Bloggin' 'bout Books

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Five Bookish Places I've Visited and Five I Still Want to Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:05:59 +0000

I'm a little late to the TTT party this week, but I didn't want to miss the prompt du jour, especially since I'm the one who suggested it! Ha ha. I love visiting bookish places—libraries, bookstores, historical sites, etc.—so I want to know all about the Top Ten Bookish Places You've Visited (or want to visit). Personally, I'm going to do five of each. I can't wait to see everyone's lists.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Five Bookish Places I've Visited and Five I Still Want to Visit

- in no particular order -

Bookish Places I've Been:

Margaret Mitchell House and Museum (Atlanta, Georgia, USA)—Besides bookstores and libraries, this is the first bookish place I remember visiting. The building housed the apartment the author lived in in the early 1900s. It's now a museum where you can learn all about Margaret Mitchell, who penned the Southern classic Gone With the Wind.

Whitby, North Yorkshire, England—Whitby is a lovely seaside town and port. My husband and I both reminsce fondly about the happy day we spent exploring it a couple years ago. One of the highlights was walking up the famous 199 steps to see the 7th Century monastic ruins at the top of the cliff. An ancient church, St. Mary's, sits next door surrounded by a picturesque cemetery. Dracula by Bram Stoker was set in Whitby. My husband and I got a good laugh out of this sign that hangs in St. Mary's:

(Photos by my husband, Eric Jensen)

The Library of Congress (Washington, D.C., USA)—I've never been inside a library as gorgeous as this one. It's stunning.

Robert Burns Birthplace Museum (Alloway, Ayr, Scotland)—I knew very little about Scotland's national poet Robert Burns before visiting this site that was suggested by a Scottish friend. Even if you're not familiar with the writer, his humble childhood home and surrounding museum offer a fascinating look at his life and work.

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash

Shakespeare and Company (Paris, France)—This is iconic bookshop actually works for both of these lists. I visited Paris for the first and only time in 2021 when there were still strict COVID rules in place. Only a small amount of people were being allowed into the store at a time, resulting in long, long lines. My traveling companions didn't want to wait and, since I didn't want to hold us all up, I walked by the store without ever going inside. Bummer.

Bookish Places I Still Need to Visit:

Photo by Jaime Bishara on Unsplash

Prince Edward Island (Canada)—I think this gorgeous area is on every Anne of Green Gables fan's travel bucket list.

Photo by Frugal Flyer on Unsplash

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida)—My daughter and I are going to check this one off sometime around the new year. Can't wait!

Photo by Carrie Borden on Unsplash

Admont Abbey Library (Admont, Austria)—Friends keep asking my husband and I where we're planning to go for our next international trip. Germany and Austria have long been on my bucket list. (Technically, we've been to Austria since we spent the night in Vienna 9 months ago, but that was just a quick layover so it doesn't really count.) This breathtakingly beautiful library is one site I really want to see.

Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House (Concord, Massachusetts, USA)—This historical home was the long-time residence of the Alcott family. Louisa May lived here when she penned her classic Little Women. It's now a museum dedicated to the author's life and work.

Photo by Teresita Biafore on Unsplash

Anne Frank House (Amsterdam, Netherlands)—Reading The Diary of Anne Frank made a huge impression on me as a young reader. I'd love to visit this historical site and learn more about her.

Have you visited any of these sights? Which was your favorite? What bookish spots have you been to? Which are you dying to see? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Top Ten Tuesday: But Series-ly...

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 02:18:43 +0000

I'm a sucker for a good series, the longer the better. The only problem is that I often find myself getting stuck in the middle of them, usually forgetting who's who and what's what between installments. Sometimes, I've blanked so much that I just start the whole thing over! And I'm not a person who loves rereading. The struggle is real. Today's TTT prompt is right up my alley: Top Ten Book Series I Want to Catch Up On (Or Start). I could make a Top 100 list just using the first part of this topic, but I'll try to narrow it down to just ten mystery series I want to catch up on.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Mystery Series I Want to Catch Up On

(Book covers show the first installment in each series.)

1. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny

Books in Series: 21 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 13

Next Up: Kingdom of the Blind

This is one of my favorite mystery series of all time and I don't want it to ever end. I've been reading the books slowly (very slowly) in order to savor them. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is one of the most likable and admirable detectives I've ever encountered. His colleagues, friends, and associates are a complex and colorful bunch, which makes for a lot of interesting tales. It's a great series. If you like mysteries, you have to give it a go.

2. Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn

Books in Series: 10 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 6

Next Up: An Impossible Imposter

Veronica is no ordinary Victorian woman. She's a daring, outspoken lepidopterist who solves mysteries in her spare time. With the help of her hunky associate, she has all kinds of crazy adventures in the name of bringing about justice. These books are hilarious and fun.

3. Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths

Books in Series: 15 (series complete)

Books I've Read: 4

Next Up: A Dying Fall

Ruth is an archaeologist who helps the Norfolk police solve crimes.

4. Gilded Newport series by Alyssa Maxwell

Books in Series: 14 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 6

Next Up: Murder at Crossways

As a second cousin to Cornelius Vanderbilt (albeit one without his abundant wealth), 21-year old Emma Cross is in a unique position in society. She uses that status to her advantage as she writes a newspaper column about high-society happenings. What she really wants is to be an investigative reporter breaking important news. Luckily (or unluckily as the case may be), crime seems to have a way of finding her, putting her in the position of playing amateur sleuth both above and below stairs.

5. Amish Candy Shop Mysteries series by Amanda Flower

Books in Series: 11 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 7

Up Next: Blueberry Blunder

Bailey King leaves her dream job as an assistant chocolatier in New York City to help her Amish grandmother run her candy shop in a small Ohio town. As quaint as the village is, there's a whole lot going on under the surface. Bailey finds herself digging into a surprising number of murders among both the Amish and English residents.

6. Bakeshop Mysteries series by Ellie Alexander

Books in Series: 24 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 1

Next Up: A Batter of Life and Death

This is one of those series that I had to start over with. I reread Meet Your Baker a few months ago.

Set in Ashland, Oregon—a real town that is famous for its annual Shakespearean festival—this culinary mystery series stars the mother/daughter team that runs Torte, a popular (fictional) bakery. With the yearly festival chaos as well as the usual conflict that abounds in a small, insular town, baker Juliet Capshaw always has her hands full serving up baked goods and helping to solve the murder du jour.

7. Kate Hamilton series by Connie Berry

Books in Series: 6 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 4

Next Up: A Collection of Lies

American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton helps to solve her first murder while visiting Scotland. Later, she moves to the U.K. where she continues helping her detective boyfriend solve crimes.

8. Shana Merchant series by Tessa Wegert

Books in Series: 6 (series complete)

Books I've Read: 5

Next Up: The Coldest Case

This crime series features Shana Merchant, a former NYPD detective with a traumatic past. Trying to put her trauma behind her, she takes a job in New York's Thousand Islands area. There, she solves new cases while also dealing with the unresolved issues from her past.

Although this series is complete, Wegert is now writing a spin-off series that I'm excited to read.

9. Baker Street Mysteries series by Valerie Burns

Books in Series: 5 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 2

Next Up: A Cup of Flour, A Pinch of Death

This fun cozy culinary series stars Maddy Montgomery, a fashionista social media star who's reeling from being left at the altar. When a great-aunt she never knew leaves Maddy a surprise inheritance, she sees it as the new start she desperately needs. It doesn't matter that she can barely boil water, she can totally run Aunt Octavia's popular bakery, right? It's not long before Maddy is in over her head trying to learn to bake, run a business, wrangle a giant mastiff, and...solve a string of murders?

10. Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen

Books in Series: 20 (and counting)

Books I've Read: 2

Next Up: Royal Flush

I started this historical mystery series this year and have really been enjoying it (especially on audio). It stars Lady Victoria Gergiana Charlotte Eugenie—Georgie—a cousin of England's King George V. With her family's fortune waning, she leaves her Scottish castle for London, where she'll have to make her own way for the first time in her life. In addition to worrying about how to make ends meet, she's at the mercy of Her Majesty, the Queen, who often enlists Georgie's help with various inconvenient projects. Then, there are all the murders that seem to happen around her...

There you go, ten mystery series that I need to catch up on. Have you read any of them? What do you think? Which series do you need to catch up on? Which are you planning to start? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

All Aboard for a Fun New Cozy Mystery Series!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 02:31:27 +0000

(Image from Amazon)

When Boston librarian Iris Quinn turns 50, the reality of her safe, staid life suddenly becomes unbearable. She's never done anything spontaneous. Throwing all caution to the wind, she decides to make a long-held dream of hers come true. She drains her savings account to purchase a ticket for a luxury train ride from London to Istanbul aboard the famed Orient Express. Although Iris feels too plain and ordinary to be embarking on such a glamorous adventure, she's also utterly entranced. Feeling as if she's stepped inside an Agatha Christie novel, she vows to embrace the experience for all its worth. Just as she's starting to really enjoy herself, however, a passenger is killed—and a shrewd Swiss detective pegs Iris not only as a suspicious outsider but also as the prime suspect in the murder. Desperate to clear her name, she vows to use her keen observation skills to unmask the real killer. Can she solve the case before anyone else dies? Or will she become the murderer's next victim?

No One Sleeps on the Orient Express by Irene Hagan is the first installment in a promising new cozy mystery series. As a 50-year-old book lover myself, I found Iris to be a kindred spirit. She's down-to-earth, relatable, compassionate, and clever. Her habit of sorting everyone she meets into certain stereotypes from various literary genres made me laugh. I especially liked seeing how those people smashed through those tropes, teaching the shelted Iris that real people are much more complex than book characters. As for the other passengers on the Orient Express, there isn't time to get to know any of them very well. I would have liked to delve deeper into their backstories. In fact, No One Sleeps on the Orient Express may be the first cozy mystery I've ever read in which I wanted the book to be longer than it was. (It's only 249 pages.) The murderer's identity is a little too obvious; a more intricate plot with twists and red herrings (á la Ms. Christie) would have served the story well, I think. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed No One Sleeps on the Orient Express. The novel is atmospheric, funny, entertaining, and clean. I was thrilled to discover that the next installment, It Always Rains at Ashford Castle, comes out in September because I really can't wait to see what Iris gets up to next.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (naturally), Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, and With a Vengeance by Riley Sager)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence, mild innuendo, and implied use of illegal drugs

To the FTC, with love: I borrowed a copy of No One Sleeps on the Orient Express from Kindle Unlimited.

Happy 20th Birthday, BBB! Let's Ban Some Books (Book Buying, That Is).

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 16:22:29 +0000

Cue the confetti cannons and fireworks! Bloggin' 'bout Books is TWENTY years old today. I can't believe I've been a part of the book blogging world for two whole decades. Astounding. In that time, I've read and reviewed hundreds of books, "met" lots of lovely blogger friends (some of whom I've been privileged to meet in person as well), made countless comments on other book blogs, participated in tons of blog tours, Book Blogger Hops, Top Ten Tuesdays, etc., and never taken a long blogging break. Participating in the book blogging world over these years has been a joy. Thank you for chilling here with me in my humble little corner of the Web.

Stephen over at Reading Freely asked if I had any big plans to celebrate this milestone. I've been contemplating that, actually. I haven't been organized enough to come up with an amazing giveaway (Sorry!) and I've never been comfortable being on camera so I can't do a birthday candle blowout video like the cool Bookstagrammers do, but I have been thinking about my goals going forward. One result of being a long-time reader and book blogger is that I own mountains of books—some that have been sent to me by authors and publishers, some that I have purchased, some that just magically appear in the night while I'm sleeping. My bookshelves are literally bowing under the weight of my physical book collection. And we're not even going to talk about the 1000+ titles on my Kindle! While it's always good to have reading options, I feel like my ~~hoarding~~ book collecting is getting a little out of control. So, for my 20th blogiversary, I'm going to embark on a year-long book-buying ban so that I can concentrate on reading the books I already have and clearing off my poor overcrowded shelves, both physical and virtual. I'm a big library user; that won't change. I'll still read books I don't own, I just won't buy anymore. For a year. Think I can do it? I do, especially since I've been on a last meal-type book buying spree lately. Ha ha.

