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By Book or By Crook
By Book or By Crook: A Lighthouse Library Mystery | Eva Gates
51 posts | 43 read | 52 to read
Get bound up in murder in the first Lighthouse Library mystery! For ten years Lucy has enjoyed her job poring over rare tomes of literature for the Harvard Library, but she has not enjoyed the demands of her familys social whorl or her sort-of-engagement to the staid son of her fathers law partner. But when her ten-year relationship implodes, Lucy realizes that the plot of her life is in need of a serious rewrite. Calling on her aunt Ellen, Lucy hopes that a little fun in the Outer Banks sunand some confections from her cousin Josies bakerywill help clear her head. But her retreat quickly turns into an unexpected opportunity when Aunt Ellen gets her involved in the lighthouse library tucked away on Bodie Island. Lucy is thrilled to land a librarian job in her favorite place in the world. But when a priceless first edition Jane Austen novel is stolen and the chair of the library board is murdered, Lucy suddenly finds herself ensnared in a real-life mysteryand shes not so sure theres going to be a happy ending....
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review
Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this cozy mystery set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The main character was likable and the setting was great. As usual for a cozy it made me very hungry. This was my work book club pick for August.

Bookpearl Love the case! 8mo
65 likes1 comment
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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this. Loved the setting of the library inside the lighthouse. I also liked (most of) the characters. I will absolutely be continuing this cozy series. I want to see what happens with Lucy and Butch… or Lucy and Connor! And, of course, I loved Charles, the library cat

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keys_on_fire
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Pickpick

Finished this earlier in the day for my second bingo!
This is totally getting me in the mood for my OBX trip in June. It‘s so neat to read a book where you recognize places that you‘ve been to. I plan to read the next two in the series before I go!

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CrowCAH
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Loved this section how the teenage boy thought P&P with Keira Knightley on the cover would be like POTC 🏴‍☠️ lol

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 2y
50 likes1 comment
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CrowCAH
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Pickpick

Okay so I initially picked this up because the lighthouse library gets to display first editions of Jane Austen‘s six novels and her notebook. I was very pleased with the reverence the librarians showed the books. Even the *spoiler* crook who stole a couple of them did treat the books kindly.

A very fun cozy mystery!

JamieArc I read this right before I went to Nag‘s Head for vacation. This is a real lighthouse, and it was fun to visit, though sadly does not have a library. 2y
CrowCAH @JamieArc that is sooo cool! Hopefully they had a delicious bakery full of treats nearby; I was hoping to eat some through the book! 😆 2y
JamieArc @CrowCAH Not next door, but in town! I definitely did some good eating while there. The scenery was really pretty though. There was a boardwalk over the wetlands. Worth a visit if you are ever in the Outer Banks! 2y
61 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Librarybelle
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I love this cozy mystery series set in a library inside of a lighthouse. While this may be a stretch for #200PnPCovers , there is a Jane Austen connection! The library has an opportunity to temporarily display priceless first editions of Jane Austen‘s novels. What happens when one of the books disappears? #Money and funding becomes an issue, along with a dead body. The MC Licy, an energetic librarian, is on the case!

CrowCAH OMG I‘m literally reading this book now!!! 2y
mabell I forgot the Austen connection in this! Nice job! 2y
70 likes1 stack add2 comments
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CrowCAH
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#JulyJourneys #Lighthouse

A cozy mystery I‘d like to read, it involves a Jane Austen manuscript!

GondorGirl What? You reading something with a Jane Austin twist?! Nah. 🤣🤣🤣 3y
CrowCAH @GondorGirl 😆 you know me so well, never would I ever… 😉 3y
Eggs Great photo with the nautically themed background ❤️💙❤️ 3y
CrowCAH @Eggs nautical is what half my room is decorated in, that includes the pirates 🏴‍☠️ 3y
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
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TheAromaofBooks
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!!!!! @sblbooks Thank you so much for the #CozySwap package!! I love it all!! I hate reading books out of order, so I was super stoked to get the first three books in a series!! The fluffy blanket is so soft!! Also, I actually have a weird thing for pumpkins that are blue/teal/green, so this one is PERFECT! I love it all!!

Thank you again for hosting @Avanders @ferskner @Chrissyreadit - such a fun & happy swap!!

