new things or new insights. 

How often do you DNF books you are reading? What are your criteria for ditching books you aren't enjoying at all? 

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2024!!

 

The Word 'DEMURE' Has Been Selected As 2024's Word of the Year!

 

I learned about this a couple of days ago, that 'DEMURE' has been named the word of the year by Dictionary.com! Brat, Brain Rot, Weird & Extreme Weather, and Midwest Nice were other words that shaped 2024 according to the above YouTube Video!

Top Ten Tuesday - Thankful/Thanksgiving Freebie

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

There are truly so many things I am thankful for this season! I am grateful for the simple things that are sometimes taken for granted!

1. I'm so thankful for my loving husband, and wonderful family and friends! My circle of family and friends may be small, but I am grateful for the kind, compassionate, and fun loving people in my life. It's about the quality of the relationships I have with others that matter to me most.

2. Nutritious food/meals! Many people across the nation and around the world live without enough food to eat. I am thankful that I am able to donate to my local foodbank periodically to help provide nutritious meals for others in need. I am also grateful that I able to eat nutritious meals (often organic) and that this year, our Thanksgiving meal will be prepared and delivered to our home. So, no time spent cooking or after meal cleanup this year! Instead, I can enjoy quality time with loved ones.

3. I am thankful, blessed, and grateful to have my other basic needs met like access to health insurance/healthcare, shelter, working vehicle, and so on.

4. I am grateful to have a new vehicle as of a week and a half ago! After 17 years, it was time to retire our 2007 Toyota Prius... Our Toyota Prius was still in really good working order and served us well, but it was time to buy a new vehicle. My husband and I couldn't pass up taking advantage of the zero percent financing for 36 months on a new 2025 vehicle.

5. I'm grateful for the vacations my husband and I have taken this year. We spent a week in Miranda, California in the heart of the Avenue of the Giants/Humboldt Redwoods State Park for my husband's birthday earlier this year. We had an absolute blast spending time in nature, time away from city life and walking the numerous trails. We also spent a long weekend in Kentfield, California for our anniversary and enjoyed our time at Muir Woods National Monument. Both places offered the much needed opportunity to spend time in nature and forest bathing. If you haven't visited either Muir Woods National Monument or Avenue of the Giants/Humboldt Redwoods State Park, then by all means make the visit. It's so worth it!

Me and the Hubster enjoying The Avenue of the Giants. September 2024.

6. I had a skin cancer screening with a dermatologist earlier this year due to a suspicious looking red lesion on my lower leg. A biopsy determined that I had squamous cell carcinoma in situ, which was the very early stages of skin cancer. I went on to have Mohs Microsurgery to remove the lesion at the end of September and all traces of the squamous cell carcinoma in situ were removed during the Mohs Microsurgery. Healing has been super slow due to the location and size of the surgical site. I am finally beginning to feel better and am thankful that the squamous cell carcinoma in situ was caught and removed early.

7. I've exceeded my reading goals for 2024!! I've read so many wonderful books so far this year. I am hoping to read another five to six books before the year is over. It will be difficult narrowing down my top ten favorite books at the end of the year.

8. I am an avid book lover. Who isn't a book lover if they're an avid reader and also a book blogger? I have acquired more books to read in various formats than I could probably ever finish reading before this lifetime is completed. I wouldn't consider this a bad thing... I love being surrounded by books.

9. I love the book blogging community and am ever so grateful for all of you who follow my blog and leave me comments.

10. Lastly, I am grateful for all of the virtual author events I've attended this year, all of the Little Free Libraries I have found this year, all of the amazing authors who've churned out the books we've all loved reading, and lastly, to the indie bookstores that make book buying fun!

What are you grateful for this year?

Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson, which well narrated by Lindsey Dorcus. Fly With The Arrow is the first novel in the 'Bluebeard's Secret' series. 

Listening time for Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson is 7 hours, 53 minutes.

I was able to download Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson for FREE through the Chirp Audiobooks website. Below is my honest, unbiased review.

Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson was an unexpected read for me. I'd never heard of the author or the series before. I decided to take a chance on the novel and was pleasantly surprised. Fly With The Arrow falls into the young adult, romantic fantasy genre. Are you familiar with Bluebeard tale? I'm not versed with the Bluebeard tale itself, so I can't quite say this novel is a Bluebeard retelling or not. I can say that I enjoyed the storyline, the writing, and the characters. If you like the fantasy and young adult genres with a touch of romance, then you might find this novel a fun read. I did like the world building for Fly With The Arrow. 

