Filled with imaginative and fluid illustrations in muted colors, the spare text draws you from page to page as you follow the active play of a set of siblings. This isn‘t the old “noogie” play with older siblings, but a wonderful set of words and images which depict rough but respectful play. Everyone in this rumble is an equal part of the sometimes rough play. Https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Schwab is one of the more literate authors writing today. Her narrative is always beautifully rendered and this book is no exception. However I am just so done with vampire stories. And really, Anne Rice wrote this story 50 years ago. Not a favorite read for me but I imagine it will be a blockbuster.

I swear, the last 3 of the Mary Russell books have been some of the best of the series, which is so hard to do when said series is so long. The addition of Russell‘s uncle to the cast makes for very entertaining reading!

While I think the author wants us to see her as a brave whistleblower ( and she is), she must certainly bear some of the blame for the heinous things she describes. You don‘t live and work like that for so long without being complicit. Overall, I was deeply disappointed and often horrified at the ridiculous behavior and dangerous decision-making that results when ordinary people acquire an unimaginable amount of money and power.

#Chatterday Made sauce for Sunday lasagne, watched and listened to a wild, extended thunderstorm, played with the pup a lot, and read some more of this really, really good book.

Had she known about the Seabrink curse, she might not have gone.
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

This new book from actor Kelsey Grammer recounts the shocking murder of his younger sister and his own experience with heartrending grief, anger, and loss. Told in a sort of stream of consciousness, not all readers will like the jumpiness of the narrative. Having lost people to violence, I felt like Grammer conveyed the absolutely unhinged way you feel in the aftermath of such an horrific event. This is a very emotional read.

I‘m working my way thru my Goodreads “Want to Read” list and picked this one up. Enjoyed the first half but had to put it down when it got super gruesome. Not a fan.

Peter Lovesey‘s recent death has prompted me to read some of his books. He is credited as the 1st mystery writer to set a whole series in the past with his Inspector Cribb series. I‘m reading his Peter Diamond series now. This one was about Chaucer!

The newest entry in Shelton‘s Scottish Bookshop series continues with same delightful cast of characters and this time explores the Picts. As usual, an awesome story!

Folklore fans will love this imaginative look at Jenny Greenteeth, one of the many water “monsters” that show up in British folklore. O‘Neill spins a tale about Jenny combined with some Arthurian lore. Great fun. Pic from my favorite book Faeries by Froud!

Halfway through this book about 4 ancient cities and how they were abandoned. Biggest surprise so far is the extreme perviness of Pompeii. That and the proliferation of phallic imagery in the ancient world.

Uber creepy modern fairy tale set in an abandoned amusement park. What could go wrong? New YA horror/fantasy out in May. Review at https://itsallabouthebook.org

Fans of Anne Cleeves and Val McDermid will enjoy this new one from the creator of Broadchurch. Begins with a gruesome & weird death.

I adore Elizabeth Penney‘s cozy mystery series and found this new one, set in an ancient castle turned into a B&B on the Yorkshire coast, just as fun. See my thoughts here - https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Vibing on cozy mysteries. This one‘s pretty good but, jeesh some of them are SO BAD! Who are some of your favorite cozy authors?

Finished this collection of short stories and posted about it at https://itsallaboutthebook.org. There are some excellent stories here!

Just started this delightful Italian mystery. The writer has a wonderful vocabulary and uses language beautifully.

I‘ve been retired a month and am finally getting back into my reading groove! The last few months have been packed with lots of activity complicated with plenty of emotion as I prepared to end a 44 year career in libraries. I‘m enjoying this anthology of mystery/suspense stories a lot!

Retirement Goal: Reading in a comfy chair with a goat on my lap! 😂😂

Finally remembered to post my #hyggehour tonight! Comfy cozy with John Larison.
@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks

This unseasonably warm, windy & wet day in western NY calls for some relaxing, cozy audio-stitching! Have been thoroughly enjoying Agatha Christie audiobooks narrated by Hugh Fraser.

Quiet evening at home this year with a good selection of books to read. Trying to decide between Eleanor of Avignon and The Mistletoe Bride…

Feeling a little down today so spending the day in my comfy chair with this delightful cozy mystery series featuring a librarian with the Library of Congress. Finished book 1 (Crime & Parchment) and just starting book 2. #NovemberBlues

Doing some audio stitching for Christmas with one of my favorite Halloween books!

Having a *very* slow Sunday after weeks of non-stop everything. Indulging in my childhood favorite and reading a Nancy Drew that was published long after I outgrew the series. Ozzy is happy to keep me company.

New entry in the Batavia-On-Hudson series. Full review at https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Here are some of my all-time favorites for my #HauntedShelf. See full list at https://itsallaboutthebook.org/

Oh my stars! Thank you @Chrissyreadit for the most amazing #FallingForFall package!!! Every book is perfect and oh those socks!!! It had been a wonderful surprise. Thank you and @Avanders for organizing.