TheAromaofBooks PS The dragon picture was not part of the swap package, but it matched so well that it felt like it should be the background. 😂 4y
Avanders 😍😍🍁🧡🎃👻🍂👏🏽👏🏽 4y
sblbooks I saw you had a lot of blue in your house, when I was stalking you. That's why I decided to go with those colors. I'm glad you liked everything! 4y
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Chrissyreadit Wow! Those look perfect together and very cozy! 4y
TheAromaofBooks @sblbooks - Oh my gosh, that is genuinely so thoughtful!! I am all about blues and greens!! 4y
Sparklemn I love blue pumpkins, too. 🎃 💙 4y
TheAromaofBooks @Sparklemn - You know how sometimes you find something that doesn't look like something you should like, but then you love it? Last year I found this shimmery deep teal ceramic pumpkin at Hobby Lobby & literally none of those are adjectives I usually like, but I fell in love with it & now I can't stop collecting more blue/teal pumpkins! 😂 4y
sblbooks Did you notice the switch on the bottom of the pumpkin, there's a light inside. 4y
TheAromaofBooks @sblbooks - YES! I love it!!!!!!! 4y
Sparklemn @TheAromaofBooks I remember seeing beautiful blue glass pumpkins in Seattle a few years ago. I still regret not buying one!
4y
ferskner I am OBSESSED with teal pumpkins! I want to buy all of them at Whole Foods but it gets too expensive. 3y
TheAromaofBooks @ferskner - Right?? They don't really fit my normal personality/style, but I love them so hard! 😂 3y
78 likes12 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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If anyone is interested in cozy mysteries, here are a list of authors whose books are available on #Hoopla. #cozyinthesun

34 likes1 stack add
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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Pickpick

An excellent cozy mystery with all the right ingredients for a good story. Quirky characters, a believable villain and the plot moves at a steady pace. I am looking forward to the continuation of the series. #cozyinthesun #eighthcozymysteryread

Librarybelle So glad you liked this one! 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess @Librarybelle Thanks. It is fun learning more about North Carolina especially being able to recognize places. 😃 4y
ferskner I haven't heard a bad word about this one yet! 4y
49 likes4 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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My eighth #cozyinthesun mystery of the month. I am starting a new series because this is set in the Outer Banks, NC.

Librarybelle I love this series! 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess @Librarybelle Thanks! I really want to read more books set in NC since I moved here. 4y
ferskner This is on my list, too! 4y
49 likes4 comments
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alisonrose
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In addition to middle grade and romance, another new genre of books I‘ve wanted to get into is cozy mysteries. I enjoy thrillers but don‘t like being scared, and prefer a mystery that isn‘t gory or very creepy. But I recently found a few Booktubers who are super into cozy mysteries and it‘s something I wasn‘t really familiar with, but so many of the books they mentioned sound like fun and easy reads...which is what I need. Plus, a cat! #nowreading

rubyslippersreads A cat *and* Jane Austen! 😸 4y
alisonrose @rubyslippersreads 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
MariaW Sounds good! 🤗 4y
31 likes1 stack add3 comments
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MelissaSue81
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Pickpick

This was my #readharderchallenge #cozymystery. For what it is, it was a fine little read, though I discovered that cozy mysteries are not my thing.☺️. Is it a requirement that they talk about food so much? I also thought the middle of this book dragged on a bit where there was no progress toward “solving” the mystery and just a lot of talking about it. But it was a light enjoyable listen.

58 likes1 stack add
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MeganAnn
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this #cozymystery sitting on my shelf for months and finally picked it up for something light to read in addition to working my way through The Priory of the Orange Tree.

This was a fun mystery! I loved Lucy and Charles, the library cat. A library inside a lighthouse sounds absolutely lovely. The mystery kept me guessing and the supporting characters added to it all. I‘m going to need to look for book 2 to continue this series...

CogsOfEncouragement Sounds good. I enjoy cozy mysteries too. Currently reading one in The Annabelle Archer series. 5y
MeganAnn @CogsOfEncouragement I‘ve recently got back into cozies thanks to @Avanders #cozyswap. Otherwise it‘s been years since I‘ve read one but I remember thoroughly enjoying them before. I haven‘t read the series you mentioned so I‘ll have to check it out! (edited) 5y
54 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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Mehso-so

The new librarian in a small town library (in a lighthouse!) is swept into a mystery when her boss is accused of murder & 1st editions of Jane Austen novels are stolen.

I‘ll be frank, I‘m more fed up with love triangles than I thought I was. So that definitely shaded my enjoyment. And the culprit didn‘t really make sense to me when others felt better set up.

