I’ll still share shorter, bookish thoughts here, but if you’re looking for my full reviews, that’s where you’ll find them going forward.

Are you on Substack? Drop your handle and I’ll give you a follow.

The post Moving time…. first appeared on .

It’s is time to reminisce on what you’ve read so far today.  How has your reading gone so far?  What snacks have you partaken in?

I finished reading Guess Again and I’m currently reading The End of Romance by Lily Meyer.

As for food, we got a delicious platter of food! Wings, soft pretzels, mozzarella sticks, & buffalo chicken dip. Yum!

The post 2026 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Half-Time Report! first appeared on .

It’s finally here…the kick off for The Big Game’s On Read‑a‑thon! The official Super Bowl kick off might still be hours away, but I’m planning to read most of the day, so I wanted to give everyone else the chance to jump in too!

What are you planning to read today? I’m starting with Guess Again by Charlie Donlea.

Since the Super Bowl is all about the snacks…what’s on your menu today? We’re doing wings and apps.  Easy & delicious!

I’ll be posting my progress on Instagram, so follow along if you aren’t already! And don’t forget to use #biggamereadathon in all your posts so we can cheer each other on!

The post 2026 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Kick-Off! first appeared on .

It’s nearly time again!! As many of you know, I’ve never been above finding perfectly valid reasons to spend obscene amounts of time reading!

Not into the game? Come read with me instead!

The details:
No rules, no guidelines — just read
No start or end times — pick up a book whenever you want
I may toss in a few fun challenges to keep things interesting!

No sign‑up needed — just use #BigGameReadathon!

The post 2026 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! first appeared on .

Here are our favorite reads of 2025, in no particular order! It’s quite a long list! Click on the title to learn more, and to order your own copy!

My Friends by Fredrik Backman
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (this was one of my favorites of 2025 and was the book we discussed at our last meeting.  Quite the discussion; unfortunately not everyone appreciated it as much as I did!)
Alchemised by SenLinYu
King Sorrow by Joe Hill 
Widow’s Point by Richard Chizmar, W.H. Chizmar
Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 
Outlawed by Anna North
In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin by Erik Larson
The Gestapo’s Most Wanted – The White Mouse: The Life of SOE Agent Nancy Wake by Alice Sharman
A New Earth: Oprah’s Book Club: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks
What We Owe the Future by William MacAskill
Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention–and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari
The Elephant Whisperer: My Life with the Herd in the African Wild by Lawrence Anthony, Graham Spence
The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams
North Woods by Daniel Mason
James by Percival Everett
The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
The Names by Florence Knapp
Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture by Roxane Gay
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Honor Girl: A Graphic Memoir by Maggie Thrash
Lighter Than My Shadow by Katie Green
 The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
All the Tomorrows After by Joanne Yi
I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being a Woman by Nora Ephron
Sandwich by Catherine Newman (second year appearing on this list!)
The Measure by Nikki Erlick

The post Book Club Favorites of 2025 first appeared on .

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Use Instagram, Threads or Bluesky? Just tag your post with #thankfullyreading so we can see it! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
• What’s in your TBR pile for the week?
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
• What book are you starting out with?
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?

What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a week-long read-a-thon is for everyone!

Throughout this event, feel free to post about your progress, then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Week!

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #thankfullyreading so we can connect all these posts across the platforms!

At the end of the week, I’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Week went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

The post 2025 Thankfully Reading Week! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s baack! And, due to its popularity, we’re extending Thankfully Reading Weekend to a full week!

New to Thankfully Reading Week(end)? Here are the details:

The post 2025 Thankfully Reading Week! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

October is here, and you know what that means… it’s officially spooky season—and the return of

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you already know: Halloween is my season. I live for the eerie, the unsettling, and the downright chilling. Fall vibes, flickering candles, and a stack of books that make me sleep with the lights on? Yes, please.

Every October, I celebrate my love of all things macabre with a month-long feature dedicated to horror, thrillers, and mystery-suspense reads that gave me goosebumps. Some are new releases, some are old favorites, and all of them are perfect for curling up with as the nights get longer and the shadows creep in.

So let’s kick things off:
What’s on your spooky TBR this month?
Got a lineup of chilling reads you can’t wait to dive into?
Share your stack in the comments, add your link to the link-up, or tag me on socials—I want to see what you’re reading! Be sure to use #murdermonstersmayhem when you post!

Whether you’re into psychological thrillers, haunted house tales, or twisty whodunits, there’s room for all kinds of creepy here. Let the mayhem begin.

Follow my posts here:

View this profile on Instagram

Jennifer Lawrence (@jennsbookshelves) • Instagram photos and videos

The post 2025 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Begins! 🎃📚 first appeared on .

The Countdown Begins… Halloween Is Almost Here!
October is just over a week away, and that means it’s nearly time for my favorite annual tradition: Murder, Monsters & Mayhem — a month-long celebration of all things spooky, chilling, and delightfully dark!

If you’ve been following me for a while, you already know how deep my love for Halloween runs (and fall in general ). Every October, I dive headfirst into the macabre and share horror, thriller, mystery, and suspense reads that gave me goosebumps!

Are you ready to join the fright fest?
Got a stack of spooky books you’re dying to read? Show them off! I’ll be posting all month long on Instagram and Threads, and I’d love to see what you’re reading too. Use #MurderMonstersMayhem so we can follow each other’s haunted journeys.

The terror begins October 1st.
Until then… check your locks. Leave the lights on. And remember — you never know what’s lurking in the shadows.

The post 2025 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem #murdermonstersmayhem first appeared on .

It’s finally here, the kick-off for The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! Although the official Superbowl kick-off isn’t for several hours yet, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to start reading if they choose!

What do you plan on reading today?  Since the Super Bowl is all about the food, what do you plan on snacking on today?

We’re going low-key with the food.  Since I’m gluten-free, there aren’t many options that we all can enjoy, so I’ll be ordering some Thai & sushi to munch on while John’s picking up some fried shrimp.

f

The post 2025 The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon Kickoff! #biggamereadathon first appeared on .

It’s that time again!! As many know, in the past it wasn’t rare for me to come up with excuses reasons to spend obscene  amounts of time reading.  Not into the game? Join me in reading instead!

The details:

No rules, no guidelines, just read
No start/end times, just read at your leisure.  Heck, you can start today if you want to!

I may throw in a few challenges to break up the reading time!

No need to sign up, just use
#biggamereadathon!  I’ll be posting updates on Instagram and Bluesky!

The post 2025 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! #biggamereadathon first appeared on .

Here are our favorite reads of 2025, in no particular order! It’s quite a long list! Click on the title to learn more, and to order your own copy!

• Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll
• The Women by Kristen Hannah
• The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
• Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi
• The Guncle/The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley 
• Lies and Weddings by Kevin Kwan
• Discovery of Witches trilogy 
• The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
• So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know by Retta
• Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America by Cody Keenan
• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Someday Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli 
• A Woman is No Man Etaf Rum
• The Talk Darrin Bell
• Real Americans by Rachel Khong
• The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama
• Thunder in the Mountains: Chief Joseph, Oliver Otis Howard, and the Nez Perce War by Daniel J. Sharfstein
• Collective Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer 
• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• Fragile Threads of Power V.E.Schwab
• The Cliffs J. Courtney Sullivan
• I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
• A Love Like the Sun by Riss M. Nielsen
• All the Colors of the Dark by Christ Whitaker
  The Wishing Game Meg Shaffer
• Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• James by Percival Everett
• Sandwich by Catherine Newman

The post Book Club Favorites of 2024 first appeared on .

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Wrap-up! first appeared on .

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!

Since we’re traveling, I can’t visit my favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books in person, but I do plan on shopping online!  We’ll also visit some of my favorite small business here, too!

Today’s prompt is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Link up your post below, or tag your social medial post with #thankfullyreading!

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Weekend Day Four: Small Business Saturday #thankfullyreadingweekend first appeared on .

Happy Day after Thanksgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a quiet day of reading, avoiding the retail madness! Yesterday was a crazy day, so I’m looking forward to a relaxing day today!

For today’s prompt, I invite you to discuss the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Include a link to your post below or tell us about the book in the comments!

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Three! #thankfullyreadingweekend first appeared on .

We have a nice low-key Thanksgiving planned. We ordered dinner, so we just need to warm it up! We’re making some of our own favorite sides, but I think we’re all looking for some more time to chill & relax.

For today’s prompt, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu? What are your favorite genres, favorite books, favorite tropes? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Day Two first appeared on .

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Use Instagram, Threads or Bluesky? Just tag your post with #thankfullyreading so we an see it! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
What book are you starting out with?
Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?

What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone!

Throughout this event, feel free to post about your progress, then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend!

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #thankfullyreading so we can connect all these posts across the platforms!

On Sunday afternoon, I’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! first appeared on .

It’s baack!

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 27-December 1st (Wednesday through Sunday)!

I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?

New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:

The post 2024 Thankfully Reading Weekend! first appeared on .

Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us!  Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!

The October read-a-thon is always my favorite.  It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky!

This weekend I’m focusing on getting through some of my library books; as you can see the stacks are getting out of control!

I’m starting off with The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst!

My menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned.  I had to make slight adjustments due to changes in my diet:

• GF Sausage Balls
•  GF Pizza Rolls
• Veggies & Dip
• Apples and peanut butter

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

Instagram post 17995008647786612

Instagram post 18122923729711432

Instagram post 18048256577773058

Instagram post 18584445319011284

Load More Follow on Instagram

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2024 first appeared on .

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (Mx3). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

Are you ready? Do you have a stack of spooky books you can’t wait to start? Show us what you plan to read this month! Most of my posting will take place on Instagram, but I wanted to post the traditional link-up post. If you are on Instagram, use the #murdermonstersmayhem so we can follow your progress!

Stay tuned for more….and keep your lights on!

The post 2024 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Kick-Off! #murdermonstersmayhem first appeared on .

The fiction book club I lead at One More Page Books kicks off the new year by talking about our favorite reads of the previous year.  We call it a book club potluck: instead of food we bring book recommendations! This aren’t book club picks, but books we’ve read outside of book club that we’ve really enjoyed. Additionally, they don’t have to have been published recently, simply books we’ve read in the last year. This is my favorite meeting of the year; we always come up with quite the eclectic list of books!

Here are our favorite reads of 2023, in no particular order! It’s quite a long list! Click on the title to learn more, and to order your own copy!

• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
• The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
• We Are the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt (the audio is phenomenal)
• The Measure by Nikki Erlick
• Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
• The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan
• The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness by Robert Waldinger, M.D., Marc Schulz, Ph.D
• All Adults Here by Emma Straub
• Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann
• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
• In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
• 100 Places to See After You Die: A Travel Guide to the Afterlife by Ken Jennings 
• Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg
• The Collective Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
• A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
• Stay True by Hua Hsu
• The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
• The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah
• The Golden Enclave by Naomi Novik
• Women vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film by Helen O’Hara

Since this is already a pretty long list, you can check out my Instagram to view my favorites!

Did you add any titles to your TBR!?  I know I did!

The post Book Club Favorites of 2023! first appeared on .

Another year of Thankfully Reading Weekend has come to an end! While I never get as much reading done as I’d like, I hope to catch up on our drive home today!

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Wrap-up #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend!

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!

Since we’re traveling, I can’t visit my favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books in person, but I do plan on shopping online!  We’ll also visit some of my favorite small business here, too!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Link up your post below, or tag it with #thankfullyreading!

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Day Four: Small Business Saturday! first appeared on .

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below, or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments!

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Three! #thankfullyreadingweekend first appeared on .

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

We have a nice low-key Thanksgiving planned.  We ordered dinner, so we just need to warm it up!  We’re making some of our own favorite sides, but I think we’re all looking for some more time to chill & relax.

For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you?  What are your favorite genres, favorite books? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).

Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs!

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Two first appeared on .

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
• What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
• What book are you starting out with?
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
• What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone!

Throughout this event, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #thankfullyreading so we can connect all these posts across the platforms!

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s baack!

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 22-26(Wednesday through Sunday)! I added on an extra day since it seemed many of us were ready to read early!

I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?

New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:

The post 2023 Thankfully Reading Weekend! first appeared on .

The second week of the 2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem has come to an end!  In case you aren’t following in Instagram, here’s a wrap-up of the books featured this week:

Come Closer by Sara Gran 
The September House by Carissa Orlando
Fever House by Keith Rosson
Let Him In by William Friend

Did you read any spooky books this week?

The post 2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: Week 2 in Review first appeared on .

Hooray!  We’re at the end of the first week of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem!  Here’s a recap!

October 1: GHOST TAMER by Meredith R. Lyons
October 2:  MISTER MAGIC by Kiersten White
October 3: Holly Horror by Michelle Jabès Corpora
October 4: Scarewaves by Trevor Henderson
October 5: Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison
October 6: My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

Have you read any of these titles? Which ones will you be adding to your TBR?

The post 2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: Week in Review first appeared on .

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (Mx3). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

Are you ready? Do you have a stack of spooky books you can’t wait to start? Show us what you plan to read this month!  If you are on Twitter or Instagram, make sure you use the hashtag #murdermonstersmayhem so we can follow your progress!

This post shall serve as the official link-up post for the month! I love seeing what everyone is reading! In many cases, it adds to my reading stack!  Nothing to link to? No problem, just add it to the comments!

Stay tuned for more….and keep your lights on!

The post 2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Begins! #murdermonstersmayhem first appeared on .

We kick off yet another year of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem!

Most of my posts will be over at Instagram, here’s a link to my feed! Make sure you follow me and, if participating, use #murdermonstersmayhem so we can track your progress!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

Instagram post 17995008647786612

Instagram post 18122923729711432

Instagram post 18048256577773058

Instagram post 18584445319011284

Load More Follow on Instagram

The post 2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: The Details first appeared on .

Mark your calendars! We’re getting so close to my favorite time of year…..Halloween.  With that comes Murder, Monsters & Mayhem, a month-long feature for all things thriller, horror and *new addition* science fiction!

Why yes, I do realize October is still a few months away.  Alas, it does take time to plan and prepare for an event of this magnitude! August is when I finalize my plans for coverage and start reading those books, watching the movies, listening to the podcasts, that I’ll feature in October!

Another change for this year: I’ve moved to posting my book coverage on Instagram only, so make sure you are following me there to get updates!

Authors, publishers, horror/thriller/sci-fi fans!  If you want to participate with a giveaway, guest post, etc., feel free to reach out to me via the “Contact Me” form!

Much more news in the coming weeks!  Until then, check your locks.  Turn on all the lights.  You never know who (or what) is hiding in the darkness.

The post Coming soon….2023 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem first appeared on .

Though most of my posting is happening over on Instagram as of late, I thought I’d get back to sharing some of my posts here.

What better way to start than with my most anticipated books of July?  I have  a great month of reading ahead!

What July releases are you looking forward to most?

The post Most Anticipated Books: July 2023 first appeared on .

What a week!  I wish I could say I spent it reading, but horribly high pollen levels leaves me with itchy, watery eyes.   Not at all conducive to reading for any extended period of time.  That said, I did manage to get some reading in, including a five-star read!

Tell Me An Ending by Joe Harkin (Read it! Great Book Club Pick!) Nepenthe is a clinic in London that has come up with a way to chemically remove a memory.  Unfortunately, the early days of this revolutionary practice had some issues, resulting in memory traces returning.  Many of these individuals don’t know they had a memory erased.   If they choose to have the memory removal reversed, how will their lives be altered?

There were so many ethical issues raised in this book, it would be the perfect book club read.  I loved the different points of view, most of which are current or former patients of Nepenthe. My only concern (and the reason for the three star rating) was the length; I think it could have been easily trimmed down a bit, aiding and the flow and pacing.

Homecoming by Kate Morton: (Read it now!)

Jess has lived in London for two decades, but her heart is still in Australia with her grandmother, Nora.  She is struggling financially and desperately needs inspiration for a story. When she receives news that Nora has fallen and is in the hospital, she returns to Sydney.  Nora is barely conscious, so Jess retires to her home. She finds a true-crime novel with a case that has never been solved.  As she reads, she learns that her family has connections to this now long-buried case.  Desperate to know more, makes this the basis of her story and begins to investigate the case that shocked the local community.

This was such a fantastic read! I’m a sucker for dark family secrets, and this book was filled to the brim with them.  The pacing was perfect, the characters were well crafted and dynamic!  There wasn’t a thing I didn’t like about this book, so it truly earned the five star rating!  Bump this up to the top of our TBR stack!

What books did you read this week? What were your favorites?

The post On My Shelves This Week: Memory Swiping and Family Secrets first appeared on .

It was a slow reading week, but the books I read were quite memorable:

The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland: My verdict: READ IT!

It’s the winter season of 1811 in Richmond, VA.   The city’s only theater is packed.  It’s the height of the social season, the Assembly is in session, and many of the wealthy planters & their families have come to Richmond for the winter.  When the theater goes up in flames during the performance, the reader follows four characters whose decisions will determine the fate of not only their lives, but the lives of many others.

Based on a true disaster, the author excelled at crafting characters who, despite having vastly different backgrounds,  were in one singular location at the time of a horrific tragedy.  The fire was a perfect vehicle to bring to light the various social travesties prevalent at the time, including abuse of slaves,  racism, and  more.  What transpired as the theater-goers fled the scene of the fire and the days that followed allowed many of those in power to be seen what they really are, horrific, selfish individuals who were only out for their own safety and protection.  A stunning piece of historical fiction!

The Perishing by Natashia Deón My verdict: READ IT (then discuss it)

I’m intentionally NOT giving a summary of this book.  This was my second time reading it; I needed a refresher before my book club discussion.  This is not a book you read in one sitting, or you try to rush through.  Rather, it’s one that must be savored, reflected upon, and then discussed.  I genuinely feel that each reader will have their own personal response to this title. There are a lot of unanswered questions.  There was a lot that could have been expanded upon; I don’t know if it was cut out in editing or never there to begin with.  That said, if you have patience with this book, and have the opportunity to read it and discuss it with a group, do so!

Coming up on my shelf next week:

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina
The Cherished by Patricia Ward

What books did you read this week? Any you have coming up to read you are excited about?

The post On My Shelves This Week: Burning Theaters, Black Immortals first appeared on .

It was a slow reading week for me.  The pollen in our area is on overdrive, so my eyes have been an itchy, watery mess all week!

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (DNF): I don’t know if it was the timing, or mood, but I just couldn’t get invested in this one.  I got about halfway through the book before calling it quits.

Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade (READ IT, LOVED IT):  Marcus Caster-Rupp, the star of the biggest show on television has a secret; he gets out his frustration with the show and script by writing anonymous fanfiction involving the show’s most popular couple.  If the word got out, it could end his career.  April Whittier is a hardcore fan of the show.  She, too, keeps her fanfiction hidden from her “real life.”  When she decides to post a picture of her wearing her latest costume on social media, she’s attacked due to her plus-size figure. Marcus comes to her defense. Despite the feeding frenzy it causes with internet critics, Marcus invites April to dinner. He quickly learns he wants more than just a publicity stunt, but when April reveals she’s actually her best fandom friend, Marcus must decide if he’s ready to drop the façade and allow this love made in fanfiction come to life.