As much as I liked reading Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson, I can't say as I'll continue reading the series.

Below is the publisher's summary for Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson found on Chirp's website:

A STOLEN BRIDE. A TERRIFYING BRIDEGROOM. THE GAME THAT WILL DETERMINE THEIR FATES.

I’m a practical girl. I can resign myself to an unwanted marriage – and I had. I just didn’t expect my first potential bridegroom to be murdered by the second and all because I broke the Law of Greeting.

No one warned me the law existed. No one told me breaking it would mean I’d be swept up into the arms of a powerful and beautiful immortal bent on taking me as his sixteenth bride and dragging me off to his strange world. That’s a bit much to ask of a person.

But I’m not the kind of girl to just give up. Not even if it means facing all the strange mystery and magic of this mad fae world with nothing but my common sense.

I will not mope in my room, or go crazy, or let myself be killed by one of his rivals.

And I absolutely WILL NOT fall in love with him.

Not even when he keeps surprising me with depths and kindness I didn’t expect. Not even if it turns out he actually might have a good reason for all of this.

After all, he’s had fifteen wives before me and it’s not a case of “the more the merrier.”

Especially not now, when it turns out he’s playing a game for the fate of my nation. Failure in this world will mean the desolation of everyone I love.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. But I have a crafty husband, a severed head best friend who gives surprisingly good advice, and the common sense my mother gave me, and if that isn’t enough to take on the whole of this fae world … well, they’ll just have to be. That’s all there is to it. Because I’m not dying unless I have a very good reason.

Come along on a wild romantic fantasy adventure with USA Today bestselling author Sarah K. L. Wilson, guaranteed to enthrall, delight, and maybe even surprise you.

I am giving Fly With The Arrow by Sarah K L Wilson a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post happy, reading!!

New to Me Little Free Library Find In San Ramon, California Today!!

 

We're in the midst of having a 'Triple Bomb' Cyclone here in the San Francisco Bay Area with lots of rain and flooding in certain areas according to the news. 

This afternoon the rain had stopped for awhile and the sun came out for a brief appearance. This allowed my husband and I make a quick outing to grab some food to go from a local Mediterranean restaurant and also drop off three novels at a new to us  Little Free Library.

We loved finding this new to us Little Free Library! I hope to find more LFLs in the near future!!

Gold Fury by Kieren Westwood

 

I read the paperback edition of Gold Fury by Kieren Westwood, which is a flash fiction novella and roughly 75 pages in length. Kieren Westwood is a YouTuber and writer and even editor. I've enjoyed watching quite a few videos on Kieren Westwood's YouTube channel regarding writing and they're good. So, I had high hopes for Gold Fury as I like reading novellas. I was also interested in seeing how a flash fiction novella would play out in real life. Plus, Gold Fury had been shortlisted for the Bath novella-in-flash award.

What are my thoughts about Gold Fury after reading it? I liked the short chapters. Each chapter felt like I was looking at one of those old time Polaroid snapshots in that each chapter focused on particular characters and situations that helped propel the story forward. It was like each snapshot was a pice of the puzzle that propelled the storyline forward. Each separate chapter built on the next the chapter, but not in the normal way I am use to a story being told. Gold Fury is a unique reading experience for sure and artistically done.... However, Gold Fury wasn't really my thing. I just didn't like it as much as I hoped I would enjoy reading it.

Below is the plot summary for Gold Fury by Kieren Westwood from the Goodreads website:

Gold Fury is a short novella of flash fiction, tracing twenty moments in the journey of a stolen car as it moves through the criminal landscape of a rural town. It was shortlisted for the Bath novella-in-flash award 2020. "They guy told me to run and not look back, and he had a gun." "Yes, that's all I know. I already told you what he looked like." "Yes, that's my car, a gold Plymouth Fury 1970." "Why would you be looking through my letters? It's my personal property. It had nothing to do with what happened." "I wasn't trying to blackmail anyone." NO ONE RUNS FOREVER.

I am giving Gold Fury by Kieren Westwood a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!

 

Author Gary Phillips In Conversation With John Freeman - Alta Journal's California Book Club!