#FFFS #FallingForFallSwap

I have been savoring this lovely, lovely book over the last few weeks. Reading a couple stories every night has filled my soul and sustained my belief that most people are good to one another.

The Litsy group reading #NancyDrew put me on a Nancy binge and OH MY these books do not age well. The casual racism and sexism startling. But, I am finding the source for some esoteric info I‘ve carried around for years!!!

Forgot to take a pic when I received my #FallingForFall swap package. It arrived safely and I can‘t wait to open it! @Avanders @Chrissyreadit

I recently did a session for a podcast at one of my local libraries where we talked about our most anticipated Fall releases. Here‘s the link if you‘re interested - https://youtu.be/8yl4kNrwYfE?si=sYzpLvdxigkgcIMw

While the outcome was apparent to me pretty early in the story, the tension Hawkins builds as she weaves the stories of both Vanessa and Grace becomes almost unbearable at times, and the ending! Oh, the ambiguous ending! Definitely the stuff made for book clubs to debate!

Readers who are triggered by domestic violence should be aware that is an integral part of this story. This will be one of the hot books of the Fall for sure.

My #FallingForFall swap went out today. Hoping for a safe arrival in New Mexico next week. @Chrissyreadit and @Avanders not a very pretty box but I promise the contents are very pretty!

What fall release are you most anticipating? I'm being interviewed for one of my local library podcasts next week and that's the topic. I know what I'm anticipating - what are YOU most excited about?

I am a sucker for books about books, libraries & bookstores so this one seemed like something I would enjoy. And I did, but will say this was not a very memorable reading experience. It‘s a perfectly lovely book about mothers & daughters, unlikely friendships, & the power of literature to help you through horrific times. But I think I‘m over the current trend of books about books, libraries, bookstores, and spunky heroines making it through WWII.

Went from Fall reading directly to Fall baking!

The suddenly cooler temps have me in spooky season mode! From 90 to 65 degrees in just a few hours…

This is one of my few 5 star reads this year and it is spectacular!

This is a book full of tension that twists you up and an ingenious plot driven by a protagonist who alternately frustrates the hell out of you then has you pumping your hand in the air yelling “go girl!” Every character is well-developed and plays their part to perfection.

This is a complex and layered story featuring a fairly remarkable character in Franca, or the maestra of this remote Italian village. The meandering pace is the only thing keeping me from really loving this book. I picked it up, put it down, picked it up, put it down so many times. But, I kept at it and was rewarded with a story that unfolded into one of the most interesting tales I‘ve read this summer.

James Rollins never fails to provide a pulse-pounding, nail-biting adventure. He is at the top of his game with Arkangel, which has nudged The Last Odyssey out of place in the list of my favorite Rollins novels. The Sigma Force series is being made into a TV show for Amazon/MGM. Very excited for that! See https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2024/08/20/arkangel-by-james-rollins/ for review.

In the middle of this lovely collection of stories from Elly Griffiths and enjoying the hell out of it.

I was recently introduced to indie author Horton through this book and found it very well-written, charming & full of action. It begins with a MINOTAUR falling from the sky, armed with a battle axe, for heaven's sake! I'm featuring Horton on my blog at https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2024/08/08/author-spotlight-a-n-horton/ to find out more about her. If you are a romantasy fan, you'll enjoy her books.

The plot is an enticing mix of the thrill of archaeological discovery, local lore, and plain old human greed. Stefanie and Thomas are a great team, playing off each others‘ strengths and always there for each other. The end is especially fraught with danger as the pair battle a hurricane as they place the final pieces of the puzzle on the table. Full review at https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Cultural folklore has fascinated me for about as long as I‘ve been reading but I‘d never encountered the Greek legend of the Kallikantzaroi, or Christmas Goblins. Fraser-Green has taken that ancient legend & woven a story that is about family – specifically sisters. Middle grade readers who are interested in exploring folklore and ready for a scary story will appreciate the short chapters, well-paced, action-filled plot, and accessible language.

This ARC was 5/5, with a gripping plot with a few different storylines which all came together in the end. I did not expect the twist at the end at all and I‘m usually pretty good at figuring things out. Comes out in January.

Read the ARC of this one, which started out strong then petered out halfway through. Disappointing

The mystery here is as bad as you can get - a camper disappears. And not just *any* camper, but the daughter of the wealthy family that owns the campground. The ensuing story covers the full-on search for the camper but also expands to recount the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the camper‘s brother 10 years prior. Great story and very satisfying ending.

Cozy mystery fans will thoroughly enjoy this romp aboard a giant ship renovated into luxury condos for wealthy seniors. Part of the Kat Lawson series.