So, so good!  I don’t think there was a thing I didn’t like about this book.  Realistic characters, a truly engaging plot line and oh…the sexy times.  I can’t believe I hadn’t read this author yet!  I’ve already requested the next two books from my library; I can’t wait!

Paradise 1 by David Wellington (READ IT, LOVED IT) Paradise-1 was Earth’s first deep space colony.  After receiving no communication from the colony in months, the Artemis, led by Inspector Alexandra Petrova, is sent to investigate.  Before they are awakened from the sleep chambers that kept them in stasis for the long journey, they are attacked.  What they discover when they awaken is beyond horrifying.  Still, they must finish their investigation, no matter the costs.

Yep, I’m being intentionally vague with the synopsis.  There is SO much packed into this book that I don’t want to spoil.  A must-read for fans of sci-fi & horror.  I can already see this being turned into a movie; I’d be the first in line to watch it!

Coming up on my shelves next week:

• A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell (recommended by one of my book club members!)
• The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
• The Perishing by Natashia Deón (my book club pick for April)

The post On My Shelves This Week: Gardening Collective, Fan Fiction & Horror in Deep Space first appeared on .

It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these, but I want to get back in the habit of doing them!  This is the first month I’ve consciously made it a priority to read at least 30 minutes each night; most nights it’s at least an hour!   17 books read in one month! Wow!

My top three (in no order):

• The Spite House
• Malice House
• Seek You

Least Favorite: Reminders of Him

DNF: The Night Travelers

What was your reading month like? What were your favorites?

The post Month in Review: March 2023 first appeared on .

What a week of reading!  For clarification, my “week” is Saturday-Friday, so a lot of my reading time takes place on the weekend.  I also hit a big book slump this week; one of the problems with reading so many books!

What I read this week:

She is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran: READ IT (with warning)! This was an uber-creepy book set in Vietnam.  In order for Jade to get the money she needs for college, she’s agreed to spend time with her father in the French colonial house he’s restoring.   She’s always had to lie to fit in, so this shouldn’t be a challenge.  But her father is obsessed with this house,  putting all of his resources into it.  Yet night after night, Jade wakes up to the sound of the walls thrumming, and bug carcasses keep appearing despite her frequent cleaning.  At night, the ghost of a young bride visits her, warning her not to eat.  Her father and younger sister don’t believe her, so she has to find evidence to prove her suspicions.  They have ancestral ties to this home; strong and deadly ties they must break if they want to survive.

The warning: bugs.  Lots of bugs. Apparently I wasn’t aware to how nauseated they made me.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers: READ THIS NOW!  I wrote out a long synopsis of this book, which I ultimately deleted. Part of the journey in reading this book is for the reader to reveal it on their own.  This is the sort of book that warms your heart and soul.  I’m so thrilled this is just the first book in a new series!   These are short novellas, so I’d get this and the second book, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, too!

Book Lovers by Emily Henry: READ IT.  READ ALL OF HER BOOKS!  It’s been a practice of mine to always have an Emily Henry book, unread, in my TBR stack.   Her books are the perfect medicine for whatever ails you.  This one is my favorite.  The setting, the characters, I loved every bit of it.

Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover: Don’t Read It.  I’ve never read any of Hoover’s books, so I don’t understand the craze.  I caved.  While I can see (but not agree with) why people may enjoy her books, it’s just not my cup of tea.  Consider this the book version of a “thank you bite.”

What Have We Done by Alex Finlay: Read it. Three completely unique individuals were once the best of friends.  They grew up together in a group home over twenty years ago.  They’ve since grown and lead accomplished but troubled lives.  They haven’t seen or spoken to one another in years, so why is someone trying to kill them?  The only way to survive is to reawaken the buried memories of their childhoods and face the secret that has haunted them all these years.

Super fast and intense read, one that I can easily imagine as a movie.  The characters are all flawed and damaged, but that’s what makes them so believable.

The Night Travelers by Armando Lucas Correa: Did not finish.  I really wanted to read this one; I was sold by the premise (a young woman gives birth to a mixed-race daughter in Nazi Germany)  but I couldn’t get into it.  I got through half of the book, but the jumping around in time and place lost me.  I think there was a huge portion of this book that could have easily been cut-out to keep the reader engaged.

The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug by Steffanie Strathdee, Thomas Patterson: READ IT.    This is actually a memoir, but read like a thriller!  An epidemiologist and her psychologist husband are traveling to Egypt when he comes down with what they think was a stomach bug.   He quickly turns critical, and after being transported via emergency medevac, they learn he is fighting an antibiotic-resistant bacteria.   Fortunately, they have connections that allow them access to world-class medical treatments and staff who are willing to try anything to save him.  What saves his life is a treatment that ceased over 100 years ago after the discovery of antibiotics, the “perfect predator” that can kill the most deadly of bacteria.  Honestly, I did find myself skimming some of the overly-medical bits, but my favorite parts were the chapters in which Tom, the patient, shared his dreams while he was under.  Truly fascinating to witness the experience from his point of view!

Whew…that was a lot!  Now what’s up for me next week:

• The Kindred by Alechia Dow
• Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
• Paradise-1 by David Wellington

The post On My Shelves This Week: Haunted Houses, Dark Secrets, Deadly Superbugs first appeared on .

What a wonderful week of reading! Talk about an eclectic selection of books!

Books Read This Week

Wilder Women by Ruth Emmie Lang:  Nora Wilder disappeared five years ago, leaving her two daughters behind.  The daughters have been separated; Zadie lives on her own and Finn has spent the last few years in a loving foster home.  Reunited at Finn’s high school graduation party, the sisters plan to go on a beach trip to reconnect.  Both Wilder girls have special abilities; Zadie has psychic abilities and Finn can see the echoes of others’ memories.   Their trip changes when Finn experiences one of the strongest “echoes” of her life, leaving her with the feeling that their mother wanted to be found.  Using these “echoes,” the two embark on a journey across the country to retrace their mother’s footsteps.  As Finn dives deeper into these echoes, she finds it harder to pull herself from the past.  She’s the only way they’ll find their mother, but in doing so will she loose herself? 

READ IT!  I loved following Zadie and Finn on their journey.  It was more than just a physical journey, but a mental and emotional one as well.   They both believe their mother left them out of selfishness, but at each step on their journey they learn more about her and, in turn, themselves.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle: The year is 1915.  Adelaide Henry’s parents have been killed, and she must flee California.  She heads to Montana to become one of the “lone women” taking advantage of the government’s offer for anyone to own land as long as they settle on it.  The only thing she travels with is an enormous steamer trunk that must remain locked at all times.  As Adelaide builds her homestead, she begins to forget about the secrets in her past that lead to her current situation.  Secrets can’t remain locked up forever, and soon Adelaide must accept that what she thought was a curse may be her salvation.

READ IT! I admit, horror set in the American West has traditionally not been my thing.  Reading Alma Katsu’s THE HUNGER  a few years ago opened my eyes to a completely new element of horror fiction and I’ve been sold since!   LaValle crafts a truly chilling horror scene in cold & remote Montana and I was captivated after reading just a few pages.

Red Queen by Juan Gómez-Jurado: Jon Gutierrez is a police investigator in the city of Bilbao, Spain.  A career-ending decision may also land him in prison.  Instead, he’s contacted by a secret organization that leads criminal investigations of a highly sensitive nature.  Think of those crimes that people in power don’t want to show up on the nightly news.  This organization wants him to bring a detective out of self-imposed retirement. Antonia Scott is a legendary detective with an almost supernatural ability to solve murders.  She’s been unable to recover from a personal trauma, but only she can form a connection between two seemingly unrelated cases involving some of the most powerful people in Spain.

READ IT!  I was looking for a quick, fast-paced thriller and this certainly fit the bill!  The comparison Lisbeth Salander nearly dissuaded me from reading this one, but I’m glad I gave it a try.  Antonia’s backstory is truly jawdropping; I’m glad to read this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this unusual pairing!

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout:  Carmen Sanchez and her two daughters are living in Mexico while she oversees the renovation of an ancient church.   The abbey is being turned into a posh hotel.   Carmen hopes this trip will allow her and her girls to reconnect with their roots.  The role isn’t exactly stress-free for Carmen.  The laborers don’t respect her since she’s a woman and is forced to deal with local corruption.  They can’t walk down the street without seeing posters of missing young girls so she must juggle her families safety with her need to complete this job.    An accident on site unearths a room that doesn’t show up on the abbey’s floorplans.  Inside, they find artifacts that date back centuries.  There’s a reason these were hidden.  Unfortunately, the accident damages Carmen’s reputation and she and her daughters return to the States.  Something follows, something so dark and ancient they might not be able to stop it. 

READ IT! As an avid reader of horror, I’m always on the lookout for a fresh new voice, horror unlike anything I’ve read before.  This one is absolutely brilliant.  Vengeful spirits. Hidden rooms. Ancient artifacts. Sign me up!  Also, I carried this book into the salon with me for a hair appointment.  The looks I got after they saw the cover.  I have no shame in my horror-loving game!

Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke: Loneliness is a silent epidemic.  Unfortunately, it’s not one we often talk about.  Anyone can be a victim.  Rather than shaming it as our society has traditionally done, Radtke gives it the attention it deserves.  Using emotionally-charged drawings, Radtke highlights examples of how and why we are drawn to interactions with others and what happens when that exposure to others is revoked. 

DON’T JUST READ IT. BUY IT. SHARE IT. This is the book everyone should be reading.  How many times have we looked on someone, an individual, and assumed they were lonely because they were solitary? Or sat in a crowded room and felt empty? Radtke presents loneliness, specifically American loneliness, in a way you can’t overlook or ignore.  I found myself stunned and gasping as I turned the pages.  I read this book days ago and I can’t seem to stop thinking about it and sharing it.  Undoubtedly it will top my favorites of the year.  I can honestly say I haven’t read anything like it!

COMING UP ON MY SHELVES THIS WEEK:

• SHE IS A HAUNTING by Trang Thanh Tran
• THE ISLAND by Natasha Preston
• TELL ME AN ENDING by Jo Harkin

How was your reading week? What books on your shelf stood out to you?

The post On My Shelves This Week: Historic Horror, Loneliness & Gifted Women first appeared on .

The time change has me completely out of whack this week, so I didn’t get nearly as much reading in as I would have liked to.  I did get to squeeze in a book event at my favorite independent bookstore, so that’s a plus!

Books Read: 

Venco by Cherie Dimaline: READ IT! LOVED IT! Lucky St. James lives with her quirky and surly grandmother, Stella, in Toronto.  Facing eviction, Lucky is at her wit’s end.   One night, she uncovers an antique spoon with the word “SALEM” printed on it.  Curious, she holds onto it.  She’s soon contacted by a company called VenCo about a job.  They offer to provide housing for Lucky and her grandmother.  Lucky can’t imagine how this company could have such an interest in her; her life has never really gone anywhere.  VenCo (anagram of coven) is actually a well-funded front that has provide resources for witches since the colonial days. She learns that in finding the spoon, it reveals she is the sixth of seven witches who must reunite to reform a coven.  Once the spoons are reunited, the coven will regain power once again.  They don’t have much time to find the final witch; the group is being tracked by an ancient witch-hunter who seeks to put an end to the coven…for good.

I’m intentionally keeping this summary vague, for I think so much must be revealed by the reader.  It’s a fun read, with a delightfully addictive blend of magic & history.  I can definitely see this being turned into a movie.

Red London by Alma Katsu: READ IT, LOVED IT!  I’ve been a fan of Alma’s writing since the early days of The Taker. I’d read anything she writes; she really got me interested in reading spy thrillers with the release of Red Widow.    This is the second book in this series.  While it could be read as a standalone, you’d get a lot of backstory and character development by starting with the first.  In this thriller, Agent Lyndsey Duncan is in London, focusing on her newest Russian asset, a war criminal.  When a Russian oligarch’s home is attacked, Lyndsay is personally contacted by her MI6 counterpart, asking for her help.  He needs someone on the inside, and he thinks Lindsay may be that person. Once she’s inside, she learns there are others that are seeking the same information and are taking steps that aren’t exactly legal to get that information.  A thrill of a read, I devoured this in an afternoon!

Alma’s talent crosses genres.  From supernatural to historical horror and back to spy thrillers, Alma can write it all.  Her career as an intelligence analyst gives you a hint at the level of research she does with everything she writes, and you can definitely see it in the success of her work.  I can’t wait to read what’s coming up next…more to come on that!

Coming up on my bookshelf next week:

I’m currently reading Wilderwomen and hoped to have it read by the end of this week, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me, I guess!   Following that, here are some books calling to me from my bookshelves:

The Curator by Owen King
Piñata by Leopoldo Gout

The post On My Shelves This Week: Witches & Russian Oligarchs first appeared on .

BOOKS READ:

I finished three books this weeks.  They were very different from one another, yet there were some similarities!

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz.  READ IT, AND THEN GET THE SECOND BOOK! This is the first book in a duology, the second book released on February 28th.  I absolutely love the protagonist, Hazel Sinnett.  She’s always been fascinated with medicine.  She’d much rather become a surgeon than marry.  Yet women aren’t supposed to have an opinion or a voice, much less a medical degree.  She gets kicked out of a renowned surgeon’s lecture for being female, but that doesn’t stop her.  She makes a deal with the doctor; if she passes the medical examination he’ll allow her to pursue her medical career.    Since she doesn’t have access to the resources (including bodies!) as the male students, she has to get a little creative. Doing so uncovers a host of secrets buried with the bodies of Edinburgh.

I became completely invested in Hazel’s character.  As a young lady of her station, her future consisted of marrying the cousin and giving up her passion.  Her father was off at war, her mother was still reeling from the loss of a child to the Roman fever.  Pursuing her dreams was the only good in her life, no matter the challenges.  I can’t wait to see where the story picks up in Immortality: A Love Story, the second book in the duology.

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson: READ IT…BE PATIENT!  Alice’s best friend, Gabby, is in the middle of a bad break-up.  Alice writes her a story to raise her spirits.  While reading it, Gabby meets the man of her dreams.   Believing the story to have special powers, she shares the story with her sister and friends, and they, too, find love. Word of mouth quickly spreads and Alice is inundated with requests for stories.    The stories don’t come automatically; she must learn a little about the individual so she can draft that special story.  One of her recent clients is a bit of a challenge.  Madeline Alger lives in a remove mansion in the woods.  She reaches out to Gabby for help and, for the first time, Gabby worries she’s found a story she can’t write.  Madeline forces her to re-evaluate the real purpose of her stories and together they unearth the true power and purpose of stories.

I will admit this is a slow-build.  I nearly put this one aside as I wasn’t sure where the author was going.  A lot seemed to happen early on and I didn’t know how it could carry on through the rest of the book.  I took a risk and was so glad I did!

The Malice House by Megan Shepherd: READ IT…with the lights on!  This book has been sitting on my TBR since last year.  I’ve been making a point to read more books recommended by friends, so when this one came with raving reviews, I bumped it up the stack!

Haven Marbury is cleaning out her late father’s home.  As a Pulitzer-prize winning author, he had quite the following and the house is full of memories of his career.  The house also holds some dark and chilling memories; Haven’s father warned her it was haunted.  As Haven is packing up her father’s belongings in the attic, she discovers a manuscript locked in a cabinet.   Most of her father’s novels were turned over to the local library and the debtors took what money was left from their sales.  This one appears to be unpublished, and is vastly different than the fiction for which he was known.  Bedtime Stories for Monsters was a series of dark and disturbing short stories, with horrific monsters that seemed to exist in another world.  As she tries to come to terms with the various changes in her life, Haven turns to what she does best: drawing.   Haven hopes that by illustrating the manuscript, she can jumpstart her career.  The drawings awaken something far darker than anything she could have imagined, unearthing family secrets that have been buried for generations.

This book is the one I’ve been waiting to read for so long.  So brilliant, so well crafted.  The build up and reveal was completely awe-inspiring.  Never could I have prepared myself for…everything!  Completely unique premise and storyline, this author is one to watch!

Coming up on my bookshelf this week….

• Venco by Cherie Dimaline
• The Wilderwomen by Ruth Emmie Lang
• Red London by Alma Katsu
• Tell Me an Ending by  Jo Harkin

The post On My Shelves This Week: Roman Fever and the Power of Stories first appeared on .

Since most of my book reviews or comments are shared on Instagram, I was looking for a way to keep this blog going.  I do appreciate having an archive of what I’ve read!

So, each week I hope to do a feature called “On My Shelves This Week” in which I share books I’ve read recently and books I have coming up to read.  My comments on books read won’t be a long review, but a few sentences as to why I’d recommend a book (or not!).

I’m starting with the books from last week. On Friday, I’ll share the books I read this week!

BOOKS READ

All Hallows by Christopher Golden:  Read it now!!  I love everything Golden has written!  This one is set in 1980s Massachusetts leading up to, and on, Halloween.   It features a urban legend, the Cunning Man, with an uber-creepy backstory, and how even the best small town neighborhood can have its share of secrets.

Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander:  Read it now!! The main character,  Meredith, hasn’t left her home in three years.  She didn’t have the most stable upbringing, so when a traumatic event transpires, she had to seek solace where she felt most safe. the world around her kept on going, so she’s finding it more difficult to find reasons to not feature out into the world again.  While reading, the meaning of the title kept changing for me, personally.  It was an honor to follow Meredith on her journey!

The Maid by Nita Prose: Read it! This was our book club pick this month.  What was meant to be a fun whodunnit turned into quite the book, so worthy of discussion!

The Spite House by Johnny Compton: READ IT NOW…with the lights on!  I’d heard nothing but praise leading up to the release of this book, so it was a real treat to have time to dig in!  Loved the premise, the back-story, and of course, I loved the chill-factor.

Next up:

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson

Malice House by Megan Shepherd

Which books did you read last week? Would you recommend them?

The post On My Shelves this Week: Feb 27-March 3 first appeared on .

I didn’t read as much as I would have liked, but I did enjoy the books I read.

Did you have a favorite commercial?  Oh, and that half-time show? LOVED it!

Thanks to all who participated!  This just goes to show you can turn any event into a bookish event

The post 2023 Big Game’s On #Readathon: Post-Game Report first appeared on .

It’s is time to reminisce on what you’ve read so far today.  How has your reading gone so far?  What snacks have you partaken in?

I finished reading Cold People and started & finished How to Excavate a Heart.

As for food, our first round was chicken from Canes!  YUM!

The post 2023 Big Game’s On #Readathon: Halftime! first appeared on .

It’s finally here, the kick-off for The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! Although the official Superbowl kick-off isn’t for several hours yet, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to start reading if they choose! There’s still time to sign-up if you haven’t already!

Please enter the link to your kick-off post below. Discuss the books you are planning to read, the food you are planning to snack on, etc. Since this is a completely laid back, relaxed read-a-thon, feel free to do it any way you chose! No blog, no worries! Just share your plans in the comments below, on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Just make sure you use the hashtag #biggamereadathon so we can keep track of your posts!