But I loved Bertie. And the image of books in an old lighthouse charmed me. 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

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underthebelljar
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#LetsTravelAugust @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
What better book for #lighthouse than the first book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series

OriginalCyn620 📚❤️😊 5y
39 likes1 comment
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BookmarkTavern
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1 - 🎧 tagged, 🎧 Crooked Kingdom
2 - I don‘t really give out five stars very often, but I rounded Six of Crows up to five on Goodreads
3 - finished arranging a road trip carpool to California for a wedding next week! 🚙💨

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

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NatalieR
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Pickpick

I recently discovered that I 💙 cozy mysteries. Thanks to Litsy, I learned about this incredible series set in one of my favorite lighthouses on the Outer Banks in NC!! This book is the first in the series and I quickly devoured it. It has a murder mystery, missing 1st ed. Jane Austen books, a library inside a lighthouse, a cat, and a dreamy apartment in the lighthouse. What more could I ask for?! #MountTBR

CaitlinR I‘ve never read cozy mysteries, but this summary has convinced me. 5y
NatalieR @CaitlinR Aww... I sure hope you enjoy them! 😊 5y
mabell I enjoy this series, and I think each is better than the last! 5y
NatalieR @mabell Good to know! I already bought the series. 😬 5y
83 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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Deblovestoread
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Two more finishes for #cozyinthesun. By Book or by Crook was the better of the two in terms of character development and plot.

@Librarybelle @ferskner

Librarybelle One of my favorite new series! I could be a bit bias, though, since the setting is a library in a lighthouse, and there‘s a cat in the book... 😂 5y
Deblovestoread @Librarybelle I liked it so much I bought the next 3 in the series. 😊📚😊 5y
phatsallylee @Kdgordon88 @Librarybelle i'm glad to see that you guys both liked by book or by crook. I plan to read that this weekend for the challenge. 5y
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Librarybelle @Kdgordon88 ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
Librarybelle @phatsallylee Sounds like a great plan! 5y
ferskner Ooooo themed books! I like it! 5y
37 likes1 stack add6 comments
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barbwire

I was totally on board with this coastal North Carolina-based first entry in the series until a character said he'd driven to Raleigh to research in the Duke Library.

This native Tarheel can't forgive that sort of slip, not in her home state.

Lcsmcat 😱 5y
2 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
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I literally cannot remember the last time I read a cozy mystery, but the experience was so delightful! I had a terrible night at work last night, and when I got home I bought a bottle of wine, poured a glass, snuck a truffle from the cupboard, and opened this. It truly did cheer me up, and kept me in good spirits all day today as I read as well even though I barely slept. Looking forward to book 2!

Librarybelle I love this series! 5y
21 likes1 comment
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BethM
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The magic number of holds allowed on Libby is 10....

BethM 😱 6y
zzz Yep😔 6y
BethM @Jen_is_always_reading I feel like that‘s not enough. 6y
zzz @BethM yeah, it caught me once. I was trying to add and then I got their "notification" ? 6y
32 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Preciouz29
Pickpick

Somehow I missed reviewing this book! It wasn‘t my favourite cozy, but it was enough to made me want to read more and, as I mentioned in a previous, the series is really picking up for me.

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CoffeeCatsBooks
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Thanks for all the goodies, @Leelee.reads ! Coffee ☕️ and chocolate 🍫 the perfect combo. I can‘t wait to read everyone‘s comments. Thanks for organizing the #coffeebeanbookclub @Mommamanzi ! It was great fun!! Tullulah is like, “Are you using me as a photo prop again?!” #catsoflitsy

CoffeeCatsBooks Oh and @kitkatdallibooks I got your letter!! It actually arrived on the last day of school, lol! And congrats to you!! 🎉 6y
cobwebmoth Thanks, but @Mommamanzi is the one that organised this cool group.😊 6y
CoffeeCatsBooks Oops 🙊 , @cobwebmoth thanks for the correction! Fixed now. 6y
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kitkatdallibooks Yaaaay! I was wondering if it reached you lol 6y
Leelee.reads It was a fun group! 😊 6y
MaleficentBookDragon I really liked that book. I need to buy the rest of the series. 6y
CoffeeCatsBooks @MaleficentBookDragon Glad you enjoyed it! 📚I had a lot of fun with this group ☕️ 6y
70 likes7 comments
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Lea
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Pickpick

I really loved this book. The characters and setting are so perfect for a cozy mystery. I already got the next one in the series started. #readwomen #cozymystery

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mabell
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Pickpick

Lucy begins a new life, taking a job in a NC island lighthouse library - complete with an apartment in an upper story of the lighthouse, a couple of love interests, an exciting exhibit of rare Jane Austen novels ... and a murder.