 

I have yet to read anything written by Gary Phillips. In fact, I'd never heard of him until recently. So, in the interest of learning more about Gary Phillips, I decided to watch Alta Journal's California Book Club virtual event with John Freeman and special guest, Naomi Hirahara!

I enjoyed watching this virtual author event earlier this evening and now want to read Violent Spring more than ever. Violent Spring was published 30 years ago in 1994 and is set in Los Angeles, California. It's also the first novel in a series of four novels featuring the leading character, Private Investigator Ivan Monk. Violent Spring takes place a year after the LA Riots, which occurred in 1992. There are plenty of other features that make this novel sound wonderful.

Have you read any books by Gary Phillips? Also, have you attended any author events recently? Let me know in the comment section below!

Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda R. Hirshman

Yes, to FINALLY listening to the unabridged audio version of Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda R. Hirshman and nicely narrated by Andrea Gallo. I've wanted to read this nonfiction book for quite sometime now as I'm fascinated by the lives of the first two women judges on the Supreme Court.

I am so happy that I listened to Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda R. Hirshman. This book is packed to the gills with information about not only the early lives of both Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, their education and early legal careers, and eventual rise to becoming the first, two female judges on the Supreme Court, but it also discusses each woman's decisions pertaining to critical legal cases that helped shape our world as we know it today. In addition to this, we also learn more about the inner workings of the Supreme Court and about the other members of the Supreme Court during each woman's tenure as a Supreme Court Justice. I found all of the information to be fascinating despite becoming a bit overwhelmed at certain times regarding the amount of information provided by Linda R. Hirschman in some sections of her book.

Below is the publisher's summary for Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda R. Hirshman, which I found on Chirp's website:

The author of the celebrated Victory tells the fascinating story of the intertwined lives of Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first and second women to serve as Supreme Court justices.

The relationship between Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—Republican and Democrat, Christian and Jew, western rancher’s daughter and Brooklyn girl—transcends party, religion, region, and culture. Strengthened by each other’s presence, these groundbreaking judges, the first and second to serve on the highest court in the land, have transformed the Constitution and America itself, making it a more equal place for all women.

Linda Hirshman’s dual biography includes revealing stories of how these trailblazers fought for their own recognition in a male-dominated profession—battles that would ultimately benefit every American woman. She also makes clear how these two justices have shaped the legal framework of modern feminism, including employment discrimination, abortion, affirmative action, sexual harassment, and many other issues crucial to women’s lives.

Sisters-in-Law combines legal detail with warm personal anecdotes that bring these very different women into focus as never before. Meticulously researched and compellingly told, it is an authoritative account of our changing law and culture, and a moving story of a remarkable friendship.

I am giving Sisters in Law: How Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Went to the Supreme Court and Changed the World by Linda R. Hirshman a rating of 4 stars our of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon

I do like reading holiday themed books! Seasons of Reading is hosting both a reading challenge and read-a-thon beginning November 25th through December 31st, 2024.

You can participate in both the reading challenge and the read-a-thon or only one or the other. It's your choice!

I am going to participate in both the reading challenge and the read-a-thon. I plan to read only one holiday themed book for the reading  challenge, which falls into the Candy Cane level.

There's even a bingo reading challenge!! Plus, there's even prizes!!

Click on the above link to learn more about Seasons of Reading 2024 Yuletide Spirit Reading Challenge and Readathon.

Happy High Five A Librarian Day!!!

 

Circus of the Dead: Book 1 by Kimberly Loth

 

I recently listened to the unabridged audio version of Circus of the Dead: Book 1 by Kimberly Loth, which was well narrated by Sarah Puckett. 

Circus of the Dead is a young adult novel, which deals with the supernatural, horror, and fantasy genres all mixed together in one novel. I liked the concept for this novel, but it didn't play out very well... Or at least, as good as I hoped it would play out.

Callie, the main character, is a teenager sent by her mother to live with her Uncle Luke for the summer. Luke is Callie's mother's brother. Callie and Luke have never met before. In fact, Luke has no idea that Callie is coming all the way from California to the Louisiana Bayou to work at the circus. Things go wrong from the  very start of this novel and continue to go from bad to worse rather quickly. Callie is almost killed by a tiger when she is locked inside the tiger's cage. Then, Callie visits the fortune teller at the circus for a tarot reading. Callie draws two tarot cards that seal her fate. Callie's fate is that she will be stuck on the island where the circus is held, unable to escape forever, and that she'll fall in love. 