We have SO much food planned for today! We have an assortment of appetizers and snacks we’ll be munching on throughout the day.  I have a feeling we might be ordering some Canes as well!  Fortunately, both boys will be home to watch the game (and eat the food)!

What is your reading/food line-up!?

The post 2023 Big Game’s On #Readathon: Kick-Off! first appeared on .

It’s that time again!! As many know, in the past it wasn’t rare for me to come up with excuses reasons to spend obscene  amounts of time reading.

The details:

• No rules, no guidelines, just read
• No start/end times, just read at your leisure.
• Mini-challenges will be created to break up your reading time. Participating in these challenges is not mandatory, but you will be eligible for a number of great prizes!

To sign up, link up below. No blog? Feel free to sign up directly in the comments section. If you want to participate on Twitter or Instagram, I’ll be using #biggamereadathon!

The post 2023 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! #readathon first appeared on .

I’m making a conscious effort to better keep track of the books I read each month!  I’m a little belated this month as I’ve been traveling a lot for work (two trips down, one to go), but here we go!

My favorite book read this month was EPISODE THIRTEEN, without a doubt.  FAIRYTALE came in a close second.  I listened to that one on audio and it took me quite a while to get through it!

What was your favorite book read in January?

The post A Month in Review: January 2023 first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After remains are found on the shore on the small village of Point Mettier, Alaska, law enforcement from Anchorage is brought into investigate. Point Mettier isn't exactly a destination location; all of the villagers live in one building, a true city under one roof.

Once the Anchorage Police leave, one detective remains. Cara's interest in the case is personal. She hopes to get all the information she needs before the weather changes and the tunnel, the only route out of Point Mettier, is impassable.

The odds aren't in her favor; an avalanche blocks her only exit. Now she's trapped in Point Mettier, potentially with the one responsible for the remains. She soon learns that she's not the one holding back on the truth. It seems like most of the residents of Point Mettier are running from something.

Interesting factoid: the setting of the city in one building is actually based on the city of Whittier, Alaska. I learned about this city one one of the weekend news programs.  When I learned about this title and the setting, I couldn’t resist.

Just the concept of the building-town is interesting! Everything contained within one building!  A grocery store, school, church, health clinic.  No need to ever leave, right?  More like no one would really want to stay, or even visit.  The perfect location for people to hide. Now, add a potential murder and you have 200 potential suspects!

Cara’s character is one you have a difficult time gauging at first.  She’s at a crime scene under false pretenses.  She’s an outsider, so the locals really don’t want to let in.  She has a devastating backstory.  Despite all of her faults, she’s the character  I connected with the most.

All in all, this was a truly intense read! The setting, the characters, the environment, all of these combined formed an incredibly engaging thriller!  I can’t wait to read more from this author!  Cara’s character is not one I’m ready to let go of yet!  I’m definitely going to need some more.  Highly recommended!

The post Review: City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita first appeared on .

The fiction book club I lead at One More Page Books kicks off the new year by talking about our favorite reads of the previous year.  We call it a book club potluck: instead of food we bring book recommendations! This aren’t book club picks, but books we’ve read outside of book club that we’ve really enjoyed. Additionally, they don’t have to have been published recently, simply books we’ve read in the last year. This is my favorite meeting of the year; we always come up with quite the eclectic list of books!

Click on the title to learn more, and to order your own copy!

• Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
• The Perfect Predator: A Scientist’s Race to Save Her Husband from a Deadly Superbug: A Memoir by Steffanie Strathdee, Thomas Patterson, Teresa Barker (With)
• The Midnight Library by Matt Haig*
• Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada, Michael Hofmann (Translated by)
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus*
• The Premonition by Michael Lewis
• A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
• The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell: Tales of a 6′ 4″, African American, Heterosexual, Cisgender, Left-Leaning, Asthmatic, Black and Proud Blerd, Mama’s Boy, Dad, and Stand-Up Comedian*
• The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
• Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole by Susan Cain
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver*
• Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships by Nina Totenberg
• I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
• Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
• How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
• This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub*
• The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett
• Educated by Tara Westover
• Patsy by Nicole Dennis-Benn
• The Overstory by Richard Powers
• Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven
• Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli

The post Book Club Favorite Reads of 2022! first appeared on .

I’ve continued on my path to read only those books I actually want to read.  Zero pressure to read or review.  Most of my reviewing continues to take place on Instagram, in short-take reviews.  Writing full reviews used to zap the joy from me, so that’s one thing I took back in 2022!

More to come in 2023!

My 5 star reads for 2022! 

Runners up (4.75 rating)

What were some of your favorite reads of 2022?

The post 2022: A Year in Review first appeared on .

Another year of Thankfully Reading Weekend has come to an end! While I never get as much reading done as I’d like, I hope to catch up on our drive home today!

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!

The post 2022 Thankfully Reading Weekend Wrap-up! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!

Since we’re traveling, I can’t visit my favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books in person, but I do plan on shopping online!  We’ll also visit some of my favorite small business here, too!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Link up your post below, or tag it with #thankfullyreading!

The post 2022 Thankfully Reading Weekend Day Four: Small Business Saturday #thankfullyreadingweekend first appeared on .

Happy Day After Thanksgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a quiet day of reading, avoiding the retail madness! Yesterday was a crazy day, so I’m looking forward to a relaxing day today!

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments.

Mine is one I just read recently!  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver.  I’m still thinking about it two weeks later!

The post 2022 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Three! #thankfullyreadingweekend first appeared on .

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tis the season for reuniting with family; we’re in WV at my parents’ house!  We arrived yesterday afternoon!  Today’s Thanksgiving is going to be an easy one *fingers crossed*!

For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you?  What are your favorite genres, favorite books? What things drive you crazy!?

Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs! Remember, use #thankfullyreading when updating via Instagram or Twitter!

The post Thankfully Reading Day Two: Happy Thanksgiving! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading!  Instead of braving the crowds and shopping this weekend, we’re spending our time curled up with a book!

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
• What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
• What book are you starting out with?
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
• What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone!

Throughout this event, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

Don’t forget to use the hashtag #thankfullyreading so we can connect all these posts across the platforms!

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

The post 2022 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s baack!

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 23-27 (Wednesday through Sunday)! I added on an extra day since it seemed many of us were ready to read early!

I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?

New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:

The post 2022 Thankfully Reading Weekend! #ThankfullyReading first appeared on .

Find me on Insta (link to my feed is below).  I’m still reading just as voraciously as I’ve done in the past.  I’m still reviewing, still hosting a fiction book club at my very favorite bookstore!

This feed below is live so this post will update regularly!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

Instagram post 17995008647786612

Instagram post 18122923729711432

Instagram post 18048256577773058

Instagram post 18584445319011284

Load More Follow on Instagram

The post Where to Find Me (Yes, I’m Still Reading!)! first appeared on .

Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us!  Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!

The October read-a-thon is always my favorite.  It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky!  The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!

Here is my print reading stack; I have a bunch of books on my Kindle as well.  I like to have options to choose from!

I’m starting with one of the books on my Kindle: Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy.

My menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:

• Cinnamon rolls for breakfast tomorrow (tradition!)
•  Totino’s pizza rolls (tradition)
• Carrots/celery
• Apples and peanut butter

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

Instagram post 17995008647786612

Instagram post 18122923729711432

Instagram post 18048256577773058

Instagram post 18584445319011284

Load More Follow on Instagram

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2022 first appeared on .

His homage to the great slasher films is but one of the reasons I’m a fan of his writing.   Sure, this means his books can get a little gory, but that shouldn’t stop you from experiencing his talent.  As with most horror, the underlying message is an important one.

My two favorite samples of his work are My Heart is a Chainsaw and Night of the Mannequins.  LInks to my reviews.

Do you have a favorite indigenous horror author?

The post 2022 Murder Monsters & Mayhem Feature: Indigenous Horror Authors first appeared on .

Erin's on-again, off-again boyfriend from college, Silas, has always lived life dangerously.  Erin has tried to set boundaries with Silas; he always calls on her to get him out of his latest stunt.    She's ready to embark on a new life, with new friends, and a great guy who won't use her like Silas does.  She's ready to cut Silas out of her life.  After agreeing to help him escape from his latest rehab stint, a intervention is in order.  Unfortunately, Silas flees before they can even get started.

Her frustration with Silas spirals into grief when she learns Silas has died from an overdose.  Sure, he was always looking for the next big high, but she can't fathom Silas losing control enough to overdose.  His last message to her begs her to find him...but where?

More questions than answers come to light when Erin learns Silas discovered a drug, Ghost, that allowed him to see the dead  Grieving and guilt-ridden, she reluctantly agrees to take part in this drug-induced séance.  The experience changes her more than she could have imagined; she starts to see ghosts everywhere. Living in the historical hotspot of Richmond, VA, it's impossible to escape them.  Is this a temporary side-effect of the drug, or is something more terrifying responsible?

If you’ve read Chapman’s previous two books, The Remaking or A Whisper Down the Lane,  you know he can weave a completely terrifying horror novel.  This one may be the darkest, not just due to the horror aspect, but the added weight of addiction and grief.

It doesn’t take long to discover that Silas’ addiction isn’t the only one we’re dealing with in this book.  Erin’s addiction to Silas is just as strong, with very similar symptoms.  She vows she’s going to stop, to put an end to their relationship but caves the moment Silas calls or texts her.  Her friends are aware of it, they point it out to her. Even after he’s died, she continues to follow his demands.  She takes a drug she knows nothing about, just for one last chance to see him again.   If we take it at face value, yes, Erin’s character seems extremely weak.  Viewing her as an addict, however, garners a bit more sympathy.

Chapman gives readers a more visceral, more graphic view of the afterlife as well.  If you believe, you understand the concept of us being constantly surrounded by the dead, particularly in a city like Richmond.  The manner in which Chapman executes this, however, is completely terrifying!

When I started reading this book, I posed the question on my social media accounts: Would you take a drug if it meant you could see the dead?  Before reading this book, I would have contemplated it.  After? No way!

I didn’t intend to share my review of this title until near the end of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem.  Once I finished, it bumped up to the top of my list.  Highly, highly recommended.

Trigger Warning: Drug addiction.

The post Review: Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman #murdermonstersmayhem first appeared on .

It’s October 1st or, as I like to call it, the first day of Halloween!  Fall temperatures are finally here! Cool, brisk mornings, the smell of leaves in the air. Ahh, pure bliss.

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

Today’s post is one I like to use each year, because I love to learn how or why people love to read horror.  I’ve been a horror fan since childhood; I was always drawn to spooky books and movies.  I started reading Stephen King when I was just twelve years old.

Why? I have control. I have control of those feelings of terror and fear. I can put that book down.  I can walk away. Reading it as a child, yes, it was pretty terrifying.  However, in the end, I knew that monster or that thing that terrified me can be beaten.

So, to kick off Murder, Monsters & Mayhem, share why you read horror!

Share your responses in the comments or using the link-up. Or, if you want to share via Instagram, be sure to use #murdermonstersmayhem!

The post 2022 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: Why Do You Read Horror? first appeared on .

Tomorrow is the big day! The first day of October & the first day of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem!!

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (Mx3). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

Are you ready? Do you have a stack of spooky books you can’t wait to start? Show us what you plan to read this month!  If you are on Twitter or Instagram, make sure you use the hashtag #murdermonstersmayhem so we can follow your progress!

This post shall serve as the official link-up post for the month! I love seeing what everyone is reading! In many cases, it adds to my reading stack!

Stay tuned for more….and keep your lights on!

The post 2022 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Kick-off! #MurderMonstersMayhem first appeared on .

Last year,  I wasn’t able to kick off  the new feature of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: Hometown Haunts! So, this year I’ll be featuring some local lore relative to my home state of West Virginia. Do you have a spooky local lore or legend? I’d love to hear about it!

The post Announcing: 2022 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem! first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Also by this author: Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, Lock Every Door, Home Before Dark
Published by Penguin on June 21, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 368
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher

Casey Fletcher is a recent widow, ordered by her mother to return to the lake house where she spent her summers as a child.  Ignore the fact her husband died there; her mother thought returning to the scene would help her deal with the mental ghosts that haunt her and keep her out of the eyes of the press.

She passes her days (and nights) with a drink in one hand and binoculars in the other, spying on her wealthy neighbors.  Tom Royce is the owner of an up and coming social media app, Katherine is a former model.  After Casey saves Katherine from drowning one afternoon, the two quickly become friendly.   It is apparent that the Royce's marriage isn't as perfect as it seems.

When Katherine goes missing, Casey immediately suspects Tom.  Unfortunately, her drunken spy sessions aren't exactly legal forms of evidence.  Unable to let go, she does a little more digging of her own.  What she uncovers is far more darker  and terrifying than she could ever have imagined.

It seems like it’s a new tradition to kick off a summer of reading with the latest Riley Sager! Once again, he doesn’t disappoint.  Never could I have imagined the route this book was going to take!

Sager leaves you questioning the believability of all of the characters.  There is no set line between innocence and guilt, but more like who is more innocent than guilty.  I tore through this book; this would be the perfect book to curl up with on a hot summer day. Highly recommended!

The post Review: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Child Zero by Chris Holm
Also by this author: The Killing Kind, Red Right Hand
Published by Little, Brown on May 10, 2022
Genres: Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Fiction, Hard Science Fiction, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 320
Format: ARC

Four years ago, bacterial infections around the world increased quickly to outbreak status.  Though they were found to be impervious to standard treatment, the world's public officials found them to be unrelated. Soon, this resistance to antibiotics intensified.  Diseases once thought to be dormant returned.  Illnesses or injuries that were once considered minor instead bore a death sentence.

In New York City, a horrific act of bioterrorism decimates the city's already waning population.  Led by a new extremist group that aimed to rid the planet of humanity, the already weakened city becomes a shell of what it once was.  Curfews,  sick camps, and mandated reporting of any instance of fever takes its place.

NYPD Detective Jacob Gibson knows first hand how horrific this crisis is; his wife was a victim of the bioterrorism attack.  His daughter, still suffering from the loss of her mother, has fallen ill.  Knowing what happens to those who are reported to the Department of Biological Security, he must keep her status a secret.

Gibson is called to Central Park to investigate a potential massacre.  Though the victims were "residents" shantytown meant to quarantine the sick, every single one of them died in perfect health. Gibson finds himself perilously close to those who played a role in the attack that killed his wife and many, many others.  When all the layers of secrets and lies are removed, what remains is absolutely terrifying.

I’m not going to sugar coat it; Holms’ latest novel is terrifying.  As I closed the book, the first word I uttered had four letters.

The cause of this exclamation was two fold: First, this novel is absolutely brilliant.  Holm uses his own background in molecular biology to pen a thriller like no other.  I’m going to resist from adding all the clichés one utters after reading such a tremendous book because it deserves so much more than that.  My lack of words to describe it should be more than enough.  Stunned silence seems to be a mediocre yet accurate way to describe it. Second, because the scenario Holm has created is completely plausible.   You can say it’s shocking and unbelievable, but given the state of our society lately, is it really?

I know there are many that are avoiding books, movies, television shows involving a plague due to what we’ve gone through the last two years.  Doing so, in this case, is a disservice.  This book should serve as a wake-up call for all of us to examine the state of our society’s health care and how we react when hit but such a big and brute force.  Would we have been able to stand up to an attack say, for instance, during the peak of COVID? I don’t think so.

Read this thriller because it’s brilliant.  Read this thriller because it will open a door in your mind that has been closed off due to the trauma of the last few years, but desperately needs to get that jolt and reawaken. If anything, we should know by now we can’t hide from what terrifies us; we must meet it with full force.  It doesn’t have to be a plague, or an attack, but anything that threatens our safety and security. It’s time to get our boots on the ground and fight. Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Child Zero by Chris Holm first appeared on .

I received this book for free from personal copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on February 8, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Shifters, Witches
Pages: 320
Format: Paperback
Source: personal copy

Violet Maxwell is the oldest of the Maxwell triplets.  She is also the only one without magic.

 

Over the years, she's been able to stand up to the snide comments made by other members of the supernatural community.  She doesn't need to have magic to be happy.  However, based on an archaic supernatural laws, she does have to find a mate, quickly, or one will be found for her.

She reluctantly agrees to "fake date" Lincoln Thorne, the alpha shape-shifting wolf who just happened to break her heart when they were younger. Linc is in the same situation as Violet, though his feelings for her haven't changed over the years.  She makes his inner wolf come out, and Linc will continue with the charade as long as it means time spent with Violet.

What Violet doesn't expect is for her magic to suddenly appear, along the true and genuine feelings for Lincoln.   Unfortunately, secrets that tore them apart years ago still exist, and the emergence of Violet's magic make things a little...challenging.

I absolutely LOVED this book!

Fun characters, supernatural sexy times, and curvy, self-confident main character.  I’m thrilled that it’s just the first in a new series because I can’t get enough!

If this isn’t enough, Asher creates a “safe place” in her world in which bullying isn’t permitted, sexiness comes in all shapes and sizes.   The wealthy don’t always win, rules and traditions of the past are meant to evolve over time, and did I mention supernatural sexy times?  Absolutely brilliant!  Highly, highly recommended!

The post Review: Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher first appeared on .

I didn’t read as much as I would have liked, but I did enjoy the books I read.  ECHO is getting real good and I can’t wait to get back to it.

I think the car commercials hit it out of the park this year.  Oh, and that half-time show? LOVED it!

Thanks to all who participated!  This just goes to show you can turn any event into a bookish event 

The post 2022 Big Game’s On #readathon: Post Game Report first appeared on .

It’s is time to reminisce on what you’ve read so far today.  How has your reading gone so far?  What snacks have you partaken in?

I finished reading What If It’s Us  and started Echo by Thomas Olde Heuvelt.   Now that the game has started, my reading is going to be limited, but I’ll squeeze in as much as I can!

We’re on to our second round of snacks!

While there won’t be any official posts until the wrap-up tomorrow, keep us updated on your progress in the comments below or, if you are on Twitter or Instagram, use the hashtag #biggamereadathon!

The post 2022 Big Game’s On #Readathon: Half-Time first appeared on .

It’s finally here, the kick-off for The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon!  Although the official Superbowl kick-off isn’t for several hours yet, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to start reading if they choose! There’s still time to sign-up if you haven’t already!

Please enter the link to your kick-off post below.  Discuss the books you are planning to read, the food you are planning to snack on, etc.  Since this is a completely laid back, relaxed read-a-thon, feel free to do it any way you chose! No blog, no worries! Just share your plans in the comments below, on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Just make sure you use the hashtag #biggamereadathon so we can keep track of your posts!

We have SO much food planned for today!  We’ve ordered wings, plus we have an assortment of appetizers and snacks as well.  Fortunately, both boys will be home to watch the game (and eat the food)!

What is your reading/food line-up!?

The post 2022 Big Game’s On #Readathon: Kick-off! first appeared on .

It’s that time again!! As many know, in the past it wasn’t rare for me to come up with excuses reasons to spend obscene  amounts of time reading.

The details:

• No rules, no guidelines, just read
• No start/end times, just read at your leisure.
• Mini-challenges will be created to break up your reading time. Participating in these challenges is not mandatory, but you will be eligible for a number of great prizes!