To show you what I'm dealing with, here are some unfiltered shelfies. (Instagram worthy, they are not!) I have two large bookshelves in my living room, which means that the first thing people usually say when they walk into my house is, "Whoa! That's a lot of books." And it is. My main bookshelf, which is about 9 feet tall and 12 feet long, houses both review books and those I've purchased. Next to it, my desk (which is probably 8 feet tall and 8 1/2 ish feet wide) holds review books as well as a few library books. The red cart on the left contains the rest of my library books as well as read titles waiting to be reviewed and books that will go into my Little Free Library when there is space. Under my desk, I have more donations for my LFL.

There are other bookshelves in my home, but they house my husband's books. He may have just as many as I do! The struggle is real...

As you can see, my poor bookshelves are begging for some relief! A year of reading mostly my own books and donating the ones I don't want to keep should help a bunch. We'll see what these shelves look like on August 7, 2027.

Thank you for continuing to support Bloggin' 'bout Books. It's a pleasure to talk books with you. All the comments and love you share with me mean a lot. Let's keep on keepin' on. Together.

As of August 11, 2026, I own:

1037 unread review books (physical)

611 physical owned books, 360 of which are unread

Campy, Smile-Inducing You Had Me at Bigfoot a Fun, Entertaining Read

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 13:43:02 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I needed a light, diverting read after buzzing through a series of intense books and You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen provided the perfect pick-me-up. As you can tell from its cover and title, it's a fun novel, both a rom-com and a cozy mystery. It's being billed as Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, which is an apt description. With plenty of nods to both franchises, it's playful, campy, upbeat, and entertaining.

The story stars journalist Daphne Drew, a recent college graduate whose dreams of hosting a true crime podcast with a popular national syndicate, have just been cruelly dashed. When her aunt offers her a job writing for the sketchy tabloid magazine she's just purchased, Daphne takes it, not having a lot of other options. Her first assignment involves an awkward road trip to the Pacific Northwest with her gorgeous new co-worker, a former war photographer with PTSD. Along with their dogs, they head to Washington State to cover the society wedding of an octogenarian millionaire and his much younger fiancée.

Naturally, nothing goes quite as planned. Not only are Daphne and Clark forced to share an outdated hotel room, but their accomodations appear to be haunted. Then, there are the Bigfoot sightings, the missing maid, and rumors about a treasure hidden somewhere in the hotel. Add in the usual wedding drama, along with what's sparking between Daphne and Clark, and you've got a very exciting weekend in the woods. If our dashing duo make it out alive, they might just have a career-making story to tell.

Like I said, You Had Me at Bigfoot is just as entertaining as it sounds. Is the plot predictable? It is. Is the romance a bit insta-lovey? Yes. Did I care? No. This book provides a quick, enjoyable story that made me smile. Bonus: in spite of the forced proximity trope, the tale is squeaky clean and very wholesome. If you're looking for an engaging read to lift your spirits, this is it.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of You Had Me at Bigfoot with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Top Ten Tuesday: Happy 20th Birthday, Bloggin' 'bout Books!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 20:38:09 +0000

Today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt is: Cover Freebie. You can pick any topic related to book covers. In celebration of my 20th blogiversary this week, I'm going to highlight the covers of the first ten books I reviewed here at BBB. As always, this fun event is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

On August 7, my little blog will turn the big 2-0. Twenty! I can't believe it. Although I'm living in the same house I was living in back in 2006 (we moved back in in 2021 after living elsewhere and renting it out for 14 years), a lot has changed in my life since then. Two decades ago, I was a 30-year-old stay-at-home mom juggling the needs of a husband and three young children. Life was chaotic, not leaving me tons of time to read or relax in any way. I needed a creative, stay-sane strategy to survive. Book blogging did that for me. Now, I'm half a century old, I have four mostly grown children (my baby turns 18 in a few months) and one grandbaby. Life is generally calm, leaving me with oodles of time to read. It's never been a perfect life, but it's always been a good one. Being part of this beautiful book blogosphere has made it even better. Thank you for hanging here with me, whether you've been around since the early days or you just started following me. I don't know how long I'll keep this gig going, but for now, I'm enjoying myself, so I'll carry on.

Oh, and I was curious to see who the first person to comment on my blog was and if they were still hanging around the book blogosphere. I'm thrilled to give a shout out to Lindsi over at Do You Dog Ear? Her blog is still going strong. Thanks a bunch, Lindsi, for your support!

First Ten Books I Reviewed on Bloggin' 'bout Books (Cover Edition)

- titles link to my blog review -

1. The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes by James L. Ferrell—August 13, 2006

2. The Known World by Edward P. Jones—August 14, 2006

3. Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs—August 18, 2006

4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards—September 1, 2006

5. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger—September 13, 2006

6. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns—October 15, 2006

7. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark—November 2, 2006

8. The Ruins by Scott Smith—November 4, 2006

9. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean—November 30, 2006

10. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear—December 18, 2006

There you go, the first ten books I reviewed on this blog TWENTY years ago. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What was the first book you reviewed on your blog? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Eerie, Atmospheric Small-Town Secrets Thriller Perfect for Summerween Reading

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 01:33:16 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Homicide detective Gwen McDaniel is in desperate need of a new start. Her career is over, her marriage is on the brink of collapse, her personal life is in shambles, and her mental health is suffering. On a whim, she buys an old fixer upper in a quaint seaside town in Maine, intending to distract herself with the challenging remodel. A well-respected physician in Baltimore who will now be practicing routine family medicine, Steven McDaniel is not best pleased with the situation, but he's willing to go along with his wife's plan if it will right their upended lives. What happened in Maryland needs to stay in Maryland; if they stay under the radar, not calling attention to themselves, they should be able to put the past behind them and build a satisfying enough life for themselves in their new home.

From the moment Gwen steps into the house she purchased sight-unseen, however, she knows she's made a terrible mistake. She was aware of some of the home's disturbing history, but not all of it. Now, she's hearing phantom baby cries in the night, smelling scents that aren't real, and seeing things that shouldn't be there. Is her new home haunted by the ghosts of all those who have died there? Or is Gwen experiencing another mental break? Steven believes the latter, but she's convinced what's happening to her is all too real. Something awful happened in the house. Gwen knows it and she won't rest until she finds out what. Even if it costs her everything, which it very well might...

I hadn't heard of Jessica R. Patch until her newest thriller, The Girl Upstairs, was published in April. After that, her name seemed to be everywhere. The book was receiving rave reviews from my favorite Christian fiction bloggers and beyond. I'm very much in favor of the "clean" thriller vibes associated with Patch, so I knew I wanted to give her latest a go. Expecting a novel that was Christian and clean, I was actually quite startled by this book's content. While The Girl Upstairs is clean in that it has no profanity (not even Bible swears) or described sex/spice, it's still a dark and disturbing read. More like a mainstream thriller than a Christian one (although it does have light religious content). I like this explanation by Patch that she published on her Facebook page:

"Confession time: I'm a Christ-follower who writes disturbing, unhinged, dark, twisty suspense...I'm not writing a Bible study with a body count. I am writing stories about light in the darkness, the fight between good and evil, and characters who discover that hope isn't dead—even when everything around them says otherwise."

That's a great description of The Girl Upstairs because while it's definitely gritty and sinister, it's also wildly hopeful in the end.

A big part of the unsettling nature of the book is its atmospheric setting. Its small-town, insular community should feel quaint, but, through Gwen's eyes at least, it comes off as claustrophobic and sinister. The village's obsession with Halloween only adds to the ominous vibe. Add in a creepy old house with a troubling history, ghostly whispers lingering around every corner, and you've got yourself an eerie, hair-raising atmosphere that had me jumping at every sound my own (unhaunted) house made.

Gwen is a complicated heroine. She's obviously hurting, which makes her sympathetic, but she's also prickly and obsessive, which means she's not always likable. Since Patch reveals her back story very slowly, Gwen remains a mystery throughout most of the book. It's difficult to know if the strnage things she is experiencing in her new house are real or imagined, whether she's in her right mind or seeing/hearing things because of mental health issues. I like thrillers that keep me feeling wrong-footed, always guessing, and this one does that well. Gwen did grow on me, even though she's not a warm and fuzzy character. Still, I definitely wanted her to find answers and overcome her many demons.

The plotting in The Girl Upstairs is skilled, with gradual reveals that ensure the story remains tense and suspenseful throughout. While I saw the truth about Tara coming from a mile away, there were other twists that caught me unawares. I had a lot figured out by the end of the book, but definitely not eerything. The final scene surprised me, bringing the story to a very satisfying conclusion. Even though The Girl Upstairs is on the longer side for a thriller, there was enough going on in the tale to keep me riveted. I whipped through the book in a day-ish, always wanting to know what was going to happen next.

Although this book isn't the easiest read, due to its subject matter, I enjoyed it overall. The writing is tight, the plot is propulsive, the characters are interesting, and the light-conquers-darkness theme is hopeful and, ultimately, uplifting. The Christian elements are there, but they're subtle and not at all preachy, which is how I like my religious fiction, especially the edgier kind.

I 100% want to read more from Patch, although I'm not much for romantic suspense, which is what most of her previous books are. I'll be reading The Other Sister for sure. After that? I could be convinced to give romantic suspense another try. With the right author, maybe it won't be so bad...

Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

(or maybe R) for violence, blood/gore, scary situations, disturbing subject matter, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I bought a copy of The Girl Upstairs with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger. Ha ha.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy This Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 01:47:03 +0000

Today's TTT prompt is a fun one: Top Ten Books I Had to Have IMMEDIATELY But Still Haven't Read. I feel like this describes pretty much every book on my shelf! No titles came readily to mind, though, so I think I'm going to go a teensy bit rogue and spin the topic a tad.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books I Had to Buy This Summer

I don't know if it's the excessive heat we've been experiencing here in Arizona, or the fact that I've been on Bookstagram (follow me @blogginboutbooks) a lot trying to beef up my presence there, or what, but I've been on a bit of a book buying spree. The last thing on Earth I need is more books and, yet, I just can't help myself. I'm contemplating a serious book ban in 2027! At any rate, here are the last ten books I have purchased, in no particular order:

1. Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy—This deceased Irish author has long been a favorite. Published in 1982, Light a Penny Candle is my favorite book by her. I've been wanting to reread it, but my library has limited copies and the wait times are lengthy, so I decided to just buy a copy for myself. I'm excited to reconnect with it.

The story is about a long-time friendship between two women and the circumstances that now threaten to tear them apart.

2. The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt—It seems like I've heard nothing but good things about this book. The swashbuckling story about a young woman who stows away on a merchant ship sounds like tons of fun. Into my shopping cart it went!

3. You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen—I've read and enjoyed a few of Allen's books. Described as Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, her newest novel sounds like a joy. It's a cozy mystery about a reporter and a photographer who are on assignment to cover a society wedding. Whispers of a missing maid and Bigfoot sightings turn what was sure to be a humdrum story into something much, much more exciting.

4. Murdoku: 80 Murder Mystery Logic Puzzles (Volume 1) by Manuel Garand—This is a Bookstagram Made Me Do It purchase. Someone posted about these fun puzzles for mystery lovers, and I had to give them a try, although I actually haven't done it yet. Soon, I hope.

5. The Burning Side by Sarah Damoff—Everyone seems to be raving about this novel, which is about a family whose lives are turned upside down after their house burns in a fire. Forced to move in with relatives temporarily, the strained situation causes them to reckon with their rocky relationships and family secrets. It's a family saga that is supposed to have it all: humor, heartbreak, and healing.

6. The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer—Have you seen the gorgeous sprayed edges on the paperback version of Rimmer's newest novel? They are BEAUTIFUL. How could I resist buying a copy for my bookshelf? Spoiler alert: I couldn't.

The novel concerns a woman who returns to her family's crumbling mansion intent on restoring it to its former glory. Within the walls, she discovers a mysterious book that tells a tale that is eerily similar to her own. As these factual and fictional worlds collide, old family secrets are revealed, changing the woman's life forever.