Throughout the remainder of the novel, Callie tries to escape the island numerous times without success. Callie is almost killed a few times... And Samuel, the mysterious ringmaster, has strange powers/control over the permanent residents of the island. Samuel isn't who he seems to be, yet Callie is attracted to him. Stranger still is the fact that Callie's parent's won't rescue her despite several pleas on Callie's part to come home. Nor do Callie's parents and her younger sister believe she is in any sort of danger.

Circus of the Dead: Book 1 by Kimberly Loth starts out pretty well and the ending is decent enough. However, the middle of the novel has a lot of action that doesn't move the storyline along substantially... Sure, we learn a little more about some of the other islanders and the circus itself. But, I felt like the plot didn't explain enough about the mysteries concerning the circus itself, or enough about Callies's Uncle Luke and her parents, or even much regarding the mysterious, Samuel, and his backstory. I will skip the rest of the 'Circus of the Dead' series.

Below is the plot summary for Circus of the Dead: Book 1 by Kimberly Loth found on the Goodreads website:

There are many ways to die at the Circus of the Dead. You’re invited to witness them all.

Mom sent me all the way across the country to the Louisiana bayou to join the circus and help my uncle for the summer. Except, there is something not quite right on this swampy cursed island, and after having my fortune told, I can’t leave. I try to escape, but Benny, an all too charming ghost gangster, tries to kill me by feeding me to a tiger.

Thankfully, I’m rescued by Samuel, the incredibly hot ringmaster who can’t be a day over 20. Can he?

In addition to avoiding the human scorpion, staying away from the big cats, and having trouble figuring out who’s dead and who’s alive, I have to find a way to escape this horror show.

Will I get out of the circus alive, or will I join their army of ghosts and become a murderer myself?

I am giving Circus of the Dead: Book 1 by Kimberly Loth a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Bookish Quote of the Day!!

 

5 Audiobooks Receive 2024 Grammy Nominations

I largely forget about the fact that audiobooks are nominated for a Grammy Award!! I recently came across the following Kirkus Review article titled, 5 Audiobooks Receive 2024 Grammy Nominations by Michael Schaub.

In the article mentioned above, I learned that the following five books have been nominated for a Grammy Award:

1. My Name Is Barbra by Barbra Streisand

2. Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration by Jimmy Carter

3. Behind The Seams: My Life In Rhinestones by Dolly Parton

4. ...And Your Ass Will Follow: Words + Music by George Clinton

5. All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words: Unpublished, Unvarnished, and Told by The Beatles and Their Inner Circle by Peter Brown and Steven Gaines

Seems like we have a top heavy celebrity selection of nominees for the Grammy Awards! I think Dolly Parton's book sounds the most intriguing, especially since she narrates her own book. The winners will be selected on February 2, 2025. Good luck!!

The Vampire's Last Dance by Deanna Chase

 
Generally, I like reading paranormal romances as low key, fun reads, which is one of the reasons why I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Vampire's Last Dance by Deanna Chase and well narrated by Traci Odom. I also chose this novel because it's narrated by Traci Odom and I like listening to books she narrates. It's also a very short read and I wanted to give another novel written by Deanna Chase a try.

Traci Odom's narration is probably the best thing I can say about my experience with The Vampire's Last Dance by Deanna Chase. I didn't care for the writing/storyline/plot development for The Vampire's Last Dance... It's was not very interesting or engaging. I didn't like the characters very much either. With that said, I think I will ditch out on reading any other novelss written by Deanna Chase in the future.

Below is the plot summary for The Vampire's Last Dance by Deanna Chase I discovered on the author's website:

She’s a witch who carries a family curse, destined to never get her happily ever after. Felicia Patterson has come to terms with the fact that she’ll never get to be with her one true love… whoever he happens to be. But when the sexiest vampire she’s ever seen walks onto Witch Island, she can’t help her fluttering heart.

He’s a vampire who’s been burned before, destined to never love again. Christoph Parks has sworn off relationships. In the century that he’s walked the earth, he’s only known heartbreak and disappointment. But one smile from the island’s sassy florist has his icy heart melting. And now that the pair have been thrown together to save their loved ones’ wedding from imploding, can they also overcome a brutal curse, find a way to trust, and finally get the love that they deserve?