To sign up, link up below. No blog? Feel free to sign up directly in the comments section. If you want to participate on Twitter or Instagram, I’ll be using #biggamereadathon!

The post 2022 Big Game’s On #Readathon! first appeared on .

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

Instagram post 17995008647786612

Instagram post 18122923729711432

Instagram post 18048256577773058

Instagram post 18584445319011284

Load More Follow on Instagram

The post Follow my Bookish Posts & Reviews on Instagram! first appeared on .

Before revealing my favorite books of 2021, I thought I’d start with some interesting stats first.  All of these were generated in StoryGraph, a wonderful independent alternative to GoodReads!  Follow me! 

• Page length: Yep, I love my chunksters!
• Genres: not at all surprising!
• Reading method: Print has gone up a lot since 2020.  I know I grew tired of reading egalleys consistently and was drawn to reading more in print.
• Theme in moods: Dark, mysterious, tense & emotional.  Yep, no surprises there!

And now, in no particular order, are my favorite books of 2021!  What were your favorite books of the year?

The post 2021 Reading Stats & Top Reads first appeared on .

While we still have a full day of reading ahead of us, we have come to the last day of  Thankfully Reading Weekend!  I’ve created this post to link your final post!  No Instagram or blog? Just share how you did in the comments!

We’re heading home to VA from WV today.  I’m hoping for a few hours of quality reading time on the drive!

The post 2021 #ThankfullyReading Weekend Wrap-Up! first appeared on .

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!

Since we’re traveling, I’ll be shopping our favorite independent bookstore, One More Page Books virtually today!  I have my eye on the new Louise Penny/Hillary Rodham Clinton book!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Include the post with pic or list of books you picked up in the link up  below!

The post 2021 Thankfully Reading Day 4: Small Business Saturday #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

Happy Day After Thankgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading at home, avoiding the retail madness! Yesterday was a crazy chaotic day, so I’m looking forward to a relaxing day today!

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments.

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Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Tis the season for reuniting with family; we’re in WV at my parents’ house and we’re expecting 14 people in total!  Not a lot of time for reading today, but I’ll be sure to sneak in a little!

For today’s challenge, let’s talk about a “reading menu.” What makes a good menu to you?  What are your favorite genres, favorite books? Any tactics authors use that drives you crazy (like cliffhangers!?).

Feel free to answer in the comments or below! I’ve also added a Mr. Linky for those updating on their blogs!

The post 2021 Thankfully Reading Weekend: Day Two #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It’s time!!

This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading!  Instead of braving the crowds and shopping this weekend, we’re spending our time curled up with a book!

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook! Haven’t signed up yet to participate? Not to worry! There is still plenty of time!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
• What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
• What book are you starting out with?
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
• What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time. If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone!
• Pictures and/or vlogs are a great thing to add to your kick-off posts!

Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

Oh and don’t forget that some of your fellow readers will be on Twitter. You can search for Thankfully Reading Weekend tweets and hook up with others by using the hashtag #thankfullyreading.

On Sunday afternoon, we’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

The post 2021 Thankfully Reading Weekend Begins! #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

2021, like the year before, has been a bit of a shit-show.  Slightly better than last year, but not nearly what I would have hoped it would be.   That said, I’m all about traditions and sticking to them, to the best of our ability.   What won’t the pandemic prevent us from doing? Reading!

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 24-28 (Wednesday through Sunday)! I added on an extra day since it seemed many of us were ready to read early!

I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?

New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:

The post *Save The Date* 2021 Thankfully Reading Weekend #thankfullyreading first appeared on .

It wasn’t due to lack of interest, or laziness, but rather loss.

We lost my sister, Jessica, to melanoma on Friday.  It’s been a roller coaster of a few weeks; we only learned the cancer had returned a little over a month ago.  Just last week she was able to get her first immunotherapy treatment (melanoma doesn’t respond to chemotherapy or radiation treatment).    It was as though time slowed to a crawl, but also simultaneously sped by out of control.

I’m here. I’m healing.  I’m reading.  Hopefully one day soon I’ll be able to write about it all.

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It’s here! Read-a-thon day!

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

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My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

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Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

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The post Dewey’s October 2021 24-Hour #Readathon: Update Post first appeared on .

Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us!  Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!

The October read-a-thon is always my favorite.  It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky!  The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!

Here’s my readathon pile so far.  Mostly library books; I have a bad habit of requesting and checking out books but never get around to reading them.

My menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:

• Cinnamon rolls for breakfast (tradition!)
• My traditional Totino’s pizza rolls has been replaced with WV pepperoni rolls.  If you know, you know.
• Nuts, cheese & crackers
• Apples and peanut butter

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2021 first appeared on .

Moon Basin has been haunted since 16 miners were killed.   Residents of the town were forced to move away, the fires from the mines burning below made Moon Basin uninhabitable.   Their new town, New Basin, likes to refute the reputation of a haunted town, yet it can't survive without the tourists that swarm to investigate it.

Clem & Nina have been best friends since they met at Clem's father's funeral.  Nothing has torn them apart, even when Clem admitted she liked girls.  Their close friendship may soon be tested, however.  Nina is talking about going away to college, while Clem doesn't even consider it as an option.

Their close-knit circle of friends includes Lisey, who has an uncanny ability to communicate with crows, and Piper, the new girl in town.  Piper's father is an engineer who has been called in to inspect the mine for safety.   He's fascinated with the mine and permits them to join him on one of his treks.

The town officials remain ignorant when residents begin to experience nightmares and voices that no one else can hear.   The girls soon realize they are the only ones who can and will help, even if it means descending into the mines alone.

The spook factor is high with this one! Abandoned town, deadly mines, mysterious happenings.  All of these have my spooky senses tingling!

Ames has crafted a truly terrifying setting.  Haunted mines that have defied the investigations of numerous paranormal investigators.  Oh, and speaking of paranormal investigators…the found footage will send chills down your spine.  The imagery used to describe the mines and what lies beneath is enough to keep you awake at night.

This is more than just another horror story, however.  It’s a heart-warming exploration of friendship, of sacrifice, and of self-discovery.  Undoubtable one of my favorite reads of the year.

The post Review: To Break a Covenant by Alison Ames first appeared on .

Dare Chase has signed on as a volunteer to help restore the Arrington Estate in New Hope, VA.  The site just happens to be the location for her paranormal investigation podcast, Attachments.  Though she's skeptical about the paranormal; there's always a logical explanation to any rumors of haunting.  Joined by her service dot to alert her when her blood sugar is low, Dare is ready for a change of scenery.

Dare is drawn to the estate following the mysterious drowning of Atheleen Bell in 1992.  By day, she helps the estate owner's daughter, Quinn Reyes, and a local girl, Holly, to sort through the items remaining in the estate to repair it for restoration.  By night, the three embark what Dare assumes is an investigation into a decades-old murder.   What they discover instead is a history of drownings, the first in 1871.  Something is lurking in the lake, something that has a hold that reaches far beyond the lake itself.

What a creepy fun read!  I devoured this one in just a few hours.

I especially appreciated the character Marsh created in Dare.  A young girl, just getting over a break-up with her boyfriend.  She just happens to have Type 1 diabetes, but she’s able to have a normal life with the aid of her insulin pump and service dog. Her disease doesn’t hold her back.  She’s at a remarkable time in her life, still discovering quite a bit about herself and the vast future of endless possibilities.  Kudos to Marsh for providing that representation!

The story that Marsh has crafted is so expertly paced.  The chilling reveals are timed perfectly; the slow build creates the perfect amount of tension, adding to the chill-factor of this book.  Everything about the setting Marsh has created lends to the perfect horror story; small town, mysterious deaths, creepy setting.  This read checked all the boxes I needed!  I’d love a little more backstory, but also I’m not quite ready to be rid of Dare in my life!  I’d love a prequel and/or sequel!

All in all, a perfect read for Halloween (or, if you are like me, any time of year)! Highly recommended.

The post Review: The Girls Are Never Gone by Sarah Glenn Marsh first appeared on .

Is their a local urban legend, or maybe even a scary haunting or ghost story in your neck of the woods?   I’d love to hear about it!  Write a post and link it below, or share your sory in the comments!

The post 2021 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Feature: Hometown Haunts first appeared on .

We've all heard the story of Bloody Mary....

A group of friends are hanging out together when one gets the idea to play "Bloody Mary" using the mirror in her grandmother's bedroom.  The legend goes that Mary will show you your future; either you'll see the image of your one true love, or you will see an image that will mark your death.   Steph sees the face of a girl she doesn't recognized.  Grace sees her crush, who just happens to be in the room.  Elena sees her longtime crush, and Cal sees a terrifying image, but claims to have seen nothing at all. 

Five years later, now in high school, four friends are no longer close.  Elena got her crush, but she can't seem to lose this feeling she gets when she passes the mirror.  It's almost as if it is calling to her.  Cal sketches the terrifying images that haunt him, scenes that ultimately play out before his eyes.  Grace is a bit of an outcast.  Steph and Elena butt heads on the school's volleyball team.  Steph still can't figure out who the girl is she saw in the mirror, until a new girl starts at their school.  Her name? Mary. 

I’m a sucker for urban legends. I recall playing this very game at slumber parties when I was younger, and scaring myself so much I was afraid to look in that mirror even during the day!

While Sarles’ take on the Bloody Mary legend is a bit different than the original, it didn’t take anything away from the chill factor. I thought the origin story of the mirror and it’s history was well-crafted. Overall, this is a fun homage to an urban legend man of us grew up playing. The chill factor is minor, so I think this is quite appropriate for young fans of horror.

The post Review: Mary, Will I Die? by Shawn Sarles first appeared on .

Although sisters Imogen and Beck have been friends with Tilda since high school, they lost touch after college.  After Imogen witnesses a deadly shooting at at a Pittsburgh synagogue, she retreats inward and uses her writing a method of healing.  To further her healing, she agrees to join Beck and Tilda on a girls-only hiking trip in the back country of the Grand Canyon.   Imogen and Beck used to make these hikes as youth with their parents, so they have a familiarity with the trail and terrain. A week long getaway, surrounded by nature is just what they all need.

Unfortunately, the women have changed a lot in the last two decades: Beck is a doctor, she and her partner are starting a family; Tilda, a former child star turned influencer is writing a book on her near-famous experience; Imogen is frustrated that her career as a serious writer is overshadowed by Tilda's easily achieved fame.  These differences, along with Beck's near obsession with fulfilling her plan of a perfect getaway, makes for a tense start to their adventure. 

Everything a horrifying twist when the cross paths with a man on his own sort of getaway.  Forced to put all differences aside, they must band together if they are going to survive. 

 

Stage’s books are instant-buys or reads for me; her two previous novels (Baby Teeth and Wonderland) were chilling horror titles that left me reeling long after I finished read them. This novel is more of a psychological thriller, but it’s still chilling nonetheless.

Stage excels at many things in her writing, character development and crafting a powerful setting are among the top two. I’ve never hiked the Grand Canyon but it certainly felt like I was right alongside this trio of women as they embarked upon their adventure turned nightmare. Their feelings of jealousy and envy catapulted into feelings of desperation, strength, and survival. As they endure this trip, the surface level image of these women crumble away as their insecurities come to light. Rather than fall victim to these insecurities, they use their anger and frustration to fledge forward, allowing survival instincts to take control.

I particularly appreciate the choice of title, for it has various meanings. At the beginning, this hike was meant to be a relaxing and healing getaway, but in the end, they did the unthinkable just to get away.

I noticed a trend of books centered around getting list in the wild or wilderness (I’ve read 2-3 in a matter of weeks) and this is by far my favorite. Brutal, terrifying, yet absolutely addictive. Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Getaway by Zoje Stage first appeared on .

Jade is the town outcast. She refuses to comply with social norms; she regularly dyes her hair with shoe polish and food dye.  She lives with her father,  an abusive alcoholic from the Blackfeet tribe. Her mother, white, left the family and now works at the local dollar store.   Completely devoid of friends, no one at school notices her absence following a suicide attempt.  The one class holding her back from graduation is a local history course.  In order to bring up her grade, she writes a series of essays relating local lore and history to that of slasher films, her passion. The town has a tragic past; fifty years ago a murderous rampage took place at Camp Blood, an abandoned summer camp. 

When she returns, she learns of the murder of two tourists, their bodies found in Indian Lake. A new wealthy neighborhood is developed across the lake on land that was once sacred.  As the tension between the local community and the wealthy newcomers intensifies,  so does the body count. Jade is convinced she's caught up in the middle of a real-life slasher film. 

The authorities won't listen to Jade; they all know well of her obsession with horror movies.  Jade knows  that in all slashers films, wrongs are always righted.   Her fear is that everything will come to a horrific conclusion on July 4th, when the town typically celebrates the holiday on the lake. The last ingredient for the perfect slasher film is achieved when a new rich girl moves to the exclusive wealthy neighborhood across the lake.  The town now has its final girl.

What a brilliantly crafted homage to slasher films!

This may be my favorite of Jones’ novels. His books aren’t ones that I recommend to everyone. Sure, on the surface it seems like just another piece of slasher fiction. Beneath, however, is a deep and resounding message about a host of what I’d consider real-life monsters.

Jade is a well-crafted character who goes through tremendous growth and self-reflection. How can you not like her? She loves horror movies; her knowledge of the canon of slasher films is endless. Yet, you also see there is something beneath that hard exterior. A vulnerable core that is traumatized, hiding from reality and discovery.

Jade’s obsession and attempt to dissect slasher films is her own means of dealing with the horrors she lives with everyday. Discrimination, abuse, alcoholism…these are the real monsters in Jade’s life. It isn’t until she’s able to accept the existence of these monsters that she s able to fight the battle raging on right before her.

Yes, it’s gory; all slasher films are. But take a moment to look at what is beneath it all, to step back and allow your mind to get past the blood and the gore and see the wrong(s) that need righted. Only then will you be able to embrace the power between the pages of this phenomenal book.

Highly, highly recommended…with warnings, of course.

The post Review: My Heart is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones first appeared on .

The calm and quiet innocence of a small Maryland suburb is shattered when a series of young women are kidnapped, many times feet from the safety of their home. Their bodies are found shortly thereafter, mutilated. The innocence of the small town is shattered, quickly replaced with suspicion and paranoia. The killer is playing games, leaving behind clues to taunt law enforcement.

Richard Chizmar, recently graduated from college, returns home in the midst of his hometown's drama. Hoping to spend the time at home planning for his wedding and embarking upon his horror writing career, Richard instead finds himself involved in the case.

Rumors are spreading that the killer isn't human; is it possible for a real-life monster to exist undiscovered in such a close-knit town?

When I read this book a few months ago, I knew it had to be my first book review for Murder, Monsters & Mayhem. I have read books by this author before and I’m familiar with his writing genius. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was how real this novel (yes, this is fiction!!) felt. I mean, I knew going in it was fiction, yet several times through the book I paused to confirm it. It reads SO much like a true crime book! It’s completely mind-blowing how Chizmar was able to pull this off so flawlessly.

Also, as an avid reader of horror, it takes a lot to scare me. Yet this book had me reading with the lights on! Could it be because it felt so real? That a real-life monster like this does exist? I’m not sure which it was, but this is hands-down one of my top reads of the year.

Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar first appeared on .

Happy October 1st!! The first day of Halloween is finally here!!

 I like to kick off each Murder, Monsters & Mayhem by asking the same question: Why Do You Read (or Watch) Horror?

Horror has, and always will be, my escape.  Why? I have control.  I can put that book down.  I can walk away. It's allowed me to deal with terrifying things in real life.  Reading it as a child, yes, it was pretty terrifying.  However, in the end, I knew that monster or that thing that terrified me can be beaten.  I survived. We can survive.

The last few years have been pretty horrific on their own.  Have you noticed, though, that horror in fiction and film (and television) is increasing in popularity?  It's no fluke.  Horror has always been used as a means to relay, metaphorically at least, the very things that haunt Society.  It gives us something visual and tangible to represent the very things going on the the world, the nation, that terrify us. 

Why do you read horror? Has it changed over the years or remained a constant?  Have you just recently started reading it?  Or were you like me and started reading it when you were young?  Feel free to answer below in the comments, or do your own post and link it below!  If posting on Instagram or Twitter, don't forget to use the #murdermonstersmayhem hashtag!

 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

The post Why Do You Read Horror? #MurderMonstersMayhem Day 1! first appeared on .

Tomorrow is the big day! The first day of October & the first day of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem!!

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (Mx3). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

Are you ready? Do you have a stack of spooky books you can't wait to start? Show us what you plan to read this month!  If you are on Twitter or Instagram, make sure you use the hashtag #murdermonstersmayhem so we can follow your progress!

This post shall serve as the official link-up post for the month! I love seeing what everyone is reading! In many cases, it adds to my reading stack!

 

Stay tuned for more….and keep your lights on!

The post 2021 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Kick-Off! #murdermonstersmayhem first appeared on .

It’s almost that time of year again! October, the most wonderful month of the year for horror-loving fans!

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite horror and thriller titles, both new and old.

For the last month, I’ve been reading and prepping for the kick-off of this now annual event!

This year, I’m kicking off a new feature of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem: Hometown Haunts! I’ll be featuring some local lore relative to my home state of West Virginia. Do you have a spooky local lore or legend? I’d love to hear about it!

Want to participate alongside me? Feel free to include your sign up link below!  You don’t have to have a blog to participate, feel free to link up to Twitter, Instagram, or whatever social media vehicle you’ll be using!  Your sign-up post can be simple, just indicate you are participating, maybe mention a few books you look forward to reading!

At the start of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (October 1) I will post a link-up post so everyone can see what spooky books other participants are reading! Also, I’ll have some giveaways for participants throughout the month!

Participating in Readers Imbibing Peril? The same rules/criteria qualify, so you can most certainly participate in both!

Interesting in hosting a giveaway or contributing a guest post?  Reach out to me using my Contact Me page.

The post Announcing: 2021 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem! first appeared on .

What what? A summer read-a-thon!? Yes, please!  And what is a reverse read-a-thon, you may ask? Well, traditionally the read-a-thon begins at 8 AM Eastern on Saturday and runs until 8 AM on Sunday.  This read-a-thon starts tonight (Friday)at 8 PM Eastern and runs through Saturday at 8 PM Eastern.  We’ll see how productive I am during this read-a-thon; generally I’m pretty lenient and flexible and just read as I want.

I desperately need this read-a-thon to force me to chill and actually read a book. Life has been crazy. Working a full-time job and a side gig is a challenge and both have worn me out!

My plan is…not a plan. I’m just going to grab some books off the stack I packed for a road trip that I didn’t get around to reading! Zero pressure, zero plans. Just what I need this weekend!

I’ll be updating via Instagram, which I’ll embed below once the event kicks off this evening. What are you reading this weekend?

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

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My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

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The post Dewey’s August 24-Hour REVERSE #Readathon! first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Captain Bill Hoffman picks up a red-eye flight from LA to New York, knowing he'll miss his son's Little League opener.  There is definitely tension in the air as he leaves his wife and children behind.   This is just another regular day for Bill, until he learns his family has been kidnapped.  The only way to save his family is to crash the plane. 