7. The Mad Wife by Meagan Church—The Kindle version of this historical novel is only $1.99 on Amazon. I've been wanting to read the book, so I coughed up two bucks and made it mine. The story is about a 1950s housewife who works tirelessly to keep up the perfect house, marriage, and life. When a new woman moves into the neighborhood, she becomes fixated on the newcomer, sure that the woman is hiding dark secrets. Her obsession with her neighbor soon has her questioning her own life and sanity.

8. The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch—I've heard that Patch writes clean thrillers, which I'm very interested in. My library doesn't have any copies of this one, her newest, so I had to take matters into my own hands and buy a copy. It sounds intriguing. The story is about a former homicide detective who moves to an old house in Maine to rebuild her life and marriage. As she and her husband renovate the home, she notices some strange things about the place. Convinced that something terrible happened in her new home, the detective begins an investigation that will reveal some shocking truths.

9. Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu—I blame this purchase entirely on Ethan over at A Book A Week. His review made it sound too good to pass up. When I saw it displayed at the checkout at Barnes & Noble, it felt like a sign from the book gods that I needed to buy it. Bad things happen when you ignore the book gods, so...

The book has a simple premise: on an ordinary day in small-town Massachusetts, everyone receives an emergency message warning that a missile is incoming and they must find shelter immediately. The residents all have different reactions to the news, some of which will lead to devastating consequences when a second message arrives telling them it was a false alarm. What would YOU do if you thought your demise was imminent? How would your actions affect things if it turned out to be false?

10. Count My Lies by Sophie Stava—This one was an impulse buy from my local indie, Changing Hands Bookstore. Sloane Caraway is a consummate liar, spinning tales to make her ordinary life seem more exciting. When a young girl is stung by a bee at the park one day, Sloane professes to be a nurse and removes the stinger. Impressed, the child's handsome father hires her to be his daughter's nanny. As Sloane becomes immersed in the lives of this wealthy family, she begins to suspect that she's not the only one lying about her life. Her employers are hiding dark secrets about their seemingly perfect lives.

There you go, my last ten book purchases. Have you read any of them? What did you think? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.

Happy TTT!

Top Ten Tuesday: The Ten Books I've Read So Far This Month

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 20:56:01 +0000

You know that saying about old dogs and new tricks? I've been a book blogger now for 20 years (my blogiversary is in August) in which time I have basically ignored Bookstagram. (I haven't even tried BookTube or BookTok.) I've always told myself that when book blogs go away, so will I. However, in the name of adaptability and keeping myself on publishers' radars, I've been trying to beef up my Bookstagram presence, even though I am no kind of photographer, videographer, or creative content creator. I know my way around Canva, but that's about it. It's been a bit rough and, honestly, I'm not sure this old dog can really learn new tricks. For now, I'm giving it a shot. If you have an account on Bookstagram, especially one that needs a little love, let me know and I'll give it a visit. I would love it if you would return the favor: https://www.instagram.com/blogginboutbooks/. I follow back as long as you don't use a lot of profanity or post content I find offensive. As for mine, it will be all books, no drama!

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

Today's TTT prompt is a great one—Top Ten Books That Live In My Head Rent-Free—even though my mind is drawing a blank on it. I mentioned that I'm old (turning the ripe old age of 51 this year), so it shouldn't surprise you that my memory is declining rapidly. Even my favorite books are foggy in my mind. To make things easier on myself, I'm going to go rogue and do an easier topic: Top Ten Books I've Read This Month. In addition to being old, I'm also lazy, okay? LOL

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books I've Read This Month

It just so happens that I've finished exactly ten books so far this month. Here they are in the order I read them:

* Hyperlinked titles will take you to my Goodreads review of each book.

1. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke—This odd little novel was a book club pick, chosen by a woman who adores it. None of the rest of us could quite understand why because we all thought it was confusing and weird. The writing is undeniably vivid, even lovely in places, but man, it's a strange read. Not at all my kind of thing.

The story is about a man who lives in a dreamlike world in a building with endless, empty rooms. Only one other living person exists with him. As Piranesi observes and examines his lonely existence, he begins to understand that there's more going on than meets the eye. What is this world? How has he come to be here? What is his purpose? He's determined to find the answers to his now-burning questions.

2. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie—Published in 1993, this is the first book in Crombie's popular, long-running Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James mystery series. In this series opener, readers are introduced to Kincaid, a Superintendent with Scotland Yard, who is taking a reluctant holiday at a time-share bed and breakfast in the Yorkshire countryside. His vacation is interrupted when the hotel handyman comes to a suspicious end. The local constabulary aren't the brightest bobbies, so Kincaid steps in to help. He knows a murder when he sees one and he will solve this one, with or without help from the locals.

Although A Share in Death is definitely dated and rather slow-moving, I enjoyed it overall. I plan to keep reading the series.

3. The Silent Ones by Anna McPartlin—This Irish crime novel is set in County Kerry in 1980. Mary Shea is one of only a few female gardaí in the country, and the solo one in her quiet coastal town. Her presence is barely tolerated by her male colleagues, who harangue her with sexist jokes and catcalls, demands for tea, and thinly-veiled threats. It's only when she discovers the body of a murdered newborn on the beach, prompting the arrival of a major crimes team from Dublin, that Mary starts to earn some respect. To the astonishment of the local lads, Matt Foley, who heads the investigation, actually wants to hear Mary's opinions. When he makes her his right-hand woman, she feels seen for the first time, in spite of her colleagues' lewd suggestions and insinuations about just how closely the two are working. Mary only cares about helping Matt find out who hurt the tiny baby. It's a horrible, harrowing case that will challenge and try her, causing her to question not only her job choice but her own instincts as a garda and a woman.

Even though The Silent Ones is a heavy, depressing read, it's also atmospheric and engrossing. I blew through it in a day because the story is so compelling. This is the first book in a planned series; I can't wait for the next one.

4. It's Not Her by Mary Kubica—This murder mystery revolves around two related families who go on vacation together at a lakeside resort in Wisconsin. Although the place turns out to be a dive, Courtney Gray is determined to make the best of it, especially for the kids, two spiky teenagers and their lovable younger sisters. There's already tension in the ranks when the unthinkable happens: Courtney's brother and sister-in-law are brutally murdered in their cottage and their teenage daughter is missing. Mouthy, rebellious 17-year-old Reese quickly becomes the police's primary suspect, but Courtney refuses to believe her niece could be capable of such a heinous crime. As the police search for answers and Courtney launches her own investigation, hidden secrets come to light, leading to a shocking conclusion to a puzzling case.

I didn't end up loving this thriller, but it definitely kept me reading. It's an engrossing, twisty page turner.

5. Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti—This zippy YA mystery is about a group of teens who go camping in the woods at the behest of Maylee Hayes, a glossy, self-obsessed social media influencer who never does anything that makes her look less than her glamorous best. Like camping. When Maylee dies mysteriously during the trip, the kids are taken to the police station for questioning. Through transcripts of their interviews with the cops, each person tells a different story about Maylee, the kids' relationships with one another, and what really happened in the woods.

Tell Me What Really Happened is a fast-paced, intriguing mystery that kept me buzzing through the pages. It's predictable, but entertaining. The transcript format gives the story a fresh feel. Incidentally, if you're doing the 52 Book Club's 2026 Reading Challenge, this book fills Prompt #3 (Written Without Quotation Marks) nicely.

6. Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister—McAllister's newest tells the story of a chef who flies to Texas from her home in London to spend two weeks camping with her teenage daughter, who has been in the U.S. attending a music camp. The next morning, Simone wakes up in their AirBnB to find her daughter missing. In her bed, she discovers a burner phone with a message saying that Lucy has been taken. If Simone wants to see her again, she must perform a series of dangerous tasks. If she contacts the police, her daughter dies. Desperate, Simone follows the instructions. Things quickly go from bad to worse, leaving a frantic mother running for her life, doing everything she can to save her daughter.

McAllister is one of my auto-read authors and her books are usually hits for me. Caller Unknown, though, just seems totally far-fetched and unbelievable. I couldn't put it down, true, but it was still just an average read for me.

7. Red Rising by Pierce Brown—This YA sci-fi/dystopian novel is the first in a popular series. It stars Darrow, a hotshot HellDiver who lives in an underground mining colony on Mars. As a lowly Red, his duty is to risk his life harvesting valuable helium-3, an element needed to make Mars and other planets livable for those who are stranded on a dying Earth. Despite his daily sacrifice, he lives in a brutal, impoverished community where Reds are never allowed to get ahead. When a series of tragic events offers him the unbelievable chance to lead a Red rebellion by going undercover as a rich, privileged Gold, he takes it. Proving himself brings him to the brink of death, but he has to endure it to accomplish his task of ushering in the rising of Red.

Red Rising is a bit confusing and slow at first, but once I got into it, I enjoyed it. It's a little too similar to The Hunger Games for me, though. I wanted more originality. Still, I liked it for the most part and plan to read on in the series.

8. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman—This series opener was one of my favorite reads of 2024. It's typical Osman—upbeat, funny, clever, and entertaining—although I enjoyed it more than The Thursday Murder Club. It's a cozy read that stars a bodyguard who ropes her homebody father-in-law into helping her and her fiery new client solve a string of puzzling murders. I wanted to reread We Solve Murders in preparation for the forthcoming sequel, and it was just as fun to read the second time around.

See my full blog review here.

9. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (available September 15, 2026)—Stepping back into the world of We Solve Murders was so delightful! Although I didn't dig this sequel quite as much as I did the first book, I still enjoyed it a great deal.

In this outing, the main characters from We Solve Murders have set up their own private detecting agency, which is, sadly, not getting any business. When a small-time British criminal living in Italy contacts them about the murder of his bodyguard, Amy, Steve, and Rosie hop on Rosie's private jet to meet with him. Another bodyguard is killed, then another. Someone is obviously sending a warning to the criminal, but why? And who will be next? When one of the detectives' close friends is targeted, solving the case becomes even more critical. Whodunit?

10. We Don't Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry—I've heard the sobering statistics about the disparity between media coverage of missing Black and brown people vs. their white counterparts, but I'm not sure I've ever read a book on the subject. This novel sheds light on that disparity. It's about a journalist who's cleaning out her late grandmother's home when she discovers a photograph of an aunt she never knew she had. She's even more shocked when she finds out that Aunt Carol was one of six Black teenaged girls who went missing from the same Raleigh neighborhood back in 1965, never to be seen again. Turns out, their disappearances were hardly investigated by the police and received no coverage in the newspapers. Incensed by the injustice, the journalist vows to find answers for the families of the Raleigh Six. In doing so, she uncovers dark family secrets that leave her questioning everything she knows. At the same time, she's struggling with questions about her identity as a sister, a daughter, a wife, a career woman, and a potential mother.

Although We Don't Talk About Carol is a heavy read, it's also an important, absorbing, and surprisingly hopeful one. It's a solid debut. I'm looking forward to seeing what Berry does next.

See my full blog review here.

There you go, the ten books I've read so far in July. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What books live rent-free in your head? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Goodman's Newest a Pleasing Mash-up of Mystery/Thriller, Cozy, Indiana Jones-Style Action/Adventure, and Second-Chance Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Twenty years ago, two frustrated American writers found each other in Italy and fell in love. They married, forming a romantic partnership at the same time they began co-writing what would become a popular, bestselling murder mystery series. Two decades later, Thea and Fred Morgan-Lane are flying back to the place where they met to participate in a writers' conference. They should be anticipating a romantic, nostalgic trip into the past, but the couple has not lived together in six years; they're keeping up the image of a happy marriage only to appease their fans. In fact, Thea is working up the courage to confront Fred about ending not just their long-running book series, but also their sham of a marriage.

Amid the usual dramas of a writers' conference—intrusive super fans, jealousies between authors, exhausting social engagements, and more—guests are abuzz about the treasure hunt that's been planned in the medieval castle-turned hotel where the conference is being held. Rumors of a real treasure have always circled about the centuries-old edifice, but Thea—a medieval scholar—strongly doubts it ever existed. When a shocking death occurs on the first night of the conference, it commands everyone's attention. The next dead body confirms that there is a killer at the event, and they're using one of Thea and Fred's books as a blueprint for murder. Under suspicion themselves, the warring couple finds themselves reluctantly working together to unmask the true murderer. Can the duo that solves crimes so successfully on the page unmask a real-life killer? Or will they become the next victims?