This 1st installment in the series is fun, though some antagonistic characters are so excruciatingly annoying, they tempered my enjoyment. That being said, I won't hesitate to listen to the 2nd.

39 likes1 stack add
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Librarybelle
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Pickpick

I can‘t believe I stayed up ‘til midnight finishing this! My second time reading this, and I still found it enjoyable. A library in a lighthouse with a huge Austen display. Oh, and a cat. What‘s not to love? The first in the Library Lighthouse cozy mystery series. Typical cozy - fun and fast read. #Vladimir #catsoflitsy

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Librarybelle
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“She spoke as if ‘librarian‘ were another word for ‘ax murderer.‘”

I guess not everyone is a fan of librarians...

Clare-Dragonfly Chaucer! Rabelais! Balzac! 6y
rubyslippersreads @Clare-Dragonfly Dirty books! 😂 6y
MelissaSue81 Lol. There is a clerk at my work who uses the word librarian like that. 6y
Librarybelle @MelissaSue81 Oh boy! I tend to get that tone from teens trying to act tough as I talk to them about their inappropriate behavior... 6y
71 likes5 comments
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Librarybelle
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Giving myself a break from other readings to begin this re-read. We‘re discussing this at my library‘s mystery discussion group on Thursday.

82 likes1 stack add
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Kshakal
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Pickpick

A fun reread for me... although I remembered early on who done it, I enjoyed this book. Set in a library with a sassy feline character makes it an ace of a read in my opinion!

Lea Worth $5 in the audible sale? 6y
Kshakal @Lea I would say so 6y
37 likes2 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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Delayed ✈️ = 🐼 + 📖

My kind of math. #lunchandabook

L_auren That was my favorite airport lunch til they took it out of mine 😭😭😭😭 6y
BookMaven407 Looks yummy! 6y
vivastory I had the same for lunch!👍 black pepper chicken & chow mein 6y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Oh yummy! I made gf orange chicken. Wasn‘t the same. I do miss it! Looks so good 🤤 6y
hes7 Yum! 6y
100 likes5 comments
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MaleficentBookDragon
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Mom is doing ok after surgery so I am headed black to to frigid NY.

Owlizabeth Glad to hear that! 6y
dariazeoli Glad to hear - safe travels! 6y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Oh I‘m happy to hear that she‘s doing good! ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
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suvata Good news 6y
LeahBergen Oh, good! ❤️ 6y
PenguinInFlight So glad to hear she‘s doing well! ❤️❤️❤️ Safe travels! (I can attest that NY is most definitely frigid. High of 19 where I am today, and feels like -5. 😨) 6y
MaleficentBookDragon @PenguinInFlight It was 75 in Florida the past few days. Of course I was in the hospital and then the house, but it was still weird for Christmas time. 6y
AmyG Good news. 6y
CoffeeCatsBooks Glad she is doing okay! It‘s gotten really cold the last few days in NY. ❄️ 6y
Avanders So happy to hear about your mom! 🙏🏽🙏🏽 6y
minkyb Great news! 6y
102 likes1 stack add11 comments
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KathyWheeler
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Mehso-so

This had lots of ingredients I liked: librarian heroes, lighthouse, beach, cat. But I didn't really care for it. The main character, Lucy, seemed stuck in the 50s, although the book is set in the age of iPhones. The supernatural is brought into the story for no reason I can tell. Lucy's contributions to solving the mystery are just guesses -- she leaps to a lot of conclusions with no real evidence. The narrator was okay.

9 likes1 stack add
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underthebelljar
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#SizzlinSummerBooks #Library

A cozy mystery set in a lighthouse library. Still #TBR but this book sounds like a delightful read.

rubyslippersreads This is on my TBR list too. 7y
christin That series was so good. I went through them fast. I can't wait for the series to continue 7y
underthebelljar @rubyslippersreads I'm saving it for when I need a fun, light-hearted read. 😊 7y
See All 6 Comments
underthebelljar @christin Good to hear you really enjoyed them! And that it's the first in a series! 7y
christin @BookishJess yep! There are two more then a new one next year 7y
56 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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Ksvz
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Mehso-so

2017 #103 mystery audio there were so many things wrong with this book and huge glaring inaccuracies that just annoyed me. As fluff it wasn't bad but the irritating parts really I'll irked me

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TEArificbooks
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Pickpick

I have a bit of a head cold but my hubby came home from work with a frozen treat for my sore throat. Frozen hot chocolate almost as good as the kind from Serendipity. Almost done with this cozy mystery. I am quite enjoying it and will add the others in the series to my wish list.