Those who know me well know that I tend to avoid buzz books, I prefer to read without outsider input or influence. With Falling, far to many people whose opinion I value were raving about this debut, so I had to give in.

I sat down on my couch, promising myself that I can only afford to read a few chapters….and I read the entire book. I didn’t even stop reading to exercise; thank goodness for built-in book holders on spin bikes! I know it’s cliché to say that a book captured you from the first few pages, but in this case, it’s quite accurate. Non-stop tension and action from beginning to end.

There’s a saying: “write what you know.” In the case of T.J. Newman, that’s exactly what she’s done. A flight attendant for ten years, she got the idea for her book while on a red-eye herself. She down ideas on any piece of paper she could find in the quiet moments of her flight.

Her truly expert knowledge is clearly apparent in every aspect of this thriller. That unique perspective adds to the reading experience, as does the perfectly fleshed out characters. The reader can’t help but care for each of the characters, even feeling a bit of compassion for the terrorists. That truly takes skill, to relay that sort of emotion from the page to the reader.

There were minor issues with point of view near the end of the book, so minor that I nearly didn’t point it out. One scene in particular was a bit awkward, but if that’s the only issue, it can easily be forgiven.

Several have asked me if this book deters me from flying. Quite the opposite, actually, for I know that I’ll have the highest of confidence in my flight crew!

Newman signed a two book deal and this debut already has film rights. I’m impatiently awaiting more! Highly recommended.

The post Review: Falling by T. J. Newman first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When Sarabeth's father "found God," he packed up the family and moved them to a remote homestead in rural Arkansas. Now forced to wear her hair long, dress modestly and follow strict rules, Sarabeth looks forward to turning 18 and moving out of the house. Her parents are desperate for her to marry and start a family when all Sarabeth wants to do is enjoy the freedom of her youth.

That dream of freedom is shattered when she's abducted by a masked man.  A week later she's set free, left on the side of the highway in her bloodstained slip.  Blindfolded and drugged while captive, Sarabeth is unable to shed any light on the identity of her captor. Her family whisks her away, acting as though the abduction never took place.  The hospital and local law enforcement do nothing to preserve the evidence.  Fortunately, Sarabeth is given a chance to leave and start a new life. 

Five years later, Sarah now works at an animal shelter.  She desperately tries to keep the trauma of her youth behind her and keeps her true identity a secret.  All of that is threatened when she receives a call from an investigator named Nick Farrow.  He's convinced two recent cases of missing young women have striking similarities to Sarah's case. Reluctantly, she joins Nick and returns to the very place she tried to forget, desperately hoping to remember something that could lead to the location of the missing girls.  

McHugh has written a perfectly paced psychological thriller! I’m not one to enjoy thrillers with a lot of extra “fluff,” or filler that is used to add page length or word count. Nothing is wasted in this thriller; the pacing is on spot and tense with never a dull moment.

The structure and point of view in this thriller is important; McHugh uses these intentionally to keep this a tightly packed read that isn’t at all lacking in character development. Watching a new, stronger Sarah return to the place she fled while simultaneously reading what led up to Sarabeth’s abduction allows readers to see the vast growth Sarah experienced in a few short years. Sarah/Sarabeth wasn’t only held captive by an abductor, she was held captive by the lifestyle choices her parents inflicted upon her. Adherence to rules was more important than her well-being. Women were not seen as equals; their sole purpose in life was to marry & have children, to perpetuate and continue the lifestyle.

It wasn’t at all surprising to see that her new life involved saving those who cannot save themselves; innocent creatures forced to reproduce for the gain of others It was a full-circle moment for Sarah to embrace her new life, and it wasn’t until she uncovered the devastation that was taking place, even now, that she could move on and truly recover.

All in all, a truly chilling and captivating read. Highly recommended.

The post Review: What’s Done In Darkness by Laura McHugh first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

After catching a killer at her high school, Stevie Bell is back home, dreading the potential for a boring summer. Everything changes when she receives a message from the owner of Camp Wonder Falls. Now known as Sunny Pines, the summer camp was the site of the notorious Box in the Woods murders in the late 1970s. Four counselors were found dead; their killer was never caught.

Invited to the camp to close this cold case, Stevie only agrees if she can bring her friends along. What can be more fun than solving murders with your closest friends?

However, once Stevie and her friends arrive to the small town, they soon learn the murders weren't the only secrets left buried.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of the summer-camp/sleepover camp trope! Johnson quickly overcomes any of the negative aspects in using such a popular setting for a mystery novel, however. She’s crafted characters for which readers will find genuine sympathy and a well constructed plot that isn’t at all predictable.

Though marketed as a stand-a-lone, I would recommend reading the the three titles in the Truly Devious trilogy, if anything to provide a little back story on the characters. You don’t miss anything in not reading them, though references to what transpired will certainly pique the reader’s interest.

All in all, an incredibly fun and entertaining read! Highly recommended.

The post Review: The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Jonah Keller moved to New York City with dreams of becoming a successful playwright.  Forced to endure conversion therapy by his pastor father, Jonah is desperate to put his oppressive upbringing behind him.   He struggles to get by; working as a waiter barely pays the rent in his rundown sublet.  When he sees a picture of Richard Shriver, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, he knows he has found his out.  

The two begin a passionate affair; Jonah is welcomed into Richard's inner circle.  At first, it seems to be everything Jonah has wanted.  Not only is Richard supportive of his writing, he also offers to cover Jonah's rent.   

When summer arrives, Richard invites Jonah to his massive estate in the Hamptons. Their evenings are spent entertaining Richard's close artist friends.  Jonah can't help but notice the young, attractive gay men employed by Richard and his circle of friends.  It isn't long before this idyllic relationship is shattered and Jonah becomes just another one of Richard's pawns.   Jonah could have never imagined the horrific acts that occurred within the walls of the estate.  Until, that is, he became one of the victims.  

Let me start with this: I’m a self-admitted book snob. I typically steer clear of books that everyone is raving about. I’m not sure why I went against my usual habits with this one, but I’m certainly thankful I did. I don’t write reviews of every book I read, but only those that evoke some sort of response from me, one that demands that I share my opinion.

Wow. Just…wow. Where do I even begin!?

Let’s start with the title. At first, we assume it’s tied to Jonah’s relationship with Richard. It isn’t long, however, that we discover that it is a reference to all of Jonah’s failed (and destructive and abusive) relationships with any male resembling a role model. The very first male in his life, his father, forces him to endure conversion therapy that leaves him shattered and traumatized. Beyond the relationship with Richard, he had an inability to connect with another male that in some way don’t him a victim. The moment he puts down the walls that surround him, he’s once again shown he can’t trust anyone, even those who promise to protect him.

Simultaneously, Jonah is dealing with repercussions of his actions when he is called upon to testify against Richard. The fate and future of all of Richard’s victims were in Jonah’s hands. His inability for to speak against his abuser, though time had passed, is a testament to the abuse endured. This domino effect not only alters his life, but those of the other accusers. The devastation isn’t just in that one moment, but continues to rear its ugly head each time Jonah believes he has found his footing.

Jonah is presented with two opportunities for true and genuine friendship, though he struggles to accept them as such and once again is left on his own. Those that do care for him implore him to seek therapy, to speak to someone, yet the only “therapy” he has ever known has forever tarnished his concept of professional help.

The journey the reader follows Jonah on is incredibly dark and devastating and at times difficult for the reader to endure. That said, I became completely invested in Jonah’s future. Without giving away too much, I sobbed tears of joy when he was finally able to overcome the demons that haunted him, allowing him to pursue healthy relationships once again. This is a book that sits with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

This isn’t going to be an easy ready for anyone, though this is a a novel that must be read. It’s a new and unique perspective, one that I hope to experience again with whatever this author pens next.

The post Review: Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage first appeared on .

Happy Read-a-thon day!

A bit of a late start for me, but not because I haven’t been up for a while! I have an online boutique as well, so I had to pull and get orders out before could sit down and and start reading!

Up first: Outlawed by Anna North! This has been on my TBR for a while now, so I’m thrilled to finally start it!

Don’t Forget!! Today is Independent Book Store Day!! Visit your favorite independent book store (virtual or in person)

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

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My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

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Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

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The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: April 2021 Update Post first appeared on .

Unlike the early years, I don’t stay up and read for the full 24 hours. Now, I read until I’m tired or need a break, and I stop. I still get through about 5-7 books, depending on length.

However, there are traditions that remain! For snacks, we ALWAYS have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and Totino’s pizza rolls for lunch. The snacks that come in between change up, but it’s nice having those constants.

I’ve been working on my TBR stack all week.  Here’s my tentative physical book stack; I have titles on my eReaders (yes, plural) should I need to switch things up!

For now, here is my TBR stack!

Are you taking part in the read-a-thon? What books are in your stack!?

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: April 2021 first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Also by this author: The Night Sister, Burntown, The Invited
Published by Simon and Schuster on April 6, 2021
Genres: Fiction, Ghost
Pages: 336
Format: eBook
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

As adults, sisters Jax and Lexie have a complicated relationship.  Lexie lives in their grandmother's estate, granted to her after she passed.  Jax and Lexie spent summers at the estate, swimming in the natural pool. Lexie always seemed to have an attachment to the pool, so it made since that she would inherit it.

Lately, though, she's been leaving manic messages on Jax's phone. Sometimes the messages were unintelligible, rattling off measurements of depth that made no sense to Jax.  So when see s nine missed calls from Lexie, Jax assumes she's going through another one of her episodes.

Lexie is found dead the next day, drowned in the pool at the estate. This death seems completely implausible; swimming was second nature to Lexie.  When Jax arrives at the house to go through her sister's things, she discovers Lexie has been looking into the history of the family and the property.  As Jax begins to make sense of Lexie's scribbled notes, she begins to peel back the layers of the dark history of the land.

1929: newlyweds travel to a new and modern hotel in Vermont, one that showcases a natural spring rumored to grant wishes. Ethel is thrilled; she's hoped desperately for a baby.  Swept up in the stories of healing from other guests, Ethel ignores the warnings the spring takes for what it gives...

I’m a long-time fan of McMahon’s work.  She excels at crafting stores centered around sibling relationships, usually with a spooky twist.  This one is even more chilling!

I’m a swimmer myself; I love to swim.   However, I intentionally avoid natural bodies of water.  No swimming in the ocean, or a lake.  Give me a pool with a finite bottom.  This book picks up on all the reasons I avoid them; the unknown residing in the dark depths. Completely chilling.  The detail McMahon gives in creating the atmosphere around the pool is downright terrifying.  For fear of spoilers, I won’t say more..

I love the backstory of the healing springs, this subject has long interested me.  Healing springs were a part of our country’s history, they drew people from near and far.  People would drink the water, hoping for healing powers or long-life.  In actuality, the sulfur in many springs lead to illness and death.

I do wish there was a little time spent on Jax and Lexie’s relationship, especially what drove them apart.  I feel I knew more about Ethel’s character than Jax and Lexie. Even if it added more length to the book it would have been worth it.  I don’t feel I connected with them as much as I have characters in McMahon’s other novels.

All in all though, yet another great read from McMahon.  Highly recommended.  I’m anxiously awaiting what comes next!

The post Review: The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Red Widow by Alma Katsu
Also by this author: The Hunger, The Deep
Published by Penguin on March 23, 2021
Genres: Crime, Espionage, Fiction, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Goodreads

CIA agent Lyndsey Duncan is pulled from an assignment & sent home on leave due to an inappropriate relationship with another intelligence agent.  She's certain her career with the CIA has come to an end.

When a former colleague, now Chief of the Russia Division, calls her to join aid him in an internal investigation, Lyndsey jumps at the chance to redeem herself.    Lyndsey was once a handler at the Moscow Field Station, known as the "human lie detector." Three assets have been exposed and it is apparent a mole has infiltrated the Russia Division.  Lyndsey must retrace the actions of those actions of those closest to her.

An integral part of the Russia Division is Theresa Warner, known as the Red Widow.  Her husband, a former director, died on the job.  She can't get away from the spotlight of her husband's legacy.  Theresa and Lyndsey form an unlikely friendship, one that seems to help each woman lessen their individual losses. When Lyndsey uncovers a connection between Theresa and her case, she realizes it could be devastating for the entire division.  It's all about to come toppling down, but who will remain standing in the end?

Let me start by saying I don’t read spy thrillers.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I don’t read spy thrillers.  What I do read, however, is anything written by Alma Katsu.

I must divulge that I’ve known Alma for just over a decade.  I met her at a local book festival before her Taker series was published. My boys refer to her as “Mom’s spy friend.”  I’ve long been fascinated by her own career in the CIA.  I’ve been a strong supporter of her previous books, I’ve loved every one of them.  However this is the book I’ve been waiting for Alma to write.

I can honestly say that there is nothing about this book I did not love.  I especially love that the two main characters are strong, independent women in what was once  a male-dominated field.   Though Alma’s own expertise in this field is off the charts, this isn’t weighed down with agency jargon, nor is it dumbed down and repetitive in its description.

I absolutely loved Lyndsey’s character.  She’s tough, though her recent punishment has made her feel vulnerable and lacking control of her future.  She doesn’t back down when presented with a challenge, nor is she intimidated by those who attempt to wield their power over her.  She’s hard-headed and determined, but also sympathetic.

This is the very type of spy thriller that may endear me to others like it (especially others penned by Alma, hint hint).  Highly recommended.

The post Review: Red Widow by Alma Katsu first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Never Far Away by Michael Koryta
Published by Little Brown on February 9, 2021
Genres: Family Life, Fiction, General, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 384
Format: eBook
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Nina Morgan "died" a decade ago.  Blood stains were found in her car, though her body was never found. Her death was assumed a murder. Leah Trenton was born.

Nina didn't want to fake her death.  As a witness to a brutal murder, it was the only way to protect the lives of her husband and young children.  She made the decision no mother should have to make.  Now, ten years later, tragedy has reunited them once again.

When life has my mind and soul reeling, I revert back to the things that I cherish and bring joy to my life.  For me, one of those things is reading.

We lost my mother-in-law to COVID-19 a week ago.  It was a month-long battle that has left me emotionally and physically exhausted.  Grief had me struggling to reconnect with some semblance of joy.  In this case, it just happened to be a night spent on the couch, reconnecting with a long-favorite author of mine. I haven’t been able to read in nearly a month.  I found myself just staring at an open book.  Yet something about the familiarity of Koryta’s writing pulled me in.

One thing that Koryta excels at is crafting realistic characters.  Lena’s love for her children, despite 10 years of separation, exuded from the pages.  Her fierce determination to finally right the wrongs that stole her children from her was so powerful.  That’s not something you can fake for the sake of crafting a character.  That kind of character building comes from the soul.

I think what makes Koryta such a compelling writer is his storytelling.  The basic journey this thriller follows wasn’t unique.  What makes it stand out is the story Koryta weaves in doing so.  For example, I could listen to Morgan Freeman read a cereal box to me and I would be mesmerized.  The same goes for Koryta and his thriller writing.  I don’t even read the book synopsis anymore; I just dive right in. I know it’s going to be amazing.

If you haven’t had the chance to sample any of Koryta’s writing, I recommend you remedy that immediately.  Highly recommended.

The post Review: Never Far Away by Michael Koryta first appeared on .

I sincerely hope everyone who participated (officially or unofficially) in the #biggamereadathon enjoyed themselves!  It’s time to report back on our success!  In the comments below, or in a blog or Instagram post, share your successes. Don’t forget to mention if the predictions you made earlier in the game came true!  Discuss your favorite parts of the read-a-thon, was it the food, the books, or the commercials?

Thanks to all who participated!  This just goes to show you can turn any event into a bookish event

The post 2021 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Post Game Report first appeared on .

Half-time is here! It’s is time to reminisce on what you’ve read so far today.  How has your reading gone so far?  What snacks have you partaken in?

As far as food, we have wings and a trio pizza (garlic knots, calzone & pizza in one)!  We have deviled eggs, mozzarella sticks & a cheese ball and crackers for the second half of the game but I don’t think we’re gong to touch them!

While there won’t be any official posts until the wrap-up tomorrow, keep us updated on your progress in the comments below or, if you are on Twitter, use the hashtag #biggamereadathon!

The post 2021 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Halftime! first appeared on .

It’s finally here, the kick-off for The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon!  Although the official Superbowl kick-off isn’t for several hours yet, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to start reading if they choose! There’s still time to sign-up if you haven’t already!

Please enter the link to your kick-off post below.  Discuss the books you are planning to read, the food you are planning to snack on, etc.  Since this is a completely laid back, relaxed read-a-thon, feel free to do it any way you chose! No blog, no worries! Just share your plans in the comments below, on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Just make sure you use the hashtag #biggamereadathon so we can keep track of your posts!

It’s snowing here today, so perfect weather for curling up on the couch to read.  I hope it doesn’t interfere with the wings/pizza I ordered for tonight!

What is your reading/food line-up!?

The post 2021 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Kick-off! first appeared on .

The details:

• No rules, no guidelines, just read
• No start/end times, just read at your leisure.
• Mini-challenges will be created to break up your reading time. Participating in these challenges is not mandatory, but you will be eligible for a number of great prizes!

To sign up, link up below. I will create a separate kick-off link-up on Superbowl Sunday for all participants as well! No blog? Feel free to sign up directly in the comments section. If you want to participate on Twitter or Instagram, I’ll be using #biggamereadathon!

The post Sign Up for the 2021 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! first appeared on .

While we still have a full day of reading ahead of us, we have come to the last day of  Thankfully Reading Weekend!  I’ve created this post to link your final post!  No Instagram or blog? Just share how you did in the comments!

The post 2020 #ThankfullyReading Weekend Wrap-up! first appeared on .

It’s Day Three of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

I’ll admit, I got ZERO reading done yesterday. I own an online boutique and the Black Friday shopping was INTENSE.  Good, but exhausting.  I don’t think I fell asleep until after 2 AM!  I hope to catch up with reading today and tomorrow.  I also have the entire week off from work next week so plenty of reading time ahead for me!

Speaking of small businesses, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!  If your independent bookstore isn’t open to the public right now, shop online.  They need all the support we can give them!

I’ll be shopping online from my favorite independent bookstore,  One More Page Books in Arlington, VA!

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit or your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Include the post with pic or list of books you picked up in the link up  below!

The post 2020 #ThankfullyReading Weekend: Day Three! first appeared on .

Happy Day After Thanksgiving! How did everyone do yesterday? Full stomachs, plenty of reading time…sounds like bliss to me! I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to a day of reading!

For today’s challenge, I invite you to write about the book you are most thankful for this year. Is it a book written by one of your favorite authors or one you just happened to come upon? Tell us about it!  Include a link to your post below (or if you don’t have a blog, tell us about the book in the comments).

The post 2020 #ThankfullyReading: Day Two! first appeared on .

It’s time!!

This is the official kick off post for Thankfully Reading!  This is the eleventh year of this read-a-thon.  Oh, the memories!

While it was started as a means to avoid the crowds who were Black Friday shopping, this year it’s transformed a bit.  Given the pandemic, it’s safer now for us all to stay home, so why not spend that time curled up with a book!!