Carol Goodman is one of my go-to mystery/thriller authors. Her books feature atmospheric settings, complicated relationships, and twisty plots. Our Marriage is Murder, her latest, which comes out today, is no exception. It does differ from her previous novels; between its tongue-in-cheek title and its lighter tone, it has the feel of a cozy, although it's still darker and more violent than most books in that genre. Our Marriage is Murder is actually a mash-up of genres: it's a little bit mystery/thriller, a little bit cozy, a little bit Indiana Jones-style action/adventure, and a little bit second-chance romance. These extra elements give the story more oomph, which is needed because the tale does get slow in places. It's also pretty predictable. The ending, however, is perfect, with some thrilling scenes and a satisfying conclusion.

The characters are a bit skimpy in the depth and complexity departments. Thea is sympathetic, but she's also rather self-centered and a little cold. Fred is more dynamic, but he's also less likeable. Nevertheless, I was rooting for the couple to work things out, both professionally and personally. Even though I don't read much romance, I always want a nice HEA to look forward to. I prefer a realistic one and, like I said, I enjoyed the way Thea and Fred's story wraps up.

Our Marriage is Murder isn't my favorite of Goodman's novels, but I enjoyed it overall. It kept me entertained, although it was only in the last 1/3 or so that I found it unputdownable. Still, it's a solid read that shows Goodman's flexibility as a writer. I'm excited to see what she does next.

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (1 F-bomb, plus a handful of milder invectives), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Our Marriage is Murder from the generous folks at HarperCollins via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Debut Novel About Missing Black Girls Absorbing and Surprisingly Hopeful

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 13:51:11 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

The statistics tell a disturbing story: not only do a disproportionate number of Black people go missing in the U.S. every year but their disappearances are also less likely to be widely covered by the media than those of their white counterparts. (See The Black and Missing Foundation.) I've long known about this disparity. However, I'm not sure I've ever read a book on the subject, fiction or non. We Don't Talk About Carol, a debut novel by Kristen L. Berry, brings the issue to light in a poignant and impactful story about one woman's plight to find answers about her missing aunt.

When Sydney Singleton's grandmother dies in Raleigh, North Carolina, Sydney flies out to help her mother and younger sister clean out Grammy's home so it can be sold. Formerly an investigative journalist, Sydney's curiosity is piqued when she discovers a hidden photograph of a young woman who looks just like Sydney. Although her deceased father professed to be an only child, she soon discovers that he, in fact, had an older sister who vanished without a trace in 1965 when she was 17 years old. Not only that, but she was one of six teenaged girls who disappeared from the same Black community around the same time. Sydney's even more shocked—and angry—to discover that the string of disappearances were barely mentioned in the newspapers at the time or investigated by local law enforcement. After suffering a mental break caused by covering a heart-wrenching story, Sydney is no longer a reporter. In the middle of IVF treatments, she's supposed to be avoiding stress. Plus, her mother insists she forget all about Aunt Carol, citing her famous refrain: what happens in this house stays in this house. Sydney knows she should let it go, but she can't.

Sydney launches her own investigation into the disappearances of the Raleigh Six 60 years ago. It's not an easy task. While some people are eager to talk, others are reticent. It's clear that, in spite of the decades that have passed, someone out there knows what really happened to the girls. As Sydney digs deeper and deeper, she unearths dark secrets about her family and herself, secrets that only deepen her questions about her identity and her uncertainty about her ability to be a good mother. The more her investigation disrupts Sydney's ordered life, the more dangerous it becomes. Desperate to find answers, she puts everything on the line to solve six very cold cases.

Although We Don't Talk About Carol presents as a mystery/thriller, it's actually more of a family drama. Yes, suspicious deaths are being dug into, but the story is mostly about Sydney and her struggle to define herself within her roles as a daughter, a sister, a wife, and a journalist who has settled for a less-than-satisfying career in PR. As she probes Carol's life for clues, she also examines her own repressed memories of a tense childhood, her mother's reluctance to talk about anything of substance, her sometimes rocky relationship with her sister, and her conflicting feelings about the possibility of becoming a mother. Her personal struggles makes her sympathetic and relatable, while her determination to find the Raleigh Six make her admirable. It's easy to root for Sydney. I wanted her to find all the answers she sought.

As far as plot goes, We Don't Talk About Carol moves a little slowly. It's not exactly a page turner, but I quickly got invested in the story, wanting to know what had happened to Carol and the other missing teens. Although the answers are a bit predictable, I was surprised by at least one plot twist. The story kept me turning pages. In the end, I found it to be an affecting read that is, despite its sad subject matter, surprisingly hopeful.

Because of its eye-opening subject matter and the fact that it's a solid, satisfying debut, I wish We Don't Talk About Carol was getting more attention. I received an e-ARC of the book from NetGalley last year, but forgot all about it until I randomly came across it again the other day. I'm glad I did. I recommend picking up this novel if you're looking for an absorbing, memorable read on an important subject.

(Readalikes: I can't think of anything. Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus occasional milder invectives), violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of We Don't Talk About Carol from the generous folks at Random House Publishing Group via those at NetGalley. Thank you!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Want to Read By New-to-Me Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:09:59 +0000

Today's TTT prompt is a great one—Top Ten Book Titles That Include the Word [Insert Word of Your Choice Here]—but I'm going to scooch ahead to next week's topic instead since I won't be in town on the 14th. That one is: Top Ten Books I Want to Read By New to Me Authors. Naturally, I could make a Top 100 list on this topic, but I'll *try* to stick to just 10.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Before we get to that, though, I want to give a shoutout to Carol over at Reading Ladies Book Club. Every year, she asks fellow book bloggers to join her for a fun collab called Summer's One Must Read Book in which they recommend the one title they most feel like you should read. I've been privileged to contribute for several years now and I love it! The collab is a great way to get new reading recommendations, find new bloggers to follow, and support ones you may already be familiar with. Curious to know which book I recommended? Check out the post here.

Top Ten Books I Want to Read By New to Me Authors

(in alphabetical order by author's last name)

1. Red Rising by Pierce Brown—I've had this YA dystopian novel, the first in a popular trilogy, on my shelf for years. It happened to come up in a conversation with friends during our Fourth of July getaway and their rave reviews made me want to give it a go. Although the story was a tad confusing at first, I'm finding it a very gripping read now that I'm into it.

The story revolves around 16-year-old Darrow, who lives in a mining colony beneath the surface of Mars. He performs a dangerous job in a brutal environment for very little reward, but he knows that his sacrifices are necessary in order to make the planet habitable for the people living on a dying Earth. When Darrow suffers a devastating loss, which leads him to a secret resistance group, he learns some shocking truths about his community and his real role within it. Feeling angry and betrayed, Darrow agrees to go undercover as one of the enemy in order to bring down the hierarchy from within. Can he accomplish his mission in a glittering Gold world without losing his earthy Red soul?

2. The Busy Body by Kemper Donovan—This is the first book in a series starring a ghostwriter who solves mysteries. In this initial outing, the writer is penning the story of Senator Dorothy Gibson, the first independent candidate to run for President of the United States. After the shocking results of the election, she has become the most talked about woman in America. It's a prime assignment for the ghostwriter, but when Dorothy's neighbor dies suspiciously, the ghostwriter is roped into another job: helping to solve a murder.

3. Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel—At 77, Pepper Mills is forced into living at a retirement home by her three children. Unexpectedly, she not only makes friends in her new home but she also falls in love. When she begins to experience the symptoms of morning sickness, she's astonished to discover that she's pregnant. The news shocks everyone, leading to a media circus that has everyone from Pepper's children to complete strangers voicing an opinion about what should happen next. Such an intriguing premise!

4. The Stargazer of Nantucket by Julie Gerstenblatt—It's 1851 and Winifred Starbuck's parents are about to embark on their last merchant voyage, a trip of a lifetime from Nantucket Island to San Francisco to China. Forbidden from going, Winifred stows away. Soon, she's on a thrilling adventure, one that will test her mettle, break open shocking family secrets, and change her life forever.

5. The Matchbox Girl by Alice Jolly—No one really understands Adelheid Brunner, a girl who doesn't speak, using only her writing and drawing to communicate. No one understands why she's obsessive about her goal of owning 1000 matchboxes. Dr. Asperger is the one person who seems to get her. When he invites her to live at his pediatric clinic in Vienna with other children like herself, she agrees. It's 1938, however, and things are only getting more heated in the city. Adelheid soon realizes she's in the middle of a dangerous game she can't even begin to understand.

6. The Fort by Christy K. Lee—I saw this historical novel recommended somewhere, but I can't remember where. Was it on your blog? Anyway, it's set during the middle of the bustling Canada fur trade and features an Englishwoman who comes to the country in order to leave her scandalous past behind. To support herself and her young son, Abigail Williams plans to mend horseshoes in her father's blacksmith shop at Fort Edmonton. When her past catches up with her, Abby escapes with a group of voyageurs heading to Montreal. It's a grueling trip, one she must survive in order to finally create the new life she and her son deserve.

7. Liberty Street by Heather Marshall—Also set in Canada, this dual-timeline novel centers around a notorious women's prison. In 1961, an intrepid female reporter goes undercover at the facility in order to investigate shocking claims made by an inmate. Once she's in, though, she may not be able to get out...Thirty-five years later, unidentified female remains are discovered in a small Ontario cemetery. The police investigation leads back to Mercer Women's Prison.

8. How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson—A self-help book that teaches people how to get away with murder seems to be the playbook a London serial killer is using to do just that. After being on a mental health leave for six months, Detective Samantha Hansen is eager to prove her competence by catching the murderer.

9. Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan (available September 1, 2026)—This mystery/thriller is about sisters who are the only survivors of the plane crash that killed their parents. The experience forges a tight bond between them that can never be broken. Until it is. When one of the sisters disappears, leaving her daughter behind, the other vows to find her, never expecting her search will expose sinister secrets about the sibling she thought she knew better than anyone.

10. Game, Set, Murder by Monique L. Stover—The first installment in a new cozy mystery series, this book is about Madeline Quinn, a tennis player whose coach is murdered right before an important tournament. Madeline's sister is the chief of police and, although she knows her sibling will do a thorough job investigating the crime, Madeline also knows that, as an insider, she has a unique perspective on the case. Can the sisters figure out who killed the coach?

There you go, ten books I want to read by authors I've never tried before. Have you read any of them? What did you think? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Check Out One Great Summer Read 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:27:05 +0000

Every summer, Carol over at Reading Ladies Book Club puts together a fun collab wherein established book bloggers from around the world contribute their one best book recommendation of the year. What results is a great list of newer must-read titles in a variety of genres, perfect for summer (or anytime) reading. It's also a wonderful chance to discover new book bloggers to follow and to support those with whom you might already be familiar. I've been participating in this fun event for years, and I'm always honored to be a part of it. Curious to see which title I recommended? Check out this year's One Great Summer Read post. Your TBR list will thank you! Bonus: At the bottom of this year's post, you'll find links to past years' lists for even more excellent reading recommendations.

Top Ten Tuesday: Thirteen Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 02:16:05 +0000

It doesn't seem to matter how many hundreds of unread books are loading down my bookshelves, my head still swivels when I see a shiny, new release! I haunt NetGalley and Edelweiss, always on the lookout for my next great read. If you are like me, then today's Top Ten Tuesday topic is one you've been looking forward to as well: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026. (As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) Thanks to the websites mentioned above and generous publicists sending me physical ARCs, I've actually already read a lot of my most anticipated new releases for July-December, including:

Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox (July 7) - ***1/2

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman (July 21) - ****

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (July 21) - ****

The Women in White by Sarah Pekkanen (August 4) - ***

Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (August 4) - ***1/2

The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (September 15) - ***1/2

A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (September 22) - ****

The Velvet Knife by Maureen Johnson (September 29) - *** 1/2

Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong (October 6) - ****

The ones I have not been able to get my hot little hands on yet are on my list today. And because I really can't resist them, I have thirteen new releases instead of ten. #TheStruggleIsReal

Top ~~Ten~~ Thirteen Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the Second Half of 2026

- in order of release date -

1. Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Casey (July 16)—In this standalone mystery/thriller, two friends are enjoying a month-long holiday on the Irish coast. One morning, Ruth wakes up, covered in someone else's blood. Maura is nowhere to be seen. Ruth becomes the number one suspect in her friend's murder, but she's also the only witness. What happened to Maura? Does Ruth know more than she's telling?