Joanne1 Love the blanket. 7y
TEArificbooks @Joanne1 thank you, my gramma made it, she made one and sent it to us but we always fought over it so she made us each one. So now we have 4. 7y
9 likes2 comments
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TEArificbooks
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I was having trouble trying to pick my next book so decided to use the "match my lularoe" method. Homemade summer trail mix makes a great reading snack.

Bklover I love that series by Eva Gates! I want a job where I live in a lighthouse and work at the library downstairs!!! Oh, and love your LulaRoe leggings! They are my most comfy clothes❤️ 7y
Bklover Is that a lighthouse on your leggings?❤️❤️❤️ 7y
TEArificbooks @Bklover yes lighthouses on the leggings and the blue parts are sailing ships 7y
11 likes3 comments
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Bklover
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#paperbackwriter #rockinmay These are my cotton candy. When I can't focus on anything to save my life reading a cozy mystery that takes place in a library that's in a lighthouse (where the librarian lives in the top of the lighthouse) is just about perfect.

erzascarletbookgasm Love myself some cosy mysteries anytime :) 7y
rockpools These sound fun! I hadn't come across them before. 7y
Cinfhen Sounds like a winning choice 💜 7y
See All 17 Comments
Bklover @erzascarletbookgasm @RachelO @Cinfhen There's only three in this series but I loved them! 7y
RealBooks4ever Yep, every once in awhile I need a palate cleanser like a cosy! Nothing but fun! 💜💜💜 7y
Bklover @RealBooks4ever Exactly! Just a book full of light! 7y
Amie I enjoyed this series. I wish there were more than 3 books in it. 7y
Caroline2 These look like lovely charming little books!! 😍 7y
melbeautyandbooks I love a good cozy! They're great brain candy. 7y
mjdowens I love cozy mysteries. Sometimes I get 5-6 at the library and binge read them to clear the reading pallet. 7y
Bklover @amie me too!!! I was so disappointed when they ended the series! 7y
Bklover @Caroline2 They are! The only bad thing is there are only three in the series! 7y
Bklover @melbeautyandbooks @mjdowens I love them too! The best kind of brain candy! 7y
readinginthedark I haven't read the third one yet! She decided not to continue the series? 7y
Bklover @readinginthedark I checked the author's webpage and she said the publisher cancelled the series. 😳😥 7y
readinginthedark @Bklover That's too bad! And it's happened in like, three different series I've enjoyed lately. 😕Not cool, publishers! 7y
Bklover @readinginthedark I agree - there are so many food related series- this one was unique and I really enjoyed it! 7y
95 likes4 stack adds17 comments
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Kshakal
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Pickpick

I loved the setting in this book... It was so easy to picture the outer banks and made me want to go there and spend some time in a lighthouse! I also loved Charles, the Himalayan library cat that helped to save the day!

15 likes1 stack add
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Kshakal
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Had book club this morning and am going to spend the rest of the day relaxing with my book!!

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Kshakal
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My book is calling my name today.... To bad I won't get to answer it until tonight.... 😔

ReadingSusan I totally want to stay home and read all day 😭😭 7y
15 likes1 comment
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underthebelljar
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#marchintoreading Day 7 #lighthouses #latepost
I saw this one posted a few days ago and I had to get it. Books + a lighthouse + a mystery?! 📚💖 Sounds amazing! And look at the cute kitty 😸

50 likes4 stack adds
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EvieBee
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I've been meaning to read this cozy mystery set in a #lighthouse library! #Lighthouses #MarchIntoReading

readinginthedark It's a good one! 7y
EvieBee @readinginthedark I saw your review! So looking forward to it now. 😊 7y
84 likes6 stack adds3 comments
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Samantha.1020
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My March TBR pile (print only) as I haven't yet settled on the e-books I want to read this month yet. #Marchintoreading #MarchTBR

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readinginthedark
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I started this series earlier this year, and they're some really fun cozy mysteries! I want to work and live above a library in an old lighthouse! #setinlibrariesorbookstores #seasonsreadings2016

Suzze Great location! 7y
readinginthedark @Suzze Right? Gates got her inspiration from a decommissioned lighthouse she visited. It's really fun! 7y
31 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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I picked this up based on the tag which inquired me. A theft and a murder ensure a librarian. I figured it had to be a cozy mystery. Love that my library has wrapped Book presents!

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Lreads
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I really like Charlene's persistence! She is going to introduce everyone to her newest passion whether they like it or not! #mystery

MrBook 😂👏🏻👍🏻 8y
3 likes1 comment