I am giving The Vampire's Last Dance by Deanna Chase a rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

Top Ten Tuesday - Destination Titles

 

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Top Ten Tuesday was originally created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Below are ten different books with a destination in its title!

1. Louisiana Longshot: A Miss Fortune Mystery by Jana Deleon

2. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

3. Kentucky On The Rocks by Gwendolyn Grace

4. Death At Greenway by Lori Rader-Day

5. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

6. The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson

7. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel

8. Peril In Pensacola by Lucy Quinn

9. Sara in Montana by Morris Fenris

10. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Have you read any of the books I've listed above?

Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash

 

I listened to the unabridged audio version of Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash, which was well narrated by Walker Williams and Marina Barrett. This was my first read for November 2024!

After listening to nine audiobooks in October, I decided to make my first read for November an easy peasy, quick read! Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash is a contemporary romance novel and fit perfectly for my need for a quick read and change of pace from what I'd read the previous month.

Although, I enjoyed Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash with its dual narrators, I found it to be a typical, formulaic, romance read... That doesn't mean it wasn't a good read, it just means that it follows the standard romance formula that's so pervasive. Plus, too fairytale-lish in many respects to make it a perfect read.

I enjoyed the storyline and characters overall for Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash and the narrators were good. Camden and Layla have been best friends since sophomore year of high school. Camden has always been in love with Layla since day one, but there's always been something that prevented Camden from making his feels for Layla known. Layla got engaged and married to a creep, while Camden and his music band became big. Camden and Layla reunited and eventually started a romance after Layla left her abusive husband... There's tons of drama surrounding that relationship.

Below is the publisher's summary for Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash from Goodread's website:

A Single Mom, Rock Star Romance

Camden

I’ve been in love with my best friend since high school.
My biggest regret? Walking away without telling her.
I planned to. But then catastrophe struck, making us part ways without a word.
She left for Boston with her fiancé, while I left for L.A. with my band–Raging Chaos.
For the next five years, I lived and breathed music, trying to forget the beautiful girl who shattered my heart without even knowing it.
Until I see her again…
I walked away once, and I've learned my lesson.
Layla is my forever, not another item in my pile of regrets.
And she's about to find that out.

Layla

The moment I saw Camden on stage, something inside me came to life.
His tragic song of unrequited love was a confession that had me questioning everything.
Five years might’ve changed who we are—he’s a rock star and I’m a single mom—but my feelings for him are as strong as ever.
His lyrics make falling in love seem easy. For him—maybe it is.
Only I’ve learned the hard way that real life isn’t as simple as writing a love song.

I am giving Controlled Chaos (Love and Lyrics #1) by Nikki Ash a rating of 3 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!!

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick

I have never seen the movie version of 'The Ghost and Mrs. Muir', but I never knew the movie was based on a novel until recently!! With this new bit of information, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick, which was well narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki.

I enjoyed The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick!! What a fun read!! I enjoyed the storyline and characters for this novel and the writing too. Lucy Muir, is the main character, and she is a strong, confident woman for during the time period in which this novel was set. She's a widow with two young children and she sets out to start life over in a new town where she can afford to live. The house she moves into is apparently haunted and no one has rented it. But Lucy takes the rental and moves into the home with her children. Yes, there's a ghost, but Lucy and the ghost, sea Captain Daniel Gregg, form a special kinship with each other. I adored reading about their relationship! I also enjoyed reading about Lucy's life in general and her relationship's with others during a time period that held different views and conventions on what was expected of women.

Below is the publisher's summary for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick found on Amazon's website:

The basis for Joseph L. Mankiewicz's cinematic romance starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.

Burdened by debt after her husband's death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the rumors to be true, the young widow ends up forming a special companionship with the ghost of handsome former sea captain Daniel Gregg. Through the struggles of supporting her children, seeking out romance from the wrong places, and working to publish the captain's story as a book, Blood and Swash, Lucy finds in her secret relationship with Captain Gregg a comfort and blossoming love she never could have predicted.

Originally published in 1945, made into a movie in 1947, and later adapted into a television sitcom in 1968, this romantic tale explores how love can develop without boundaries, both in this life and beyond.

I am giving The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!