2. The Unknown by Riley Sager (August 4)—Actress Marin Keane is stunned when she secures a role in what promises to be a blockbuster movie. The gig requires a month of research on location at New Avalon, Vermont, where five women mysteriously disappeared 100 years ago. As Marin and her castmates settle in on the island, they notice weird noises and strange symbols that seem to confirm rumors that something supernatural took the missing women. When the island's occupants are stranded there, things get even more sinister. What is happening on New Avalon? Is someone trying to sabotage the movie or is something even more nefarious at work?

3. A Thousand Little Goodbyes by Lucy Gilmore (August 11)—Gilmore's newest is receiving mixed reviews, but I'll still give it a go. It's about two lifelong friends who decide to finally take the road trip they've been planning for forever. As the journey goes on, it becomes apparent that it's about more than having fun—it's about saying goodbye.

4. My Killer Family Reunion by Dinesh Thiru (August 11)—Jayshree Devi's family reunions are never without drama. She's still shocked, though, when her wealthy Grand Mom has an accident that looks suspiciously like something much more sinister. With the help of her irritating cousins and their hot friend, Jay launches an investigation, one that will unearth long-buried family secrets on the way to finding out who was behind her grandmother's "accident."

5. My Sister is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon (August 18)—For this year's sisters trip, Liv and Mandy Chisolm have booked a rafting excursion through the Grand Canyon. Although they will be traveling with a group of strangers, they're looking forward to bonding with each other while enjoying an incredible adventure. The two get more than they bargained for when one of their number is found dead and another body is discovered in the water. Trapped on a raging river with a killer and a bunch of people they don't know, all of whom seem to be hiding dangerous secrets, Liv and Mandy have to unmask a murderer before it's too late for all of them.

6. Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (August 25)—The much-anticipated sequel to Moriarty's well-loved Big Little Lies, this novel is set ten years after the events of the previous book. The moms are back and all of them are dealing with their own challenges and troubles. When the principal of the high school their children attend receives a severed human finger in the mail and a strange man is spotted lurking around campus, the parents are up-in-arms. Confronting this new problem will mean facing secrets from the past, secrets they hoped their children would never have to know. But now? The stakes are too high to keep hiding...

7. Find Me by Holly Craig (August 25)—Two years ago, Pete went missing in the Tasmanian wilderness after visiting a mysterious commune whose members enact rituals to appease a malevolent presence they say dwells in the mountains. From her deathbed, Pete's mother begged his estranged sisters to work together to find their brother. This is easier said than done as they navigate the mountain, the issues between them, and another perplexing disappearance.

8. The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon (September 8)—Inspired by a real Irish sea captain, this historical novel tells the story of Grace O'Malley, the proper daughter of an Irish clan chief who defied all the odds and became a famous pirate.

9. Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult (September 15)—After her mother died in the 9/11 tragedy, Molly Fitzgerald developed a fear of disasters. Now the director of the Rhode Island Department for Emergency Preparedness, she channels her anxiety into saving others in crisis situations. When an unexpected crisis descends on Molly and her husband, their lives turn upside down. Can she save herself from disintegrating under the pressure of her own disaster?

10. We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman (September 15)—This book is actually #1 in terms of 2026 releases I've been looking forward to. I adored We Solve Murders, so I'm stoked for this sequel. This time, Amy, Rose, and Steve team up to solve the case of a suspicious death at a private villa in the Italian hills. Everybody is hiding something. Whodunit?

11. The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay (October 6)—Book lover Gemma Brown has just moved to a sleepy village in the Cotswolds, where she runs the town's first-ever bookstore. Finding it difficult to fit in, Gemma is thrilled to make friends with the enigmatic local baker. It's not long, though, before she begins to suspect that her new pal is a spy. It's 1950; anything is possible. Or is Gemma's fiction-fueled imagination running amok? Soon, she finds herself embroiled in an international intrigue the likes of which she's never seen outside of a book.

12. It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Murder by Ally Carter (October 13)—The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year was a super fun read. This companion novel (as far as I can tell, it's not a sequel) sounds equally as entertaining. The story revolves around a billionaire's son and the housekeeper's daughter, who have been rivals since childhood. When the former goes missing, leaving only a pool of blood behind, it's up to the latter to prove he's alive—and find the person who desperately wants him dead. Sounds confusing, but entertaining.

13. A Reunion to Die For by K.J. Whittle (October 26)—When a group of classmates gather for a reunion, talk turns to the school bully who tortured all of them with his cruel taunting. As the drinks flow, the victims joke about ways they could get revenge on the guy who made them all so miserable. The next day, the bully is found dead, killed in a way that is suspiciously similar to the hypothetical plans made by the classmates. When a recording of that conversation is given to the police, the group members become suspects. Desperate to clear their names, they scramble to solve the murder they unknowingly planned.

There you go, thirteen books releasing in the second half of 2026 that I want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which up-and-comers are you most excited about? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Summer 2026 (Part Two)

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Even though I rarely stick to them, I love making seasonal TBR lists. I also enjoy hopping around to all of your blogs and seeing what you're planning to read next. So, I'm excited for today's prompt: Top Ten Books On My Summer 2026 To-Read List. I actually started doing this topic last week; if you missed Part One of my list, it's here. Today, we'll be moving onto Part Two, which consists mainly of mysteries, many of which are the first installments in a series because, you know, I'm not stuck in the middle of enough series right now! Ha ha.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books On My Summer 2026 To-Read List (Part Two)

1. A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke—The good folks at St. Martin's Press have kindly sent me ARCs of all the books in the Ruby and Cordelia paranormal mystery series. Since the third installment will be published in October, I figure it's high time I finally start this series. I began reading A New Lease On Death today and I'm enjoying it so far.

The novel is about a recently-deceased woman who is unable, for some reason, to move on to the afterlife. With nothing else to do, she's been hanging out in her old apartment, even though it is now inhabited by a 20-year-old chatterbox who's too perky for her own good. When their congenial across-the-hall neighbor is murdered, the two form an unlikely partnership in order to solve what the police are dismissing as a mugging gone wrong.

2. Under a Gilded Moon by Joy Jordan-Lake—This historical novel centers around Kerry MacGregor, a young woman who's called home from college in New York City to attend to family matters in her Appalachian hometown. Nearby, the Vanderbilts are constructing a palatial mansion called Biltmore House. The acquisition of the MacGregors' land is required to complete the building project. Caught in a collision between wealth and poverty, progress and stagnation, pride and desperation, Kerry must decide whether to sell out or hold tight to what she has in spite of the consequences.

3. Beach Thriller by Jamie Day—Day's books are hit-and-miss for me, but I'm up for reading their newest effort. It's about a novelist beset by writer's block who returns to her family home on a Massachusetts beach on strict instructions from her agent to write a best-selling novel. Haunted by her sister's death, which occurred years ago at the seaside cottage, the writer feels increasingly like she is being watched. Because she is. As the author starts to write about what really happened to her sister, it becomes crystal clear that someone will do anything to stop her from revealing the truth.

4. Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty (available August 4, 2026)—Although I've read a bunch of books by Liane Moriarty, I've never explored those by her novelist sisters. Time Travel for Beginners, Jaclyn's newest, seems like a good place to start. It's about a time travel agency in Sydney, Australia, that seems to attract customers among those who need it most. The lives of three very different people are about to converge as they come together at the mysterious Agency...

5. A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong—In Armstrong's newest YA novel, a teenager is mourning the recent loss of her mother. After the death, Lilianna is "rescued" by the wealthy, estranged grandparents she has never met. They pack her off to an exclusive boarding school which hides some sinister secrets behind its glittering facade.

6. You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen (available July 7, 2026)—This cozy mystery series opener sounds super fun. It stars a green investigative journalist and a award-winning war photographer who are both covering an important wedding in the Pacific Northwest. When a maid goes missing, the unlikely duo find themselves teaming up to investigate a tantalizing mystery involving a lost treasure, a web of lies, and...Sasquatch?

7. The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee—I've been re-reading Lee's engaging YA Victorian mystery series starring 17-year-old secret agent Mary Quinn. In this second installment, Mary disguises herself as a boy in order to go undercover to investigate a mysterious death at the clock tower of the Houses of Parliament.

8. Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman—The first book in the Mrs. Blossom mystery series, this installment introduces the main character, a retired assistant to a private investigator. Having won the lottery, Mrs. Blossom has embarked on a cruise through France. On the flight to France, she meets Allan, the first man to interest her since the passing of her husband. Twenty-four hours later, Allan is dead in Paris, a city he is not supposed to be in. Mrs. Blossom's detecting skills are clearly needed to find out what happened to the unfortunate man.

9. The Secret Bookstore Sleuth Society by Lindsay Currie (available September 15, 2026)—Although I've been tempted in the past, I've yet to read anything by Currie, who usually writes children's horror novels. I received an e-ARC of her forthcoming book, the first installment in a new middle grade series. It revolves around four besties who become stranded in a book-themed inn during an ice storm. When a guest is murdered on the premises, they must combine their sleuthing skills to figure out whodunit.

10. A Share in Death by Deborah Crombie—As soon as I finish this post, I need to start tidying up my messy kitchen. Good thing I've got a new audiobook to start! This book, published in 1993, is the first installment in the long-running Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series. In their first outing, the duo investigate a death at a country house party gone wrong.

There you go, ten more books I'm hoping to read this summer. Have you read any of them? Which titles are you planning to enjoy in the next few months? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: Monthly Review Link-Ups for the Rest of 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:52:52 +0000

I am the WORST challenge hosts, you guys! So sorry. I had planned to write monthly posts about what books I'm reading for the challenge, post a monthly link-up for reviews, and hop around to give some love to those that were posted. I'm failing miserably. Instead of stressing myself out trying to keep up with these monthly posts, I'm going to give myself a break and just let it go. Instead, I'll post the remaining monthly review link-ups here. I still want to visit all of your reviews, so I'll keep working on that. Thanks for being patient with your humble host!

How is the challenge going for you, by the way? I've read 18 bookish books so far this year. I've got quite a few still in my queue, so we'll so how many I get to in the second half of the year. Which bookish book has been your favorite so far? I think mine has been How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (available July 21, 2026. It's about a woman who is paralyzed by grief after her mother (the titular mystery author) dies by falling from a ladder. Niamh doesn't believe her mom's death is an accident and she sets about proving it with some help from a very unexpected source. Although it's a poignant novel about grief, it's also funny, engaging, and life-affirming.

How about you? What bookish books have you been reading? Which are you planning to read this month?

If you are participating in the 2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge, please use the widgets below to link-up your reviews. If you're not signed up for the challenge yet, what are you waiting for? Click here to join the party.

May/June Reviews

July Reviews

August Reviews

September Reviews

October Reviews

November Reviews

December Reviews

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books On My Summer To-Read List (Part One)

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 20:17:52 +0000

It's Tuesday again! How did that happen? This summer is just zipping by...The heat is crazy here in the Phoenix area, so I've been hibernating inside wth the air conditioning on high. I have a backyard pool, but it's way too hot to read out there. I'd melt in an instant. Even the pool water is on the warm side! At any rate, this week's TTT prompt is: Bookish Wishes. This topic comes up twice a year, and I've never felt entirely comfortable with it. The idea is that you list books that you would like to own, including your Amazon wishlist, and other bloggers can gift those titles to you if they feel so inclined. Like I said, not my thing. Instead, I'm going to start next week's list early, and make it a two-parter. That topic is much more to my liking: Top Ten Books On My Summer 2026 To-Read List. I could make a Top 100 list on this topic—choosing 20 will be a cinch.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books On My Summer To-Read List (Part One)

1. Building 903 by Lois Lowry (available September 29, 2026)—I just received an e-ARC of this upcoming middle-grade dystopian novel from a children's fiction icon. It sounds intriguing. The story revolves around twin siblings who live in a world that is controlled by a tyrannical leader. Because the citizens feel comfortable and safe, they allow it, even though many despise the person in charge. When one of the twins disappears, no one wants to entertain such unpleasantless. Then, a 135-year-old woman lets the remaining twin in on a secret that might help her locate the missing child: books are portals that can lead to truth, freedom, and answers.