Feel free to link up your kick-off post below, as well as any update posts you have. Don’t have a blog? Don’t worry! You can keep us updated on your progress in the comments below, on Instagram, Twitter (use #thankfullyreading or make sure you tag me so I can see it!) or Facebook!

If you don’t know what to post, here are some ideas. But remember there are no rules; feel free to post as little/as much as you like!

• How will/did you celebrate Thanksgiving?
• What’s in your TBR pile for the weekend?
• How much time do you think you’ll have for reading?
• What book are you starting out with?
• Are you reading print, ebooks, or audio? Maybe a bit each?
• What books will you be talking about during Thanksgiving dinner? Be sure to keep track of any recommendations you receive and share when you have the time.If you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, don’t worry, this is a weekend for everyone throughout the world.

Come back a little later today for the first Thankfully Reading Weekend challenge!

Throughout the weekend, feel free to post about your progress or even get some reviews up. Be sure to come back and link up your posts. Then take a break and check out everyone else’s posts. We’re looking forward to seeing how everyone else is celebrating Thankfully Reading Weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, I’ll post another link-up for your wrap-up post. Tell us how your Thankfully Reading Weekend went. You could give mini-reviews of your books, tell us how many books and which books you read, number of pages, number of hours, and so on. This is a rule-free, contest-free event, so you can wrap up the weekend however you’d like.

With all that said….let’s get this read-a-thon going!

The post 2020 #ThankfullyReading Weekend Kick-Off! first appeared on .

2020 has been full of cancelled plans and traditions.  Not to worry, one that will NOT change is Thankfully Reading Weekend!

I’m pleased to announce that I will once again be hosting Thankfully Reading Weekend, November 26-29 (Thursday through Sunday! I’m hoping everyone will be staying home this holiday and avoiding the stores for the kick-off of holiday shopping. What better way to spend that time than reading?

New to Thankfully Reading Weekend? Here are the details:

The post 2020 Thankfully Reading Weekend! first appeared on .

I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Life with the Afterlife by Amy Bruni
Published by Grand Central Publishing on October 27, 2020
Pages: 272
Format: Hardcover

Fans of Amy Bruni know her as the co-star of Kindred Spirits and a member of the team from Ghost Hunters, two of the most renowned paranormal television series.  Her history of the paranormal, however, extends back to her childhood years.  Living in a home that was haunted, Amy treated spirits she saw no differently than she would a living person.  Rather than fearing them, she wanted to learn more about them.  This lead directly to her eventually giving up a full-time job to pursue her passion: to understand the dead that has not yet departed.

It’s no secret that I’m quite obsessed with paranormal television series, so when I was pitched Amy’s book for review, I squealed.  No, seriously.  I squealed.

I’ve long been a fan of Ghost Hunters and then Kindred Spirits.  Unlike other paranormal series, the teams that make up these two genuinely care about their clients, living or dead.  They don’t put on a ridiculous display of taunting or using questionable methods to get the results (and the ratings).  Instead, they do an exceptional amount of research in their investigation.  Additionally, their intent isn’t to prove that there are spirits, but instead provide assistance to their clients, whether or not a haunting exists.

In Life with the Afterlife, Bruni provides a history of her fascination with spirits and what led her to be a part of the Ghost Hunter family.  The paranormal is a passion for Bruni that goes beyond “hunting;” she also owns a company called Strange Escapes which offers paranormal excursions to some of America’s most notoriously haunted destinations.

This title is a great read for any fan of the paranormal.  Amy uses her own experiences to shed a light on the wide range of paranormal investigation methods currently in practice.   Most importantly, however, she shares the importance of relying upon one’s own feelings and senses rather than relying on extensive technology.   It’s written in a style that can be read by all ages, so it’s quite perfect for both the budding young paranormal enthusiast as well as someone well-versed in the practice.

All in all, quite the fun and enlightening read.  Highly recommended.

The post Review: Life with the Afterlife: 13 Truths I Learned about Ghosts by Amy Bruni first appeared on .

It’s here! Read-a-thon day!

I’m off to a late start. I stayed up way too late finishing the last few episodes of Suits and I forgot to set the cinnamon roll dough to rise.  Oh well, we’ll have cinnamon rolls tomorrow morning.  We have some cinnamon doughnuts from our favorite apple orchard to hold us over!

I’m starting off with LIFE WITH THE AFTERLIFE: 13 Truths I Learned About Ghosts by Amy Bruni.  Kindred Spirits is one of my favorite paranormal television series and I’m looking forward to reading this one!

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

Instagram post 18085149455108549

My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

Instagram post 18024775604824192

Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

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Load More Follow on Instagram

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2020 Update Post first appeared on .

Yay! My favorite fall activity, second only to Halloween itself, is upon us!  Dewey’s 24-Hour Read-a-thon!

The October read-a-thon is always my favorite.  It’s likely because I tend to focus on reading horror and all things spooky!  The weather here is cool, perfect “leggings/layers/books” weather!

Here’s my readathon pile so far:

Our menu, the second most important thing, has also been planned:

• Cinnamon rolls for breakfast (tradition!)
• Totinos Pizza rolls (tradition!)
• Nuts & cheese
• Carrot sticks & ranch dip
• Apples and peanut butter
• Evening tradition: bake chocolate chip cookies!

Are you joining in on the readathon fun? What books (and menu items!) are on your list!?

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: October 2020 first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher
Published by Simon and Schuster on October 6, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Occult & Supernatural, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: the publisher

Recently divorced and not exactly thrilled move back home, Kara readily accepts an invitation to help her uncle, Earl, with his curiosity museum.  The Glory to God Museum of Natural Wonders, Curiosities and Taxidermy is filled to the brim with strange and unique items and taxidermy animals of all varieties.

She settles in quickly, determined to catalogue the museum's vast and unusual collection.  She divides her time between work for the museum and her own graphic design business. She often finds company with Simon, a quirky and offbeat barista from the coffee shop next door.

Earl's age has caught up with him and, when knee surgery is required, Kara takes over the routine daily business of the museum.

As they are patching a hole in the drywall one day, they discover a dark corridor, a space that shouldn't exist.  The corridor leads to a doorway, beyond which a world of unimaginable horrors.

I know each time I read a novel by T. Kingfisher (Ursula Vernon) that I’m in for a treat.  This is no exception.

Inspired by a novella by Algernon Blackwood called, The Willows, Kingfisher introduces her reader to a terror like none other, the horror in a world just beyond our own.

Don’t let the chilling premise stop you from reading; one of the things I love about this author his how she takes you to the brink of fear and terror.  Sure, it’s scary but will it leave you with nightmares? Not likely.

She does this through truly genuine and relatable characters. Kara (nicknamed Carrot) and Simon are hugely entertaining individuals.  Kara is going through this horrible divorce, yet who can think about that after what she seen!? She’s full of snark and humor and I want her and I to be best friends. Simon is a hoot as well.  Often adorned with a top hat (of the mad hatter variety), Simon claims he has a special view into the paranormal due to an…interesting “event” that happened in utero (I’ll leave it to you to discover.)

Bottom line: if a dark and twisty Narnia grabs your attention, this is a must read for you! Spooky, but not utterly terrifying.

The post Review: The Hollow Places by T. Kingfisher first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Published by Tor Books on October 6, 2020
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Literary
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)

The year is 1714.  The night before her wedding, twenty-three year old Adeline LaRue should be excited to be wed to her betrothed.  Yet the opposite is the case; Addie can't accept the life she'll have to endure once she's married.  She wants a life beyond the small village of Villon-sur-Sarthe, she wants a freedom she won't have as a wife and mother.

Desperate for a way out, Addie reluctantly makes a deal with a demon.  The deal isn't without consequences.  While now immortal, everyone Addie meets will forget her the moment she leaves their sight.

Fast forward three hundred years to New York City. Addie has learned to live with her gift, and her curse. She survives by stealing and keeping residence in the homes of past lovers while they are away. The relationships she's held over the last three centuries are shallow; her lover never remembers her the next morning.  She is truly, totally, alone.

One day, Addie visits a bookstore to return a copy of The Odyssey she'd stolen just the previous day.  Addie's plan is thrown off course when the bookseller,  Henry Strauss, recognizes her. Addie is drawn to him, both desperate to keep her secret but also compelled to understand how this man is immune to her curse.  It turns out Henry has a secret of his own.  Theirs is a story worth remembering, one they will never forget.

 

This is one of those titles that crosses over so many genres, one that evokes so many feelings in its readers.  I’ve been shouting from the rooftops about this book since I finished reading it just a few days ago.

It’s rare lately, it seems, to find a book that truly transports you from the daily struggles of life.  Yet once I sat down with this book, it was hours later that I took a breath, looked up, and recalled the world around me.

Schwab builds Addie’s character slowly. She rushes nothing; we learn about Addie’s trials and tribulations, desperate to make a mark on the world only to be erased.  She’s escaped war, the plague, meets famous artists and writers.  Though no one remembers Addie, she recalls every experience and every relationship. A true punishment, to remember all those you have loved and lost.

A truly unique character is that of Luc, the demon Addie made the deal with so long ago.  He visits her on their anniversary each year. Her life will only come to an end once she surrenders her soul to him, a feat she resists year after year.  Their relationship is an interesting one, one full of tension and competition.

Schwab’s talent has no end; her books are all addictive and mesmerizing.  Yet there is something about this particular title that is pure magic.  I won’t ever forget that feeling I felt the first time I read this book; it’s an embodiment of the magic and hope I feel we should all find in books.  I can’t wait for others to feel, and share, that magic. Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E.Schwab first appeared on .

It’s October 1st or, as I like to call it, the first day of Halloween!  Fall temperatures are finally here! Cool, brisk mornings, the smell of leaves in the air. Ahh, pure bliss.

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some horror/thriller/mystery suspense titles that gave me the chills!

To say that 2020 as been a year of horrors is an understatement.  Many have asked me how I can stand to read horror, when what’s going on in the world is pretty horrifying.   Horror has, and always will be, my escape.  Why? I have control.  I can put that book down.  I can walk away. It’s allowed me to deal with terrifying things in real life.  Reading it as a child, yes, it was pretty terrifying.  However, in the end, I knew that monster or that thing that terrified me can be beaten.  I survived. We can survive.

So, to kick off Murder, Monsters & Mayhem, share why you read horror!

Share your responses in the comments or using the link-up.

The post 2020 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem Kick-Off: Why Do You Read Horror? first appeared on .

It’s almost that time of year again! October, the most wonderful month of the year for horror-loving fans!

Anyone who has followed this blog for any significant period of time understand just how much I love Halloween (and Fall in general)! To celebrate my obsession with the macabre, each year I host a month long feature in October called Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (#murdermonstersmayhem). For the entire month, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite horror and thriller titles, both new and old.

Want to participate alongside me? Feel free to include your sign up link below!  You don’t have to have a blog to participate, feel free to link up to Twitter, Instagram, or whatever social media vehicle you’ll be using!  Your sign-up post can be simple, just indicate you are participating, maybe mention a few books you look forward to reading!

At the start of Murder, Monsters & Mayhem (October 1) I will post a link-up post so everyone can see what spooky books other participants are reading! Also, I’ll have some giveaways for participants throughout the month!

Interesting in hosting a giveaway or contributing a guest post?  Reach out to me using my Contact Me page.

The post Announcing: 2020 Murder, Monsters & Mayhem first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Residence by Andrew Pyper
Also by this author: The Damned, The Only Child
Published by Simon and Schuster on September 1st 2020
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Horror, Literary, Occult & Supernatural, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

Tragedy strikes President-elect Pierce and his wife before they assume residency in the White House.  The train they are riding in to Washington, DC derails; the only casualty is Pierce's son, Bennie. This isn't their first loss, so the devastation sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, leaving Franklin to start off his presidency under a shroud of grief.

Upon moving into the White House, their grief seems to awaken spirits residing in the presidential home.  Jane Pierce has been fascinated with the supernatural since she was a young girl, and she's certain the activity she's witnessed is Bennie, trying to communicate with her from the beyond. Her grief leads to desperation, removing the barrier between this world and the beyond.

I knew I had to read this book the moment I read the synopsis.  I’m no stranger to Pyper’s work and I impatiently awaiting the opportunity to experience his take on this factual part of American history.

Guests of the White House have commented on strange occurrences.  First Ladies Mary Todd Lincoln and Jane Pierce were known to have seances in the White House, both desperate to communicate with their deceased sons.  Pyper references letters Jane Pierce wrote to her deceased son; they were genuine and still exist.

That all of these instances are factual add to the chilling and foreboding setting.  Pyper, of course, fictionalized other aspects of the story, but that didn’t detract at all from the storyline.  Having been familiar with the activities of the former First Ladies, this new spin on things really added to my reading experience.

My only qualm was that Pyper teases the reader with the actual horrors that took place in building the White House.  The phrase “the White House was built on the backs of slaves” is quite accurate, and one I feel Pyper could have expanded upon a bit.  Horror has long been known as a vehicle for putting voice the issues that haunt our society,  so this was an opportunity missed.

All this said, this wasn’t the first and won’t be the last horror novel I read from Andrew Pyper.  He’s a truly talented writer, exceptionally capable at chilling me to the bone (and that’s difficult to achieve!).  Highly recommended.

The post Review: The Residence by Andrew Pyper first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
Also by this author: My Heart Is a Chainsaw
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on September 1, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror
Pages: 144
Format: ARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

When Sawyer Grimes and his friends learn that their friend Shanna has landed a new job at the movie theater, the feel it is their duty as her friends to take advantage of the arrangement. When the novelty of sneaking into movies wanes thin, they take the prank up a notch.

They employ the use of Manny, a discarded store mannequin they would dress up and pose in various parts of town. Staging Manny as a ticketed patron of the theater, they await the hilarity that is sure to ensue once the management discovers him. Instead, Manny stands up and walks out of the theater. This is just the beginning of a terrifying series of events that shatters the lives of Sawyer and his friends.

This is a truly brilliant novella. Jones takes bits of all those corny teen slasher movies I grew up watching and uses the very best characteristics to pull together this immensely captivating read.

Sure, it’s quirky; a mannequin comes to live and decides to seek revenge on its creators. Fortunately, Jones rescues this plot from the brink of absurdity through its main character, Sawyer. Sawyer is a truly unreliable narrator, not because what he’s saying isn’t the truth, but his experience is that through the eyes of a naive teenager. He’s the victim who runs up the stairs instead of out the front door. His reaction to Manny sounds right to him, a teen of sound mind and vast knowledge, so obviously it has to be the right decision.

The opening line tells it all:

So Shanna got a new job at the movie theater, we thought we’d play a fun prank on her, and now most of us are dead, and I’m really starting to feel kind of guilty about it all.

The reader follows Sawyer’s unique and terrifying coming-of-age moment as he comes to terms with the results of his actions.  As the “creators” of Manny, Sawyer and his friends are Frankenstein and Manny is the monster they have created. They are responsible for his actions and whatever happens to them is punishment they deserve.

The most pivotal moment, in my mind, is when the author picks up all the pieces of the puzzle that we, the reader, have carefully assembled….and throws it all up in the air.  Perfectly crafted, expertly paced, a completely mesmerizing read.

If you haven’t read Stephen Graham Jones, this is the perfect example of his sheer brilliance and talent, the perfect first sampling of his tremendous work.  Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Published by Flatiron Books on August 4th 2020
Genres: Fiction, Literary, Women
Pages: 272
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Franny Stone is a wanderer; she has been all her life.  She can't bear to set still one moment, even in sleep she's walking.

Climate change is wiping out species. Franny's latest destination is to find the world's last flock of Arctic terns and follow their final migration.  She has trekked to Greenland with a the hope of gaining transport aboard a ship that will help her reach her destination.  She convinces the captain and the crew of the fishing vessel Saghani to take her onboard, promising the birds will lead them to fish.

As the journey progresses,  Franny's past is slowly revealed, as is the true purpose behind her journey.  A completely transfixing story of the steps one will take for the one they love.

I chose to read this novel as a palette cleanser of sorts, something to break up some of the darker thrillers I’ve been reading lately.  Within the first dozen pages or so, I knew I’d come across my first five-star book of the year.

Franny’s character is wrought with loss and a lack of stability. Her love and respect for birds is easy to understand, for her need to take flight is undeniable.  Early on, the reader knows she’s recovering from the loss of someone, but who?  Her mother? Her father?  Her stillborn daughter? Even Franny herself doesn’t really comprehend the power of the loss she is confronting.

I found myself immediately captivated by this novel.  I honestly don’t have an interest in birds, and find it shocking that other reviews can’t see past that to see the true beauty in what McConaghy has written.  The birds are Franny’s passion, her vehicle for attempting to comprehend all that has been taken from her.  They are her only tried and true sense of stability.  Their path is reliable, while her own is the complete opposite.

Ignore any claims that this is a clunky novel; it is everything but that. Don’t discount it because it’s a “climate novel.” Rather, sit back and witness the beauty of the message this author is attempting to relay. You will be handsomely rewarded.  Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

His& Hers by Alice Feeney
Published by HarperCollins Publishers on July 28, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 384
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

A woman is found murdered in Blackdown. News reporter Anna Andrews is bitter about being forced to cover the case; she'd much rather be sitting in the anchor's chair, a position (albeit, temporary) recently stolen from her.

Detective Jack Harper is wary of Anna's presence.  They have a history...perhaps that is clouding his judgement.  Yet the physical evidence can't deny it, until he too becomes a suspect. Secrets that have lain dormant for years are slowly rising to the surface, secrets that some would kill to keep.

 

This is most certainly going to be one of the top thrillers of the summer! The storyline, its execution, the characters, the narration, are all outstanding.

The narration is told in a he said/she said method, with three points of view.  “His” is clearly Jack’s perspective, while “Hers” is Anna.  The third is a complete unknown.  All three narrators are unreliable, for each have personal gain in how the case transpires.

The potential suspects are numerous.  Just when I thought I’d figured it all out something new was revealed, destroying any evidence I had of that individual’s guilt.  Feeney is the queen of misdirection, making the impossible possible.   Just thinking about what was involved in crafting this masterpiece, sorting through the suspects and storylines and secrets.  It just makes my head spin, but in the best of ways.

A truly well developed and brilliantly plotted title.  I can’t wait to read more from this author!

The post Review: His & Hers by Alice Feeney first appeared on .

Reading has definitely been a challenge in the last few months. It’s not that I don’t have time to read, it’s just convincing myself to do so.  Turn off the news, stop binge-watching my next addiction on Netflix. READ!

Sundays have become my own adult version of “Drop Everything and Read.”  Ok, I don’t drop everything because I’m adult and have responsibilities, but Sunday is the day that I treat myself to some quality reading time.  I still don’t quite yet have the mental bandwidth to come up with a formal review after everything I read, but I still think these are books worth sharing and talking about.

Here’s what I’ve read recently:

Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay

In a matter of days, the state of Massachusetts is taken over by a virus similar to rabies.  Unlike rabies, however, the symptoms begin in a matter of a few hours. Hospitals are overrun with the sick and the government’s protocols are quickly losing effectiveness. 

