Monday Bookish Post - 18 April, 2016

     

   

Thanks to Robert of Tynga's Reviews, Kathryn at Book Date, Ramona at Create With Joy and Janice at Mostly Blogging for hosting these respective link-ups!  (Click on the buttons to go to the respective blogs.)

I never seem to be able to keep track of books as they come in.  *sigh*  If you've got any spare organizational mojo hanging around, I sure would appreciate it if you sent it my way! :O)

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BOOKS REVIEWED

1956: When Caterina Rosetta inherits a cottage in the countryside of Italy from a grandmother she’s never known, she discovers a long-buried family secret — a secret so devastating, it threatens the future of everything her mother has worked for. Many years before, her mother’s hard-won dreams of staking her family’s claim in the vineyards of California came to fruition; but as an old murder comes to light, and Caterina uncovers a tragic secret that may destroy the man she loves, she realizes her happiness will depend on revealing the truth of her mother’s buried past.

Reviewed on April 11th. See my review here.

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Max Tobin brings his all-male dance company to Steeple Martin, with his new ballet Pendle, based on the infamous Pendle Witch Trials, due to be performed at the Oast Theatre. There have been unpleasant incidents during rehearsals in London, and Max asks Libby Sarjeant and her friend Fran Wolfe to look into them. To everyone’s surprise, the seriousness of the incidents escalates until, inevitably, someone is murdered.

While the police look into the murder, Libby and Fran wonder why someone seemed so set against the ballet. Were occult forces at work, or was there a more worldly, personal motive?

Reviewed on April 11th.  See my review here.

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Faye Seymour has long reigned as Greenville’s gossip queen, but recently she’s been at her worst, spreading rumors like wild fire and putting a lot of noses out of joint. Event planner Emma Cassidy has already lost an important client to Faye’s loose tongue, and she can ill afford to lose any business. When Emma discovers Faye lying at the bottom of a flight of stairs, the feisty old lady declares she was pushed—and that Emma is the culprit!—before passing out

As Faye recovers, Emma reluctantly delves into the busybody’s life of meddling and scuttlebutt. She has to clear her name before Faye falsely accuses her again, and besides, there’s a capricious parrot relying on her now.

What scandalous secrets has Faye unearthed? How many lives has she ruined or threatened to ruin? Plenty of people have a reason to hate her, but one in particular is driven to commit a brutal murder. Can Emma follow the clues to unmask the killer, or will she fall victim herself?

Reviewed on April 12th.  See my review here.

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The Temple of the Ninth Daughter sits on a hill at the edge of Newton-upon-Sea, an aura of mystery lingering over its tall, gray silhouette. Villagers whisper about the treasure housed inside, protected by local Freemasons who are bound by clandestine oaths.

Dr. Alexandra Gladstone has no time for such nonsense. Between the patients in her surgery and the rounds she makes with her faithful dog, Zack, her days are busy enough. But Alexandra has no logical explanation when the Freemasons start dying, one by one, with no sign of foul play other than smears of blood on their Masonic aprons. And what to make of reports that a Knight Templar rides through the village before each passing?

After the constable disappears in the midst of the crisis, Alexandra reaches out to her dashing, diligent friend, Nicholas Forsythe, Lord Dunsford, for assistance. Is someone after the treasure, or might a more sinister game be afoot? In order to solve this puzzle, Alexandra must somehow catch a killer who shows no remorse—and leaves no witnesses.

Reviewed on April 13th.  See my review here.

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A tyrannical high school principal. A young anarchist with nothing left to lose. One way or another, this place is goin’ down.

Matt Moyer is an orphaned teen growing up on a primitive farm in the Pennsylvania coal region. He’s homeschooled by his eccentric and philosophical great-uncle, who’s a stickler for logic, reason, and intellectual honesty. Despite his uncle’s reverence for veracity, inconsistencies arise regarding the old man’s shady past and the teen’s parents.

Through a harrowing sequence of events, Matt is forced to attend a public school. The feral teen finds it difficult to cope with the hypocrisy, propaganda, and misinformation that adults and children so readily accept. Faced with the possibility of expulsion, arrest, and ostracism, he must make a choice. Will he choose the easy lie or the hard truth?

Reviewed on April 14th.  See my review here.

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Whether you find parenting intuitive or impossible, we could all use a hand here and there. Let child psychologist and father Todd Cartmell walk you through the nuts and bolts of healthy, effective parenting.

Using examples from his home and 20 years of professional practice, Todd gives eight essential and practical tools to help you:

• Maintain a healthy relationship with your child
• Develop a nurturing home culture
• Correct behavior in lasting ways

Reviewed on April 14th.  See my review here.

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And, finally today (click here to see the review):

Callie’s life is rather awesome. She owns a successful bakery and teaches German literature at the local university. There’s just one tiny problem. She has no self-confidence when it comes to her body. And then there’s the little matter of her being accused of murdering her pole dancing instructor. There’s no way Callie’s going to risk losing her teaching position and thus she embarks, with her best baker bud Anna, on a journey to discover the real killer. Between stripper auditions and a detective who insists Callie is the woman of his dreams, it’s a roller coast adventure. Cupcakes
not included.

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ALSO POSTED LAST WEEK:

I'm also participating in the 2016 A-to-Z Blogging Challenge, using the melodies from popular songs and tweaking the lyrics to fit the A to Z, and posted the following this last week:

Monday, 11 April:  International Harvester

Tuesday, 12 April:  Jack and Diane
Wednesday, 13 April:  Kung Fu Fighting
Thursday, 14 April:  Lady Marmalade
Friday, 15 April:  My Town
Saturday, 16 April:  Netherlands
(Sunday off for 'good behavior'.)
Monday, 18 April:  Ob la di, Ob la da

Lastly, I participated in a book blast that's going on today and tomorrow.  Here's my post.

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OK, THIS REALLY WILL BE THE LAST THING(S)!

Books Read:

    

I'll review the first one on Wednesday (April 20th) and the last two next Monday (April 25th).  Book covers in this last little bit here are linked to the GoodReads page for more info.   I also started:

Well, that's it for this week.  *phew*  You deserve a medal if you made it this far!  And I deserve a treat too.  So I'm going to take a break and go play with the puppies for a bit, and/or catch an episode of NCIS.

There are boatloads of other book hauls at the first two link-ups above, and if you are looking for inspiration, try the second two!  Good info and great bloggers galore!

Do any of the books in this post strike your fancy?