2. The Killing Time by Elly Griffiths (available November 17, 2026)—I loved The Frozen People, the first installment in a new time travel murder mystery series, so I was thrilled to get an e-ARC of the sequel. In this outing, Detective Ali Dawson is investigating the cold case of a boy who purportedly committed suicide by jumping off a tall building. She believes he was manipulated by a psychic who convinced him he could fly. Although Ali's team has been forbidden from time travelling after a major problem during their last visit to the past, she know she needs more insight into her current case. A quick dip back in time can't hurt, right? Naturally, things immediately begin to go awry.

3. A Royal Pain by Rhys Bowen—Her Royal Spyness was such a fun read that I'm eager to continue on with the series. Once I learned that the late Katherine Kellgren—one of my favorite audiobook narrators—voices the series, I grabbed an audiobook of A Royal Pain from Audible. This time around, Lady Georgie has been asked by the Queen of England to entertain a Bavarian princess. When you're a penniless aristocrat, that's a lot easier said than done. Caught up in the whirlwind of trying to make her London home look like a palace, complete with a serving staff she can't afford to hire, and attempting to cure the princess of some bad habits, Georgie barely has time to think about the dead body the royal may have had a hand in murdering...

4. A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers—Lark recently raved about this Gothic murder mystery on her blog, and I immediately added it to my TBR list. The story is about a young con woman in Victorian England who poses as a spiritualist in order to sucker the wealthy out of their pocket money. When she's jailed for fraud, a stranger offers her a way to earn her freedom: convince a young nobleman that his recently deceased wife is resting in peace. Although it seems like an easy task, it's not. The husband believes his spouse was murdered and he wants the fake psychic to help him prove it.

5. Rook by Sharon Cameron—Other than her forthcoming novel, Up From the Ashes (available October 6, 2026), I've read all of Cameron's books but this one. Its plot is a little hard to explain, so here's the publisher's version:

History has a way of repeating itself. In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal?

Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy's arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she.

As the Red Rook grows bolder and the stakes grow higher, Sophia and René find themselves locked in a tantalizing game of cat and mouse. Daring intrigue, delicious romance, and spine-tingling suspense fill the pages of this extraordinary tale from award-winning author Sharon Cameron.

6. Sanctuary by James Cleary—In a post-apocalyptic U.S., half the country is drowning in water and the other half is suffocating from deadly dust. Having prepared for this eventuality, billionaire John Brandt, along with his family and their security team, are retreating to the underground mansion he has been preparing. They're not the only ones desperate to find safety, however. A fierce group of raiders are also headed to the Sanctuary, and they will do anything to take it for themselves.

7. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke—Piranesi isn't my usual type of read, but it's my book club's pick for June. Here's the official blurb:

Piranesi lives in the House. Perhaps he always has.

In his notebooks, day after day, he makes a clear and careful record of its wonders: the labyrinth of halls, the thousands upon thousands of statues, the tides that thunder up staircases, the clouds that move in slow procession through the upper halls. On Tuesdays and Fridays Piranesi sees his friend, the Other. At other times he brings tributes of food to the Dead. But mostly, he is alone.

Messages begin to appear, scratched out in chalk on the pavements. There is someone new in the House. But who are they and what do they want? Are they a friend or do they bring destruction and madness as the Other claims?

Lost texts must be found; secrets must be uncovered. The world that Piranesi thought he knew is becoming strange and dangerous.

The Beauty of the House is immeasurable; its Kindness infinite.

8. The Castaways by Lucy Clarke—I've been enjoying Clarke's destination thrillers lately. This one is about a woman who is filled with regret and grief after missing a vacation to Fiji that she was supposed to go on with her sister two years ago. Her sister's small plane disappeared, presumably crashed, assumedly killing all aboard. When the pilot suddenly shows up in Fiji claiming amnesia, the sister who was left behind travels to the country to figure out what really happened to her missing sibling.

9. An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden—This historical novel concerns a notorious all-female thieving ring in Victorian England. Twenty-year-old Kit Jimeson is the gang's best swindler, but she's ready to be done with that life. She's been saving her earnings so that both she and her younger sister can attempt an honest, respectable existence. Just as Kit's about to walk away, the gang's former leader returns with revenge on her mind. Kit is her most valuable weapon, and she won't let her go without a fight. Kit can only win her freedom by pulling off an impossible heist, one that will more than likely lead her straight to the hangman's noose.

10. The Séance Garden by Juliet Blackwell (available July 28, 2026)—Although her academic career is focused on the historical and societal significance of the occult, Professor Harper Grae is a long-time skeptic. Until she sees something otherworldly that she can't explain while on a cheesy ghost tour in Monterey, California. When the tour stumbles across the dead body of a local artist, Harper finds herself embroiled in the ensuing murder investigation. Learning that this is not the only woman to die on this particular property, the professor is forced to ask herself if it's possible the home is haunted.

There you go, ten books I want to read this summer. Have you read any of them? Which appeals to you most? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Hepworth's Latest Thriller Surprisingly Warm and Uplifting

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 08:00:00 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

There was always something strange about Mabel Waller. As a child, she was bigger than average, socially awkward, friendless, caught up in her own imagination, and desperate for affection. Then, there was the fact that the people close to her tended to end up injured or dead. When she became the youngest Australian ever to be convicted of murder, her fate as "Mad Mabel" was sealed. A monster like her was surely insane. Or was she?

Now 81, Mabel has become Elsie Fitzpatrick, an unassuming pensioner who has lived on the same quiet Melbourne street for 60 years. Other than an ongoing feud with her nemesis-neighbor, the irascible Elsie leads an unremarkable life. No one would ever guess she's a notorious criminal, possibly even a serial killer. When her nemesis winds up dead, Elsie's real identity is leaked, and suddenly she finds herself in the spotlight once again. Desperate to clear her name, she decides to tell her story for the first time ever to two young podcasters. As she divulges secrets from the past, deals with an angry public, and tries to fend off the unwanted attention of the 7-year-old "irritating little despot" next door, Elsie discovers—to her great surprise—that Mad Mabel has more friends than she thinks. Daring to care, however, has made her vulnerable. Will she lose everything she loves when she finally spills the truth about what she's done?

I'm a big Sally Hepworth fan, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed her newest thriller, Mad Mabel. The book is a little darker than her others, but it's also humorous, poignant, and heartwarming. Mabel's childhood and adolescence are so horrible that it's impossible not to pity her, even now that she's an old woman. Her sharpness—a defense mechanism if I ever saw one—makes her funny and appealing. Even though she's sarcastic and acerbic, I loved her from the start. Elise/Mabel becomes especially likeable as she opens her heart to the irrepressible Persephone. Their friendship is my favorite part of the story.

Mad Mabel is a character-driven novel, but there's plenty going on in the story to keep the reader turning pages. Hepworth spins the plot out in a way that gradually ups the tension, making it a suspenseful, engrossing read throughout. I did see one of the big plot twists coming from a mile away, but the one at the end caught me by surprise. (Funny enough, I read this book twice in a 6-month period and I still didn't see that last twist coming!) Although not all of my questions about Elise/Mabel were answered at the end of the novel, I still found its ending satisfying. In spite of some sad, dark content, Mad Mabel is actually a pretty warm, uplifting book. I loved it.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a little bit of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus occasional, milder invectives), violence, mild sexual content, and some disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of Mad Mabel from the generous folks at St. Martin's Publishing Group via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Genevieve Graham's Newest Offers Appealing Blend of History, Mystery, Drama, Suspense, and Romance

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 13 Jun 2026 20:05:25 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

It's 1929 and a dazzling luxury hotel is about to open in Toronto, Canada. Living in the city's slums, 17-year-old Roisin "Rosie" Ryan is convinced that The Dominion represents her chance to change her fate. Instead of struggling through an impoverished childhood just to marry another penniless soul and continue grappling for a better life, she's determined to make one happen for herself. When she lands a job as a chambermaid to the hotel's special clients, then meets a dashing waiter who sweeps her off her feet, Rosie thinks she just about has it made. The trouble begins when she attracts the attention of a notorious mobster who's about to make a fortune from The Crash that will bankrupt people the world over. When Rosie realizes just how far Marco Carboni's reach goes, she knows she will have to risk everything to get herself and the people she loves out of his grasp. That's not as easy as it seems, and more than one person will lose their life in the ensuing melee...

Almost 100 years later, building inspector Bridget Kelly has been hired to make sure renovations being made to the The Dominion are up to snuff. As a lover of history and antiques, she's thrilled by the assignment. Meeting Matthew Buchanan, an adorably awkward archivist who shares many of her interests, is the icing on the cake. When she notices odd irregularities at the site, however, Bridget begins to suspect something is not quite right at the grand old hotel. As she digs deeper, she uncovers secrets—some of them a century old—that someone will kill to keep hidden. Can she and Matthew figure out what's really happening at The Dominion now and what truly occurred 100 years ago before it's too late? Or will they, too, become victims to nefarious goings-on at the historic hotel?

I always enjoy an absorbing dual-timeline novel, and The Chambermaid's Key by Genevieve Graham is certainly that. I've never been to Toronto, but the city came alive for me as I read, with lots of vivid details and interesting tidbits. (The history of The Tombs slum is particularly fascinating.) It was especially intriguing to compare/contrast the city over the course of 100 years.

The characters in this novel are likable and root-worthy. Rosie is hard-working, loyal, brave, and compassionate. I wanted good things for her, even though it was obvious from the get-go that she was heading down a dangerous path. Bridget is less compelling, but I still liked her. It was sweet to watch her relationship with gawky Matthew grow over the course of the novel. With dual-timeline setups, I usually find myself caring much more about the past story than the present one, but this time, I felt invested in both storylines.

As far as plot goes, The Chambermaid's Key is fairly predictable. Still, I enjoyed its appealing blend of history, mystery, drama, suspense, and romance. The story gets far-fetched in places, sure, but that's okay. Overall, I found the book to be an engrossing, satisfying read. Bonus: it's clean, free from any graphic content. All of these elements combined to make this novel a very enjoyable one for me as well as one that I can confidently recommend to anyone.

(Readalikes: Reminds me a little bit of the Molly the Maid mystery series by Nita Prose)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for violence, mild innuendo, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of The Chambermaid's Key from the generous folks at Simon & Schuster via those at NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Six(ish) Books I Read On My Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 02:19:29 +0000

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm back from my cruise through the Yucatan. My husband and I had fun exploring new places, soaking in beautiful scenery, and learning about the history of the region we visited. We balanced out our excursions with a lot of relaxation time. Although the weather was mostly very hot and very humid, I did make good use of my balcony. It was lovely to read outside, especially after the sun went down and I could enjoy the warm breezes ruffling my hair while I Kindled my way through several books.

Before I left on my trip, I posted this list of the Top Ten Books I Might Read On My Upcoming Vacation. I was only gone for nine days, some of which would be taken up by excursions, so I knew I wouldn't read all ten of them. Spoiler alert: I was right. Still, I thought it might be fun to look at what I did read and what I thought of what I read. So, I'm going to ignore this week's TTT prompt—Top Ten Books I Can't Believe I Haven't Read Yet—and do Top ~~Ten~~ Six(ish) Books I Read On My Vacation.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top ~~Ten~~ Six(ish) Books I Read On My Vacation

These are the ten books I put on my potential reads list. I highlighted the ones I read (titles link to my Goodreads review):

1. Last One Out by Jane Harper - I ended up finishing this mystery/thriller the night before I left, so I'm not counting it as one of my six vacation reads. As much as I usually love Harper's work, Last One Out turned out to be a bit of a slog for me. It's just...slow. I liked it overall, but I came close to DNFing it several times because I got bored with it. Disappointing.