Why would I want to read a book about zombie-like infected in the middle of our own pandemic?  It’s not another zombie novel. It’s a pretty remarkable exploration of the human condition in the midst of a pretty devastating pandemic.  Brilliant writing, excellent character-building.  If you haven’t read any of Tremblay’s books, do so now.

Wonderland by Zoje Stage

Shaw, an artist, and his retired-dancer wife, Orla, leave their urban surroundings behind and head to upstate New York with their two children.  This is Shaw’s chance to pursue his passion while Orla gets the chance to reconnect with her children after a very time-consuming dancing career. They are a mile away from the next house and an hour away from the closest town.  The sheer remoteness of their situation doesn’t really hit them until it’s too late, and they are forced to confront what lies waiting in the forest. 

You know, I thought I wanted to live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, but now I’m having second thoughts.  Give me easy access to civilization, please! The setting that Stage creates in this novel is at first calm and relaxing, almost inviting.  That quickly changes and whohoo..is it creepy. Truly unique, the origin-story is one I wasn’t expecting.

Tomorrow I’ll have a few more books I’ve read recently, including a sequel to one of my favorite horror titles and a book everyone is raving about but as of today, I’m still undecided.

The post What I’ve Been Reading-July 2020, Part One first appeared on .

Elisabeth is struggling to embrace many changes in her life.  An established journalist and now a new mother, she and her husband are adjusting to living in a small town after living in New York city for over two decades.

Reluctant to form new relationships, her connection to their previous life remains.  She aimlessly scrolls through her Brooklyn moms' Facebook group.  Her best friend still lives in Brooklyn and they connect largely through text messages.  Though she has a looming book deadline, she has no interest (or time) to work on it.

Sam is a senior at the local women's college. Elisabeth hires her to allow her more time to write, but time to herself as well.  An artist, Sam has a path for her future laid out, as long as her student loan debt permits it.  An unplanned romance attempts to put a detour on that path to the future and Sam finds herself in a dilemma about which route to take.

Elisabeth and Sam soon form a bond that goes beyond babysitter and employer. Unfortunately, their vastly different backgrounds become readily apparent, requiring them to take a step back to regroup and refocus on their individual paths.

 

I’ve been a fan of Sullivan’s work for some time. She excels at crafting dynamic, yet flawed characters and strong relationships. What she has crafted with Sam and Elisabeth is so real, so genuine. I quickly forgot they were fictional characters.  Though I’m long beyond the new mom or college student years, each of these characters resonated with me.  I most certainly experienced many of the things that they each endured, struggling with identity and purpose at monumental phases in my life.  Both women are forced to question whether they can/should strive for their goals while the demands of relationships weigh heavily on their minds.

Sullivan manages to weave issues about money, class, marriage, and more into this truly dynamic read.   While many people reach for light and fluffy reads for the summer, I reach for the ones that make me think.  For this reason, I wholeheartedly believe that this title should top your must-read books of summer list. Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Friends and Strangers by J. Courtney Sullivan first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Also by this author: Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, Lock Every Door, The House Across the Lake
Published by Penguin on June 30, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 400
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Every house has a story to tell and a secret to tell. When Maggie was young, she lived with her parents in a Victorian mansion in the Vermont.  They only lived in Baneberry Hall for three weeks before fleeing in terror in the middle of the night.  Her father, Ewan, recounted their terrifying tale in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors.  Though she had no memory of what happened that night, the repercussions of her father's book has haunted Maggie for the last two decades. After her father passes away, Maggie learns he never sold the home after they fled.  Even worse, she's now inherited the ominous home.  Maggie's father urged her never to return to Baneberry Hall, but as a restorer of old homes, she can't resist.  Always the skeptic, she plans to simply renovate the home and sell it off. The past always comes back to haunt you...and soon Maggie finds herself  attempting to uncover secrets that are more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.

This is one of the books of the summer you cannot miss, the very kind of book I’ve been seeking. I love a good haunted house tale and this one certainly reeled me in.   Told in alternating time periods/points of view, Sager weaves a completely mesmerizing and expertly crafted thriller.  The reader follows Maggie as she rediscovers her childhood home, while simultaneously witnessing the saga as it unfolded twenty-five years ago, through her father’s book.

The setting Sager creates is dark and chilling. You sense the dread and the fear as you read, spine tingling and skin prickling throughout the entire book.  I rarely liken things to horror greats like The Haunting of Hill House, but this one definitely has some similarities.  The house comes alive, in a sense, telling the story that must be told.  The pure terror, no matter what the cause, contained within the walls of the home.

Unlike many horror greats, Sager’s female characters are not weak or afraid. They are true heroines. This is one of the many qualities of Sager’s titles I appreciate the most.  While I have enjoyed all of Sager’s titles, this one takes the lead as my favorite.  A horror and thriller all in one; the makings of a perfect book, in my mind!

Turn off all the lights. Lock all the windows and doors.  This is a tale you’ll want to read in one sitting.  Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Home Before Dark by Riley Sager first appeared on .

On the outside, Claire Cook has the perfect life.  She and her husband, a political dynasty with a path to greatness, live in a townhouse in Manhattan.  Her schedule, down to the clothes she's to wear, are planned for her.

However, when they are behind the privacy of closed doors, her perfect husband has a temper.  If he believes Claire isn't living up to his standards of a perfect wife, he takes his anger out on her.  He has eyes and ears on everything she does...or so he thinks.  He doesn't realize for the last several months, Claire has been working on a plan to disappear.

Eva, too, is looking for a chance at a new life.  When they happen to run into one another at a bar in the airport, they make a last minute decision to switch tickets.  Claire takes Eva's ticket to Oakland, Eva travels to Puerto Rico as Claire.  It all changes when Claire's flight, the one Eva is on, goes down.  No survivors.

Without options, Claire assume's Eva's identity and uncovers the actual reason Eva was looking for a new life, secrets that now put Claire's life in danger.

It’s been a while since I’ve written a review.  Not because I haven’t read anything, but nothing lately has jumped out at me and screamed “Now this is a book I want to talk about!”

Apologies in advance for all the cliches, but this is going to be the thriller of the summer.  While some may curl up with a beach read in the summer, I go for the thrillers, books that get my heart racing.  This one meets those criteria.

While it may seem that I’ve give a lot away in my summary of the book, all of that is revealed in the cover-flap and essentially takes place in the early portions of the book.  So much is left for the reader to dive into.

I love when authors carefully plot out the big reveals, releasing them when the reader is least expecting it.  There are quite a few in this one, scenes or big reveals that made me gasp or my jaw drop. Additionally, the characters she crafts in Claire and Eva are truly well-rounded.   While my opinion of Claire largely stayed the same throughout, I found my feelings about Eva to transform the most drastically.

Prepare to devote all of your time to this title, for once you start it, you won’t be able to stop.  Recommended!

The post Review: The Last Flight by Julie Clark first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
Published by Tom Doherty Associates on April 21, 2020
Genres: Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology, Fiction, Gothic, Psychological, Thrillers
Pages: 224
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Novelist Cassandra Tipp has been known to be a bit eccentric. Now a recluse, she has gone missing.  The only thing that remains is her fortune and one final manuscript.

The story told in these pages details what happened out there in the woods, those years ago.  What led to her husband's death and the murder-suicide of her father and brother.

Reading the story won't come without consequences, however.  If you want to seek the information required to obtain her fortune, you must be willing to pay the consequences.

When I started reading this book, I had no idea what I was getting into.  The cover is dark and pretty ominous.  The premise alludes to a dark and deadly past.  A story within a story, which is to believed?

I have to admit, when I finished reading, I sat back and asked myself, “What did I just read!?”  I allowed this story to percolate a bit in my mind before reading this and I’ve come to realize what I read was sheer brilliance.  Honestly, I’ve never read anything like it.

I wanted someone to know, you see. To know my truth, now that I am gone.
How everything and none of it happened.

I hesitate to put too much in this review for I feel that readers should experience it first hand.  Putting it to word, to print, without the context of the book, I fear, will shatter the experience.  Ultimately, this is one of those novels that I feel people will love or hate, based on one’s ability to suspend disbelief and look at alternative, perhaps completely illogical, explanations.

This book still has me thinking about what really happened.  Just when I think I’m on one side, I vacillate and switch to the other.  A sign of a great read is one that leaves you thinking.  This title certainly lives up to to that criteria.  Highly recommended!

Warning: not for the squeamish!

The post Review: You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce first appeared on .

I heard about the Murderbot Diaries a few months ago.   I'm not sure how this series went under my radar for so long.  And the fan base! Such love for Murderbot.  Now I see why!

Murderbot is a self-aware SecUnit (security android) that has hacked the module that would typically control it. Based in a distant future in which everything is controlled by the Company, a self-aware SecUnit is unheard of.  SecUnits are intended to protect exploratory teams on planetary missions.  They aren't supposed to have..feelings.

Murderbot, with an understandable hatred toward human beings, just wants to lay low until it can fully understand what it has become. Unfortunately, that's not really an option.

The Murderbot Diaries are, you guessed it, diaries of Murderbot's missions.  Each are novella size, falling under 200 pages, so the perfect binge read.

What compelled me to devour these now? Well, novellas seemed perfect for the read-a-thon I participated in this weekend.  And, much to the joy of all Murderbot fans,  the first, full-length standalone novel, Network Effect, is due to release next week!

Why did I become such a quick fan of this series? Murderbot is  full of wit, humor, sarcasm and an insane desire to binge-watch it's favorite TV serial.  Murderbot doesn't crave death and destruction, but instead just a chance at the humanity it was denied.  I'd venture to say Murderbot has more compassion than many humans.

You have just enough time to obtain and read these 4 novella before the full-length novel releases.  I, personally, am having a very hard time waiting!

Highly, highly recommended!

The post Short Takes: Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells first appeared on .

It’s here! Read-a-thon day!

I’m off to a late start (reading at least) but I made cinnamon rolls, dinner is in the crock pot, the dog has been walked, and I’m in my comfy reading outfit ready to read!

Up first: I want to finish reading Master Clas by Christina Dalcher. I meant to finish reading it last night but I got sucked into watching The Good Fight and lost track of time!

I’ll be using Instagram to update my progress! You can follow me and/or check back for updates to the gallery below!

jennsbookshelves

jennsbookshelf@gmail.com Wine-loving book fanatic. Book reviewer since 2008. Book Club moderator @ One More Page Books in Arlington, VA.

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My Summer Reading Challenge kicks off on Monday! I

Another week of scrolling the socials means my TBR

The summer reading challenge I host kicks off on M

Edited to add: Not sure why Instagram isn't postin

Mid-week reading check-in time, Last/Now/Next styl

ICYMI: I’m hosting a summer reading challenge that

Giving myself the gift of a reread: A Requiem for

5th‑grade Jenn is screaming right now! Today’s #bo

Thanks to all the rain, I spent the entire weekend

True facts. Forever imprinted. I may not know my f

Each summer, I host a Summer Reading Challenge and

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Happy Release Day to C.N. Crawford's VEILED COURT!

This week is shaping up to be another great week f

Raise your hand if you’re sprinting to the library

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The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: April 2020 Update Post first appeared on .

This read-a-thon serves as my 11th anniversary!  I started participating in this read-a-thon in April of 2009!  Boy, has time changed.   I flipped through images of read-a-thon’s past and discovered I’ve gone through 5-6 reading chairs (I’m picky about my reading spots. Apparently so are my cats). I did used to stay up and read for 24 hours, but for the last several years I’ve been reading until I’m tired and then I just stop.  Typically, I get through about 5 books per read-a-thon.

Other traditions remain.  For snacks, we ALWAYS have cinnamon rolls for breakfast and Totino’s pizza rolls for lunch. The snacks that come in between change up, but it’s nice having those constants. Also, my boys were so little when I started (10 and 3!) and now they are HUGE young men!  While they don’t participate any longer, they do understand what it means when I say “It’s read-a-thon day!”  Essentially, stay quiet and don’t bug Mom :).

I’ve been working on my TBR stack all week.  It’s changed quite a bit.  I used to be able to rely on the library, but ours has been closed for some time due to the pandemic.  Thankfully, I can still borrow ebooks through OverDrive and Hoopla.  Additionally, I’ve added some books I already own and copies I have for review consideration.

For now, here is my TBR stack!

Are you participating in the read-a-thon? There is still time to sign up!  You don’t have to have a blog; you can participate via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!

The post Dewey’s 24-Hour #Readathon: April 2020 first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier
Also by this author: Jar of Hearts
Published by St. Martin's Publishing Group on April 21, 2020
Genres: Crime, Fiction, Psychological, Thrillers
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Marin had everything.  She married her college sweetheart, her chain of upscale hair salons are booming.  Yet in just a matter of seconds that's all taken from her when her son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, she really hasn't moved on.  Her life is stagnant. Derek, her husband, is always away on travel. When he is home, they barely speak. The FBI's investigation has all but ceased.   She hired a private investigator to pick up where the other investigations have left off.   When she gets an email from the investigator, asking to meet, Marin is anxious for an update.  Yet the news she gets isn't anywhere close to what she imagined.  Rather than getting news about Sebastian, she learns her husband has been having an affair.

Full of rage, Marin is brought back to life.  She has no control over her son's kidnapper, but this person, this young woman who has threatened what she has remaining in this world, has a face and an identity.  This is someone she has control over; someone whose existence now lay in her hands.

No one does psychological thrillers like Hillier! This is the sixth title of hers I’ve read and loved!  She’s done it again; I think she can’t possibly top her last book but this one…this one most certainly tops them all.

A parent’s loss of a child is devastating.  Oftentimes, it can difficult to relay that range of emotion on the page.  The author excelled at crafting Marin’s character.  What she experiences, from guilt and sadness to rage and anger, is pure and genuine.  As a mother, I felt it,  too. Within a matter of a few pages I was completely invested in Marin’s character and the next devastating path fate dealt to her.

As the story continued, and I followed Marin on this journey to regain control of her life, I was not at all prepared for the destination.  The sheer volume of twists, turns and “WTAF-ery” I experienced as I read compelled me to finish this book in one sitting.  There was no way I was going to put it down, not even for a moment.

If you haven’t read Hillier’s other titles, order them now from your favorite independent bookstore.  All of them.  She’s one of the few authors I will auto-buy, without even reading a synopsis, for I know I am destined for an absolutely thrilling read. Though others have compared Hillier’s titles to those “Girl” books, there is no comparison. Hillier is on an entirely different level.  Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Also by this author: My Best Friend's Exorcism, Paperbacks from Hell
Published by Quirk Books on April 7, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Supernatural, Thrillers
Pages: 408
Format: Hardcover
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Patricia Campbell's role as a stay-at-home mom has evolved over time. Now that her children have gotten older and have their own lives, they don't need her as much anymore.  Instead, a large portion of her time is taking care of her senile mother-in-law.  The one thing she looks forward to is her book club.

They aren't the "traditional" book club, so to speak.  What once started as a stuffy, boring discussion of the "standard" book club choices transitioned into one focused on true-crime. Made up of some of her closer friends, their discussion easily vacillates between neighborhood gossip and the most recent serial killer they've read about.

Everything changes when they meet James Harris. James moves into the neighborhood to take care of his elderly aunt.  Thus far, he's kept to himself, preferring to keep indoors during the day.  Patricia's mother-in-law swears that she knew him as a child, but her senility prevents anyone from really believing in her.

When strange things begin happening in town, and children begin to go missing, Patricia worries that the very man they've welcomed into their homes is just as deadly as they killers they discuss in book club.  Unfortunately, James Harris has won the hearts of those around him.  It's up to Patricia and her book club to rid the their neighborhood of the monster that dwells among them.

Whoah!! I’m a fan of Hendrix’s books (I’ve read every one of them) but this one quickly rose to the top as a favorite.  Toted as Dracula meets Steel Magnolias or Fried Green Tomatoes, it really is the most unique of vampire tales.  Hendrix took his time building up the characters, allowing readers to get a fake sense of security about this southern book club.  Additionally, it pays homage to the 80s and 90s and some of the traditional vampire lore, but quickly takes off to create a truly captivating and genuinely well-developed story-line.

Those  who have read Hendrix before are familiar with his satire; though it’s not as prolific in this title it certainly comes to light several times throughout.  This, too, is perhaps a touch higher on the horror and gore scale (I’m not complain) so perhaps this is why I tend to favor it more than the others.

Hendrix excels and proving what I’ve been saying for years: book clubs kick ass!

All in all, a completely captivating read. Highly, highly recommended!

The post Review: The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix first appeared on .

A young grad student gets off the train, no knowledge of his identity.  Questioned, he claims the first identity he sees: Manny (Manhattan). At some level, he can feel that his past had tones of overpowering violence, but as yet is unable to comprehend the full picture.   As he enters the city, he can feel the power held within, the very essence flows through him.  He is not alone.

Throughout the city, there are others like him.  Physical avatars of the other boroughs of the city, the call to join together to help heal the primary avatar and overcome an invading evil weaving its tentacles through the very essence of what makes New York the diverse city it has become.

Words cannot describe the poetic power that resides within the pages of this book.  We often refer to the soul of a city, but what if a city had an actual soul? A soul so strong that it takes the form of a human avatar?

This is but just the start of a new series of great cities; I found it quite fitting that New York be the first. The great city of New York, its very existence threatened by a Woman in White who threatens gentrification through force, ignoring the brilliant beauty in the diversity of those who inhabit the city.

Jemisin excels at story-telling, this frighteningly so close to reality world is no different. While I could have rushed through my reading of this book, I found myself intentionally pausing, putting the book down, refusing to allow the conclusion.  There isn’t a single aspect of this book that I can critique, so instead I shall sit back and commend its absolute brilliance.

Though labeled as fantasy, readers will pick up on stark and frightening realities that exist in our very real, very terrifying world.  As I read this book, we are all watching citizens of New York as they are forced to join together an fight against the enemy that is COVID-19.  Jemisin describes a city as a family that must come together to protect one another, for fear of death.  Did it not send chills down my spine when I realized that the very moment I closed this book, the 7:00 PM hour, is the very moment New Yorkers come together through cheers and applause, to thank the first responders as they battle this horrific enemy?

This is the first book I’ve given five stars to in some time; likely the last. This is a book that everyone should be reading, fans of fantasy or not.  Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Return by Rachel Harrison
Published by Penguin on March 24th 2020
Genres: Fiction, Horror, Occult & Supernatural
Pages: 304
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

Julie went missing after a hike in the woods.  After months pass, many believe she is gone for good.  Elise, however, knows deep down that Julie has somehow survived.  Then, two years to the day she disappeared, Julie returns, seemingly with no knowledge of what transpired over the last few years.

Elise and Julie plan to join their closest college friends, Molly and Mae, on a girls reunion trip to a remote inn. When they see Julie, now emaciated and a shell of the woman she used to be, they know something is wrong.  As their weekend continues, more and more is revealed about how Julie has changed.  What happened to Julie in those woods and who, or what, returned in her place?

This is just what I was craving; a completely unique and chilling read.