2. The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn

3. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney - This needs to be my next read since it's already two weeks overdue at my library and I can't renew it because someone else is waiting for it. Oops!

4. A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard - This third installment in the A Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco series was one of my at-sea day reads. It's another fun murder mystery in an always-entertaining series. I enjoyed it.

5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

6. The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson

7. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen

8. The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane

9. Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn - If you like interesting narrative non-fiction, you should definitely pick up this book. It tells the fascinating story of how the author discovered that her grandparents were Nazi spies in Hawaii.

10. The Season of Sinking by Daphne Woolsoncroft

In addition to the two highlighted titles, I also read:

1. Missing Molly by Natalie Barelli - This was my first read of the vacay. It's got a unique premise: a woman who does the books at a small-town newspaper learns her company will be starting a true crime podcast, the first season of which will highlight a notorious unsolved case involving a murdered family and a missing pre-teen. Unbeknownst to her colleagues, the bookkeeper is the missing child. With the murderer still out there, it's imperative that no one discovers her real identity, not even her husband. Can she sabotage the podcast enough to protect herself, even if it means losing her job, her friends, and everything else she's worked so hard to gain? Or will all that be lost anyway when her true identity is exposed?

Despite this unique and promising premise, Missing Molly was only an okay read for me. The plot is far-fetched, the characters are pretty blah, and the prose is rather humdrum. It kept me turning pages, though.

2. How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz (available July 20, 2026) - Although this murder mystery is largely about a woman grieving the sudden death of her mother, with whom she had a complicated relationship, it's actually a pretty upbeat, hopeful story. It's also funny, quirky, and satisfying. I really enjoyed it.

3. What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally - On the last day of my cruise, as we were gliding away from Mexico and back to Florida, I decided it would be fun to read a YA survival story about a group of teens who go sailing on a stormy day in Puerto Vallarta and end up in a fight for their lives. This novel tells a pretty generic story with a cast of heavily stereotyped characters, but it kept me turning pages.

4. Devils at the Door by Tessa Wegert - I read this murder mystery, the fifth book in the Shana Merchant series, during a very long wait at the Fort Lauderdale Airport. Although it gets into some weird subject matter, the novel is engrossing and compelling, just like all the other installments in the series.

5. The Chow Maniac by Vivien Chien - This is the "ish" part of six(ish) since I haven't actually finished this cozy mystery yet. I read half of it on the plane ride from Raleigh, North Carolina, back to Phoenix. It's the 11th book in the Noodle Shop mystery series. It's about a secret society of Chinese Americans in Cleveland, the members of which are suddenly perishing in ways that seem suspicious. A man who fears he is next hires P.I. Lydia Shepard to investigate, and she enlists the help of Lana Lee, restaurant manager and amateur sleuth.

There you go, the six(ish) books I read on my vacation. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What do you like to read while on holiday? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Might Read On My Upcoming Vacation

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 20 May 2026 05:02:10 +0000

Today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Favorite Secondary and Minor Characters—is a great one, but I've done it recently-ish (actually, it was FIVE years ago!) and I don't know that I really have anyone to add to that list. Since I'm heading out on Saturday for my week-long cruise around the Yucatan, I'm going to use that as my inspo for today's list. While I doubt I'll be able to read ten books on my vacation, I will have two long flights (Phoenix to Fort Lauderdale and back), plus six days on the ship (with a balcony!) to enjoy some reading. I've been thinking about which titles on my Kindle and on my physical bookshelves might make for enjoyable vacation reading. (I don't know about you, but I always travel with my e-reader and at least one paper book, just in case.) I'll list some possibilities below and you can help me decide which ones to pack.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Books I Might Read On Vacation

1. Last One Out by Jane Harper—After a month on the library's waiting list, I've finally got my hands on this newest novel from one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors. Set in Carralon Ridge, a rural Australian village that is dying a slow, painful death, the story revolves around a grieving mother whose son vanished from Carralon Ridge five years ago. When Ro returns to the town on the anniversary of his disappearance, she begins to suspect that there is a lot more to his disappearance than she ever suspected.

2. The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn—This historical fantasy revolves around a mysterious carousel that is linked to a number of missing persons on two different continents.

3. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney—Feeney's newest has a unique premise. After moving into Spyglass, an old home with a charming aesthetic, artist Eden Fox goes out for a run. When she returns, she is shocked when her key doesn't open the front door, another woman—one who looks oddly like Eden—answers her knock, and Eden's husband claims not to know Eden. Something very strange is going on, but what? What will Eden have to do to get her life back?

4. A Map to Murder by Michelle Chouinard (available September 22, 2026)—The third installment in a fun murder mystery series starring a true crime tour guide in San Francisco, this outing has Capri Sanzio investigating a cold case involving a woman who went missing during the Summer of Love.

5. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown—I'm re-reading the Robert Langdon series in anticipation of enjoying the latest installment, The Secret of Secrets. In The Da Vinci Code, Robert is called to the Louvre, where its aged curator has been murdered. A cipher left beside his corpse leads to a trail of clues hidden in Da Vinci's works that Robert must follow in order to find a killer.

6. The Memory of Borrowed Books by Meg Anderson (available October 6, 2026)—I always love a bookish read and this one sounds intriguing. It stars a librarian who works at a centuries-old library that is about to be shut down. Desperate to save the beloved institution, she discovers a magical door that leads to a room full of books only she can see, volumes that contain memories of all those who have visited the library over the years. Somewhere in the collection lies the key to saving the library, if only she can find it in time...

7. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen—I've been meaning to start this highly-recommended series for years. I have this first installment out from the library right now, and I need to read it before it comes due. The book introduces Lady Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie, aka "Georgie." A penniless cousin of England's King George V, she's trying to navigate life as an ordinary citizen. She's managing...sort of...when she's asked to become a spy for the queen. When she then finds a dead body in her bathtub, things start to get very interesting indeed.

8. The Fish and Chip Shop Detectives by Jenny Kane—This is the first installment in a new cozy mystery series starring Maggie and Ryan, both of whom work in an English fish and chip shop. When a dead body is found in the village's harbor, Ryan is identified as the last person with whom the victim interacted. Soon he's the prime suspect in the murder. Not believing he could have done it, Maggie determines to find the real killer and clear her co-worker's name.

9. Family of Spies by Christine Kuehn—Another book I've been meaning to read, this non-fiction title tells the story of the author's grandparents. Sent to Hawaii by Nazi leader Joseph Goebbels, they set up a secret spy network in order to pass war-changing secrets to the Japanese. Shocked and fascinated by her family's unknown history, Kuehn grapples with the enormity of what she has discovered.

10. The Season of Sinking by Daphne Woolsoncroft (available July 7, 2026)—It might be a little disconcerting to read a book with this title while cruising, but the story sounds promising, if a bit generic. When her mother dies suddenly, Imogen Bly returns to her quaint hometown to help her twin sister clean out their mom's house. Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen, reminding Imogen of the unease she's always felt in Lake Blair. Suspecting there is more to her mother's death than meets the eye, she begins to look at everyone with suspicion, even the man she once loved.

There you go, ten books I might read while on vacation. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What books are you planning to take on your next trip? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

Top Ten Tuesday (on a Wednesday): Favorite Books By Favorite Authors

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 13 May 2026 15:40:28 +0000

I'm late to the party this week. Yesterday was a DAY, and I just wasn't up to crafting a TTT list. I was up all night with an upset stomach, so I finally just got out of bed in spite of the early hour. It's quiet and peaceful in my house, so it's the perfect time to make my belated list. This week's prompt is May Flowers, a follow-up to the April Showers one from a few weeks ago. Even though we haven't had much rain at all this year in the Phoenix area, we do have flowers blooming. The lantana in our backyard has been growing like crazy. I'm not sure how long it will last considering the crazy hot temps we've had this week. Our high yesterday was 105! Anyway, as much as I like flowers, I'm going to go rogue this week. Since I will be cruising the Yucatan on May 26, I'm going to jump ahead and do the theme for that week: My Favorite Books By My Favorite Authors (submitted by Cathy @What Cathy Read Next). Sounds like fun!

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

My Favorite Books By (~~Ten~~ Eleven of) My Favorite Authors

The following authors aren't my ten absolute favorites. However, they are all writers I love and read often. More importantly, I can identify the one book of theirs that I love most. I can't necessarily do that with all of my favorite authors, you know? Or am I just weird? (I might just be weird. That's okay!) Here we go in alphabetical order:

1. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong—I yap about Armstrong a lot because I enjoy her crime fiction so much. Her urban fantasy novels don't interest me at all, and I haven't loved her horror novels either. As much as I enjoy her Rockton/Haven's Rock series, the Rip Through Time series is my favorite. The books are less graphic than the Rockton/Haven's Rock ones and funnier. All of the installments are worth reading, the but the first one is the one I like best so far.

In A Rip Through Time, a modern-day homicide detective travels to Edinburgh, Scotland, to visit her dying grandmother. While taking a mind-clearing jog, she is assaulted in the same spot where a chambermaid was attacked exactly 150 years earlier. When Detective Atkinson wakes up, she's in Victorian Scotland inhabiting the body of the maid, who works for a physician who moonlights as a coroner. As a confused Mallory tries to figure out what is happening and how to get home, she realizes that her professional skills can be of great use to her boss, who helps the police catch killers. How can she help him without revealing that she's not actually an uneducated maid? And how in the world is she going to get home?

2. Bluebird by Sharon Cameron—This YA author pens historical novels centered around World War II as well as sci-fi/fantasy books. Bluebird is the former. It's about a young German woman who travels to the U.S. after the war in order to unmask the Nazi who spearheaded a series of psychological experiments performed on concentration camp prisoners. Absorbing and memorable, Bluebird is a stunner of a novel.

3. Exiles by Jane Harper—I've enjoyed every book I've read by Harper, but those starring federal investigator Aaron Falk are my favorite. Of those, I like Exiles best. It tells a quieter, more intimate story than the other installments in the series do, but it's still a compelling mystery/thriller in its own right. The mystery revolves around a young mother who goes missing at a town festival, leaving her infant behind.

4. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth—Another Australian author, Hepworth writes domestic fiction with lots of warmth and wit. This novel, my favorite of hers, is my book club's selection for May, so I'll be happily rereading it before next Tuesday. As is indicated by the title, the story concerns sisters, twins Fern and Rose. Fern lives a carefully structured life, sticking religiously to her routines in order to keep her fragile psyche intact. Rose is one of her few friends, someone for whom she is profoundly grateful, so when Rose learns she can't have children, Fern offers to carry a baby for her. She just needs to find a father. That search begins a journey that will profoundly affect both sisters as old secrets surface and new tensions emerge between them.

5. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee—Lee writes YA novels, most of which are historical fiction, featuring characters of Chinese descent. This one tells the story of 17-year-old Jo Kuan, a Chinese American who works as a maid for a wealthy, powerful family in Atlanta. Secretly, she also writes an advice column, doling out wisdom for genteel Southern ladies. As Jo's writing gains in popularity, she decides to use it to protest against the injustices she sees every day in her community. She's not prepared for the backlash those articles receive or the danger it will put her in if anyone discovers her secret identity. In the meantime, she's also grappling to understand her own mysterious past.

6. The Nature of Fragile Things by Susan Meissner—I've read almost all of Meissner's books and this one, about the San Francisco earthquake in 1906, is the one that has lingered most in my mind. It stars Sophie Walen, an Irish woman who is so desperate to escape poverty in her homeland that she travels across the sea to become the mail-order bride of an American man she's never met before. She's confused by her silent stranger of a husband, although she quickly becomes enamored of his young, mute daughter. Although she doesn't know it yet, Sophie's life is about to be rocked to its core, not just by a deadly earthquake that will literally shake up her world but also by the unknown woman who will appear at her door, revealing shocking secrets that will change the course of both of their lives.

7. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton—Morton's rich family sagas always sweep me away. Although I haven't loved her more recent books nearly as much as I do her older ones, I still consider her one of my favorite authors. Published in 2012, The Secret Keeper is about a woman who secretly witnesses a disturbing crime when she is 16 years old, an event that puts into question everything she knows about her mother. Fifty years later, Laurel is back home to celebrate her mom's 90th birthday. Realizing that time is running out to discover the truth about her mother, she determines to uncover all of the woman's many secrets.

8. How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny—Although I've only read 13 of the 20 books in the Armand Gamache series (the 21st comes out in October), it's one of my very favorite crime series. How the Light Gets In, #9, is set at Christmastime. Our hero, Inspector Armand Gamache, is at a low point in both his professional and personal life. When a friend in Three Pines invites him to come back to the quaint village to investigate a disappearance, he leaps at the chance to return to the place that always feels like home. Turns out, the missing woman is a celebrity who was once famous all over the world. What has happened to her? Because I hate to see my beloved Gamache suffer, How the Light Gets In was a bit of a painful read for me, but it's also a tender and heartening one.

9. The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan—Ryan's latest two novels (one of which comes out next month) are set in the 1950s, but the rest of her books are all set during World War II. The Spies of Shilling Lane is my favorite of hers because although it has its poignant moments, it's mostly a fun, lively, madcap adventure. It stars the indomitable Mrs. Braithwaite, a hilarious queen bee who's knocked off her throne by her scandalous divorce. Indignant, she hies off to London to lick her wounds with her daughter, Betty, who has been in the city helping with war work. When Betty's timid landlord informs her mother that Betty is missing, Mrs. Braithwaite strong arms the reluctant landord into helping her locate her daughter. Turns out, her child has a much more complicated complicated life than Mrs. Braithwaite ever could have imagined, a life that will put all of them in grave danger.

10. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager—Final Girls is the only one of Sager's novels that I haven't read. I've enjoyed all of them, some more than others naturally, but Middle of the Night is my favorite. It's different from his other books, more gentle and moving. Never fear, though, it's just as riveting as his other thrillers. The story revolves around Ethan Marsh, a man who returns to the picture-perfect neighborhood he lived in as a child. It was there that, many years ago, his 10-year-old best friend disappeared during an overnight campout in Ethan's backyard. Already suffering from insomnia and disturbing nightmares, Ethan is plagued by strange things happening in the middle of the night. Signs of his missing friend keep appearing. Is someone playing a terrible joke on Ethan? Or has his long missing pal returned? What really happened the night of the campout? Ethan is determined to find out.

11. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James—I love St. James' eerie thrillers. This one is set in a rundown motel in a dying town where strange things are known to happen. Viv Delaney reluctantly takes a job at the dumpy place with the goal of saving enough money to escape to New York City. It doesn't take long for her to realize that something is very wrong at her place of employment. There's a reason for the bad juju that emanates from the Sun Down Motel and she's going to uncover all its many secrets.

There you go, eleven of my favorite books by eleven of my favorite authors. Have you read any of them? Which are your favorite books by your favorite authors? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT (on a Wednesday)!

Evocative and Engrossing, Heiress of Nowhere Another Winner From Stacey Lee

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 07 May 2026 19:33:00 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Eighteen years ago, a green canoe washed ashore on Orcas Island. Its only occupant was an infant. Dakon Sanders, the wealthy and eccentric shipbuilder who owns the island, took in the baby and named her Lucy. She earned her keep by working as the bachelor's housemaid. When her skill with paints became apparent, he made her his research assistant, tasking her with creating the illustrations for a book he's writing about island wildlife. As much as Lucy loves Orcas Island, especially the creatures after which it's named, she longs to leave it, to finally see what lies beyond its shores. Although it's rare in 1918 for women to go to college, she's already secretly been accepted to the University of Washington. Now all she has to do is summon the courage to inform her austere guardian that she is leaving.

Before Lucy has a chance to confront him, she discovers Dakon Sanders' detached head on the beach. The superstitious islanders see the brutal killing as a warning sign from mythical sea wolves. Lucy knows her guardian's murderer is very real. When Dakon's will is read, and she is named the new owner of his sprawling estate, she fears she's next on the killer's hit list. Can she figure out who beheaded her enigmatic guardian and why? And will those answers lead to the ones she's been pondering her whole strange life: who is Lucy Nowhere? Where does she truly belong? She must find out, before it's too late.

A new Stacey Lee novel is always cause for celebration in my book. I especially love that her newest historical YA offering, Heiress of Nowhere, is set in my native Washington State. Lee perfectly captures the moody, broody Pacific Northwest (PNW, as the cool kids call it) atmosphere, which provides an appropriately portentious backdrop for a tale that is full of mystery, intrigue, and suspense. Magical realism doesn't always work for me, but Lucy's "sea-wolf sense" actually feels possible in the world Lee has created. This dash of the supernatural works well in combination with the evocative setting, the locals' superstitions, and the whole Gothic vibe of the novel. All of these elements enhance the book's plot, which is complex and compelling, with enough twists to keep the reader glued to their seat. In fact, I whipped through Heiress of Nowhere in one day because I couldn't put it down. The fact that the killer's identity (mostly) surprised me was an added bonus.

Lucy is a sympathetic heroine, but hardly a pitiable one. She's smart, capable, loyal, compassionate, and brave. It's easy to root for her to find the answers she so desperately wants. There are two young men in the story who are vying for her attention. I find love triangles annoying anyway, but this one is especially disappointing because, in my opinion, Lucy chooses the wrong guy. Other than that, I found Heiress of Nowhere to be a satisfying, enjoyable read, another excellent example of why I love Stacey Lee's work so much.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and scenes of peril

To the FTC, with love: Another library ~~fine~~ find

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Wish Were Still Writing Today (or At Least Writing What I Want Them to Write)

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 05 May 2026 08:00:00 +0000

Our TTT prompt this week is a good one, and unique to boot. I don't think I've ever done a list on this topic: Top 10 Authors You Wish Were Still Writing Today. (Thanks to Rebecca over at Top 100 Books for suggesting it and, as always, to Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl for hosting TTT.) As much as I like this topic, I'm having a hard time coming up with ten authors. We'll see if I make it or not!

Top Ten Authors I Wish Were Still Writing Today (or At Least Writing What I Want Them to Write)

- in no particular order -

1. Maeve Binchy—This Irish author is the first one who came to mind for this topic. I've read and loved all of her warm, engaging novels. Unfortunately, Binchy passed away in 2012.

2. Joshilyn Jackson—Don't worry, Jackson isn't dead! She's just turned her writing focus to domestic thrillers instead of the Southern women's fiction for which she used to be known. Although I do enjoy mystery/thrillers, hers just don't entice and enchant me the way her older books do. I hope someday she'll go back to the genre in which she truly shines.

3. Mary Higgins Clark—Since this author's mystery novels were tame enough for teens, my dad got me started on MHC back when I was in junior high. I spent many a night reading way past my bedtime to finish one of her books. She continued writing up until her death in 2020 at 92 years old. Even though her newer books never enthralled me the way her older ones did, the "Queen of Suspense" will always reign as one of my favorite authors.

4. Elizabeth C. Bunce—I'm a huge fan of Bunce's Myrtle Hardcastle historical mystery series for kids. It's tons of fun. It's been three years since the last installment was published and, while that doesn't actually sound like that long now that I'm typing it out, I'm still hankering for a new Myrtle mystery. It looks like Bunce may have turned to pursuits other than writing, but a reader can dream...

5. C.J. Omololu—This YA author died of cancer in 2015 at 49 years old. I enjoyed her novels, and wish she would have had time to write more of them.

6. Agatha Christie—I have a feeling the Queen of Crime is going to be a popular choice today! Truth be told, I've only read a handful of her novels, but I think it would be really interesting to see what she could do with modern mystery themes and tropes.

7. Julia Keller—A Pulitzer Prize-winning author of both fiction and non-fiction, I thought Keller had last published in 2019, when she had two novels come out. After checking her website today, I see that she published a self-help book in 2023, BUT it's still been seven years since a new installment in her Bell Elkins crime series came out. I really enjoyed those books, and would love to see more of them published. It doesn't seem like that will happen, sadly.

8. L.A. Meyer—Meyer started writing his swashbuckling YA series starring the intrepid female pirate "Bloody" Jacky Faber when he was in his 60s. He finished it just before his death at 72 years old in 2014. The series is so fun. I wish he would have had more years to write. It would have been interesting to see what he did after the Blood Jack books.

9. Y.S. Lee—Lee is a multi-talented author who creates in various mediums. I'm currently re-reading her YA historical mystery series starring a teen Chinese-English sleuth in Victorian England. There are only four installments. I wish there were more. I'd also love to see Lee write additional YA novels. Fingers crossed.

10. Lois Duncan—I loved Duncan's mystery/thriller books back in the day. It's been decades since I've read a book by her, but still, there was a time when I could not get enough of her engrossing novels. She passed away in 2016 at 82 years old.

Hey, hey, hey! Look at that, I made it to ten. Have you read any of these authors? Which writers do you wish were still working today, or at least writing what you want them to write? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post, and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!

A Quirky, Cozy, Entertaining Little Murder Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:50:00 +0000

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

I'm loving all the quirky, cozy-ish murder mysteries that have been popping up lately. I've read a bunch of them recently, and they just make me laugh. A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper is no exception. It's a fun, light-hearted, Scooby-Doo kind of romp. I loved it!

The story goes a little something like this: 17-year-old Lainey Piper doesn't believe that her father's suspicious accident was accidental at all. Her doubts about what really happened, combined with her natural talent for sleuthing and an innate desire to see justice done, lead her to a reluctant collaboration with classmate Harlow Drake. The host of a web series centered on local crime, Harlow is known for taking big risks and angering the locals with her bold accusations. Lainey isn't a limelight kind of person, but she can't seem to resist getting caught up in Harlow's schemes, even when it means scaring her mother, annoying local law enforcement, and becoming a pariah in her small town.

Fifteen years later, Lainey is a work-from-home forensic accountant who lives alone with her cat. Her business isn't exactly booming, so when she receives an offer from the True Crime 24/7 network to investigate a historical cold case with Harlow (whom she hasn't spoken to since high school), she can't afford to say no. When she steps foot onto an island in the middle of Lake Michigan, spies her creepy murder hotel accomodations, and notes that her old friend is, if anything, even more self-absorbed than she used to be, Lainey begins to doubt the wisdom of accepting the offer, no matter how lucrative. It doesn't take long, though, for her to get wholly caught up in the mystery of solving a Prohibition-era disappearance as well as a much more contemporary ones. Soon, the job isn't about finding a long-ago killer or even helping an unrepentant Harlow make a comeback; it's about staying alive on a remote island, surrounded by strangers she's not sure she can trust, with no way to call for help. Even armed with her "crime-fighting Mary Poppins bag," Lainey might not be able to sleuth her way out of this one...

A Cute Little Murder combines a lot of my favorite murder mystery tropes: an isolated setting; a probably haunted house (hotel, in this case) full of tantalizing secrets; a colorful cast of characters, all with axes to grind; an absorbing treasure hunt; and a banter-y background romance. Since this is more of a cozy than a Gothic thriller, the setting isn't all that creepy, but it is atmospheric. The ratty old Crossings hotel is a character unto itself, complete with the hidden depths that make all story people more life like. Although Harlow is not one of them, her production team is full of likable characters, even including the clueless tech bros who are more oblivious than purposely offensive. Although the historical mystery Harlow and Lainey are on-location to solve really isn't the focus of the novel, it adds another layer of interest to the story. The relationship between Harlow and Lainey is the real focus of A Cute Little Murder, and it's interesting to see how the latter has evolved while the former really hasn't. I would have liked a deeper dive into Harlow's character in order to understand her better, but this isn't really that kind of story. As for the present-day murders, I did identify the killer before Lainey, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of this entertaining book. It's a fun one that kept me turning pages and made me smile.

Readalikes: A Cute Little Murder has a similar style/vibe to Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter, the Ernest Cunningham series by Benjamin Stevenson, and the Vacation Mysteries series by Catherine Mack.

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder invectives), violence, crude humor, and innuendo

To the FTC, with love: I received an e-ARC of A Cute Little Murder from the generous folks at Penguin Random House via those at NetGalley. Thank you!