The setting was phenomenal; a remote inn, with extravagantly- themed rooms.  Having stayed at a hotel like this before, I can vouch to feelings of unease when our senses are surrounded by a setting so unique.

The dynamic between the four women was completely transfixing.  Elise was closest to Julie and the first to see that something was very wrong with her; the others chalked it up to her experience and the recovery.  Eventually, as more was revealed, however, they were the quickest to distance themselves from her, yet pushing Elise to find out more about what happened those two years she was gone.

As Julie sheds  the facade of the young beautiful woman she used to be, her true identity is absolutely terrifying.  Bit by bit, an aspect of her beauty is lost. Certainly not something anyone squeamish should endure!  While the origination of her…altered self wasn’t fully detailed, it was just enough to add to overall feelings of dread and terror.

This is a title that will make you want to read with the lights on, and remind you to never, never hike alone.

The post Review: The Return by Rachel Harrison first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
Published by Simon and Schuster on March 17, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Psychological, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 320
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts spent the majority of her life in doctor's offices and hospitals.  She received a feeding tube when she was just days old.  She was bound to her wheelchair, her hair fell out, and her teeth rotted. Despite all the tests and doctors, no one could determine the cause.  Her neighbors held fundraisers to pay for her care; hundreds of people prayed for her recovery.  Unfortunately, however it turns out the very hand that feed her was the one causing all the pain.

Her mother, Patty Watts, served five years in prison. Rose Gold's testimony was the key that lead to her sentencing.  Up until the end, Rose Gold refused to visit her.  However, in a shocking turn of events, Rose Gold opens her home to her mother.

Patty says she forgives Rose Gold, but Rose Gold is no longer a naive and weak child.  She's grown and matured in the last few years.  She's ready to face her torturer.  Even more, she's ready to even the score.

What a completely twisty read! The format (alternating chapters from the point of views of Patty and Rose Gold) really add to the tension, for the reader follows both women from the past to the present, Patty focusing on repairing the tarnish on her name while Rose Gold delves into what transpired the five years her mother spent in prison.  The challenge is knowing whose point of view you can trust (if any) in a completely astounding series of twists and turns.

As an avid fan of thrillers (I read quite a lot of them) I tend to pick up on things quickly, not very often shocked or surprised by what I read.  Yet every time I turned the page, I gasped or was completely astounded by what was transpiring.  I was completely captivated throughout the read, staying up far too late to finish.

One of the challenges of a twisty read is the conclusion.  Do you leave it open ended? Or try to wrap it up neatly, everything “solved” in the last few pages? What Wrobel did (yes, I’m being completely vague here), left me turning the last pages, gasping, the only word I was able to utter was “Wow!”

Highly, highly recommended.

The post Review: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Deep by Alma Katsu
Also by this author: The Hunger, Red Widow
Published by Penguin on March 10, 2020
Genres: Fiction, General, Historical, Horror, Thrillers
Pages: 432
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

Among the passengers of the Titanic, something sinister lingers. Disappearances, mysterious deaths, and attempted suicide are on the minds of many as they sail through the quiet and desolate ocean.  Annie Hebbley, a quiet and obedient stewardess, finds herself afflicted with strange compulsions toward the Fletcher's, one families she is assigned to assist.  She finds herself questioning the stability of the mother, and drawn to their infant child and the father, Mark. Though they have never met prior to boarding the ship, she feels a connection that cannot be broken.

Alas, before the passengers are able to find the root of their uneasy feelings, tragedy strikes and the ship sinks.

Four years later, while Annie has survived the fate of the Titanic, she has spent the time since in an asylum, refusing to alert her family of her existence.  She finds relief work as a nurse on the Titanic’s sister ship, the Britannic, now a wartime hospital ship.  When she learns that Mark, too, survived the sinking and is now a patient on board the Brittanic, something that has lain hidden over the last several years reawakens.  What if the ghosts of her past, the very ones that led her to flee on the Titanic,  are the very ones responsible for the terror that inflicted the passengers?

Leave it to Katsu to turn an already terrifying historical series of events to something even more sinister and horrific! I’ve long been obsessed with the events that led to the sinking of the Titanic, so when I learned of the premise of Katsu’s newest title, I knew I had to read it.

An insane amount of research went into the writing of this title. It’s obvious in the details (but also in Katsu’s social media streams, be sure to follow those if you don’t already); The Deep is based on Violet Jessop, an actual survivor of both the Titanic and the Brittanic.  What I find is most remarkable about this title is that Katsu is able to put a completely unique (and horrifying) twist on a series of events that are such a big part of world history.  Deep down, although I knew the fate of both ships, the sheer suspense and detail in Katsu’s writing kept me captivated, almost as if I was on-board the ships as well.  The pacing creeps along like the mighty ships through the ocean waters, slow and steady, the destination simultaneously daunting and unknown.

I’ve intentionally left details out regarding the provenance of the evil that lurks on these sister ships; it is up to the reader to uncover these details on their own.

All in all, a completely compelling and chilling read! Highly recommended!

The post Review: The Deep by Alma Katsu first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Chill by Scott Carson
Published by Simon and Schuster on February 11, 2020
Genres: Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher
Goodreads

In upstate New York, a village lays beneath the waters of the Chilewaukee reservoir.  Politicians of that era deemed the demise of the town necessary for the greater good; millions of people living downstate now had access to water.  Locals, however, believed differently. Residents of the small village since the formation of this country, they held a grudge against the big-city politicians that wiped their homes from existence.  Generations later, many have moved to the neighboring village, feelings of malcontent ever-present.  Some say the citizens of the village never left, continuing to watch over the land they held so precious.

Now, an inspector finds that the dam has been neglected for far too long. The waters of the Chilewaukee (known to locals as The Chill) hold more than just an abandoned village. A dark prophecy remains, one that is aching to be fulfilled.  An abundance of rain causes the water levels to rise, increasing the call for a sacrifice pay for the sins of their fathers.

I enjoy a good thriller with a well-developed backstory! The story of the Chilewaukee reservoir is a haunting one; an entire village lay submerged beneath the water.  With it comes a cast of well-developed characters, both past and present.  Aaron Ellsworth, son of the sheriff, had so much going for him until one single act cost him is future. Gillian Mathers, a police officer, has direct ties to those lost in the Chilewaukee.  Her father, Deshawn, works on the very tunnels that bring the reservoir water down to Manhattan.  His character seems to be the only one accepting of the fate that has been bestowed upon them.  Once fearful of what remains beneath the reservoir water, a newly gained respect is earned once he understands it’s power.

This thriller has been pegged by many as a horror, simply because of the mention of ghosts and a haunting past. I feel this does this a disservice, immediately removing it as an option for those who prefer not to read that genre. I wouldn’t call this a horror, much like I wouldn’t classify a book with a love scene as a romance.  This has far more of the characteristics of a thriller for it to be labeled anything but that.

My only challenge with this title is the nicely wrapped up ending. It seemed to rushed; give me an ambiguous ending over a rushed one anytime!

Finally, though the name Scott Carson may seem like a new name to the thriller game, it is just a pen name for an author many of us have grown to love.  I was given a hint prior to reading this title, but elements of his previous writing made it quite apparent early in the read.  I’ll be interested to see who guesses the identity (without Googling!).

All in all, a truly captivating read.

The post Review: The Chill by Scott Carson first appeared on .

I sincerely hope everyone who participated (officially or unofficially) in the #biggamereadathon enjoyed themselves!  It’s time to report back on our success!  In the comments below, or in a blog or Instagram post, share your successes. Don’t forget to mention if the predictions you made earlier in the game came true!  Discuss your favorite parts of the read-a-thon, was it the food, the books, or the commercials?

Thanks to all who participated!  This just goes to show you can turn any event into a bookish event

The post 2020 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Post-Game! first appeared on .

Half-time is here! It’s is time to reminisce on what you’ve read so far today.  How has your reading gone so far?  What snacks have you partaken in?

Despite all of my attempts, I wasn’t able to start a book on our drive home from Philadelphia.  That said, I did start reading as soon as the game came on!  I’m reading The Chill by Scott Carson! 

As far as food, so far we’ve partaken in: pizza, wings, buffalo chicken dip, potato skins, pigs in a blanket!

While there won’t be any official posts until the wrap-up tomorrow, keep us updated on your progress in the comments below or, if you are on Twitter, use the hashtag #biggamereadathon!

Game on!

The post 2020 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Half-Time! first appeared on .

It’s finally here, the kick-off for The Big Game’s On Read-a-thon!  Although the official Superbowl kick-off isn’t for several hours yet, I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to start reading if they choose! There’s still time to sign-up if you haven’t already!

Please enter the link to your kick-off post below.  Discuss the books you are planning to read, the food you are planning to snack on, etc.  Since this is a completely laid back, relaxed read-a-thon, feel free to do it any way you chose! No blog, no worries! Just share your plans in the comments below, on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Just make sure you use the hashtag #biggamereadathon so we can keep track of your posts!

We’re in Philly heading back to DC today, so while my reading will start early, the food part starts when we get home!  Pizza, wings, appetizers and buffalo chicken dip are the plan!

What is your reading/food line-up!?

The post 2020 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Kick-Off! first appeared on .

It’s Superbowl Eve! Before the big game begins tomorrow, I wanted to go over a few “rules”, which aren’t really rules per se but to go along with the whole football game theme I’ve got to stick to the terminology! 

The read-a-thon officially runs all day tomorrow, February 2nd.  Sign up here!

You do not have to spend the entire day reading. Read an hour here or there, no pressure.

A kick-off post will go up tomorrow at 6 am.  Again, no pressure, just do your post whenever you feel like it.

Mini-challenge posts will pop up periodically throughout the day.  Feel free to participate in as many as you like, but again, these are not mandatory.

A wrap-up post will go up first thing on Monday morning.

Ok, I think that covers it!  Easy peasy, right? Check back tomorrow morning for the official kick-off post!

The post 2020 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon: Pregame first appeared on .

The details:

• No rules, no guidelines, just read
• No start/end times, just read at your leisure.
• Mini-challenges will be created to break up your reading time. Participating in these challenges is not mandatory, but you will be eligible for a number of great prizes!

To sign up, link up below. I will create a separate kick-off link-up on Superbowl Sunday for all participants as well! No blog? Feel free to sign up directly in the comments section. If you want to participate on Twitter or Instagram, I’ll be using #biggamereadathon!

The post 2020 Big Game’s On Read-a-thon! first appeared on .

The fiction book club I lead at One More Page Books kicks off the new year by talking about our favorite reads of the previous year.  We call it a book club potluck: instead of food we bring book recommendations! This aren’t necessarily book club picks, but books we’ve read outside of book club that we’ve really enjoyed. Additionally, they don’t have to have been published recently, simply books we’ve read in the last year. This is my favorite meeting of the year; we always come up with quite the eclectic list of books!

Without further ado! The link will take you to a page to purchase it from my favorite indie; they will ship to you!!

Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive by Stephanie Land

Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid: this was one of my favorite reads as well.  I personally preferred the audiobook.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow: Another favorite of mine! I listened to the audio, which was fantastic.  The only downside is there were so many quotes I would have highlighted; I’m sure I’ll break down and buy the print version as well.

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee: This was one of our book club picks. We all loved it; such a phenomenal title!

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni: Another book club pick.  This title has so many discussion worthy topics!

We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter: This one has been on my to-read list for a while. Time to bump it up the list!

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles: Yet another book club pick! This seems to be a favorite of many!

The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes: One of my first reads of this year! This is a good one! Quite different than her other books but most definitely worth the read.

Becoming by Michelle Obama: This one goes without saying. Such a phenomenal read (or listen).

Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube: Chasing Fear and Finding Home in the Great White North by Blair Braverman: If this title doesn’t grab you, I don’t know what will.  This is another I’ve added to my must-read list!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: A favorite of this bookstore, and of mine as well. Such a great book!

Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe: This one came with a recommendation NOT to listen to the audio. This one was already on my  must-read list so I’m bumping it up a few spots!

Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD: In which I learned that my glass of wine right before bedtime isn’t really helping me sleep. I mean…are they sure!?

The Overstory by Richard Powers: Recommended, but with the caveat that it’s not a book for everyone.

The Valley of Amazement by Amy Tan: I just love everything Tan has written. It didn’t surprise me this made the list!

Not all of my personal favorites are listed here; you can see a complete listing here.

The post Book Club: Favorite Reads of 2019! first appeared on .

I received this book for free from the publisher (egalley) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Published by Penguin on December 31,2019
Genres: Coming of Age, Fiction, Literary, Racial Issues, Women
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher (egalley)
Goodreads

Alix Chamberlain has made a name for herself by blogging about products she's tried. Early on, she'd write a company asking for something she wants, and they'd sent it to her, no charge.  She quickly learned that she can get anything she wants, just by asking. She grew up in an affluent family and never really had to do without.  She's shocked when Emira, her daughter's babysitter, is confronted by a security guard one night. She'd rushed to the Chamberlain's aid while she was out with her friends, so her attire and her skin color instantly led the guard believe she was up to no good. Everything is caught on camera by a bystander.  Outraged by the incident, Alix is determined to make it up to Emira.

At twenty-five, Emira has no idea what she wants to do with her life.  She's about to age-out of her parent's health insurance. Working as a sitter barely sustains her; daily she's forced to confront her status in life compared to that of her employer.  After the incident, she's well aware of Mrs. Chamberlain's attempts to take her on as her newest project.  Deep down, she knows this isn't the life for her, but what alternatives does she have?

When the video of the incident is released, both women are forced to come to terms with their own realities.  The result of this confrontation will impact one more than the other in this dual "coming of age."

 

In looking for my first book to read of 2020, I found many examples of praise and acclaim for this title.  The premise is certainly timely and I found myself quickly immersed in Emira’s story.  For all of her life, she’s struggled to succeed and to find a true purpose in life.  It’s not ironic that she finds herself working for a women who can literally get anything she wants.

To the Chamberlains, Emira is a project. Their treatment of her is a direct reaction to the incident that caused Emira to be at a corner grocery store with a toddler: a rock being thrown through their front window in reaction to a racist comment made by Mr. Chamberlain, a news anchor. Emira reluctantly agrees, knowing that she doesn’t have many options.  It sickened me to see how Emira was treated, like a wound that could be fixed by applying a few bandages. The end result was ultimately worse than the original incident.  Emira must awaken and embrace her own self worth before she realizes that one shouldn’t sacrifice their own value in order to succeed in a society that is truly based on the survival of the fittest.

Racial issues is just one of the many  issues addressed in this book, and clearly the one that stood out for me the most.  It certainly has a vast array of themes that make this a novel filled to the brim with discussion worthy topics. You better believe it will become one of my book club’s selections when it releases in paperback!  I can’t wait to read more from Reid; she clearly has a fresh voice who needs to be heard!

The post Review: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid first appeared on .

It’s been a challenging year, to say the very least. I spent the first few months of the year in bed, suffering from a horrific case of pneumonia.  One would think that would lend to a lot of reading time when, in fact, it did not.

One of my goals of 2020 is learn to manage my time better.  This has come to be a struggle, especially with working two jobs.  Rather, I want to spend more time doing what I enjoy: spending time with my family and truly immersing myself in books.

While this is probably the shortest year in review posts I have done (except for last year; I didn’t do one at all!) I feel it is a rather eclectic list!   I don’t claim that these are the best books of 2019, they are simply my personal favorite.  I’ve linked them to my review (when applicable).

Without further ado (present in no specific order!):

We Met in December by Rosie Curtis
Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson*
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
The Remaking by Clay Chapman
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee*
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
Anatomy of A Miracle by Jonathan Miles*
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

Audiobooks
Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Circe
The Whisper Network

*book club selections

The post Favorite Books of 2019 first appeared on .

Twenty-two year old Bobby Saraceno has passed for white his entire life. Growing up, the only glimpse Bobby had of is father's race and culture was through his grandfather's bigoted eyes.  It wasn't until he was an adolescent that he uncovered the truth. Fearing his safety and freedom, he continued to live as a white young man, hiding this secret from everyone, including his childhood best friend Aaron.

Now, Aaron has been released from prison.  They were once quite close; Aaron served as his protector and shield from bullies in school.  The Aaron that returns home from prison is a newly radicalized white supremacist.  The secrets that Bobby kept from Aaron come rushing forward, as he's now forced to confront the secret he's held so close for so long.

Yet on the night of their reunion, Bobby is a witness to Aaron brutally assaulting a young black man. Aaron claims he was doing it to protect Bobby, yet Bobby knows this attack was fueled by racism.  Not only does he have to keep the secret of his mixed race from Aaron, he must too find a way to hide his involvement in the crime.

This is most certainly a one-sitting read.  I read it during a particularly long (15+ hour) car ride. I was immediately drawn to it for personal reasons; my own two boys are biracial. Bobby’s character is a truly sympathetic one; despite the fact that he hid a large portion of his identity from those around him, I sympathized with him based on the world in which he was raised.  To his grandfather, African American boys were trouble, free of any sort of good intentions.  Though on some level his grandfather wanted to protect him from those seemingly destined to do him harm, the life he lived in was certainly more caustic and detrimental than the life he could have led with his father.

I personally felt that readers would benefit more if we were granted a deeper access into Bobby’s childhood and what shaped the young man he became.  What we are granted just skims the surface; I feel there is much more there that could add Bobby’s overall character. While I did experience a sense of connection, it would have been stronger had there been more.

That’s not to say that I didn’t gain anything from reading this book, for I most certainly did. These are the type of books we should be seeing more on bookshelves, stories that, until now, haven’t been granted a voice. This is the sort of book that generates discussions, for race relations in our country during this time were riddled with memories of the Los Angeles riots and the OJ Simpson trial.  Giving these stories voice will only aid in the progression and change that our country so desperately needs.

The post Review: Three-Fifths by John Vercher first appeared on .

Another year of Thankfully Reading Weekend has come to an end! While I never get as much reading done as I’d like, I did quite enjoy the time off with my family!

For those of you interested in doing a wrap-up post, I’ve included a link-up below.

Don’t forget, challenges are still up:

Thankfully Reading Weekend Bingo!
What’s the Menu for a Good Book? 
Which Book Are You Most Thankful For?

Small Business Saturday Challenge

Thank you again to all who participated. Get those last few hours of reading in!!

The post 2019 #ThankfullyReading Weekend Wrap-Up first appeared on .

It’s Day Four of Thankfully Reading Weekend! Can you believe how quickly the time has flown by?

Today, I encourage you to take a small break from reading to participate in Small Business Saturday.  Have a local independent bookstore? Pay them a visit and let them know how much you appreciate them!  As the owner of my own small business, I do appreciate the importance of shopping local!

Though we’re traveling, I’ll still be shopping online from my favorite independent bookstore,  One More Page Books in Arlington, VA!  My sister and I are taking my Mom out today so we may hit up a few local small businesses here as well.

Today’s challenge is easy! Did you visit your local indie today? Share a pic of your purchases!  Include the post with pic or list of books you picked up in the link up  below!

Don’t forget to take part in Deb’s BINGO challenge over at Readerbuzz!  Win a $25 Book Depository gift card!

The post 2019 #ThankfullyReading Weekend: Day Four! first appeared on .