Monday Bookstuff/My 2017 Cruisin' thru the Cozies RC Sign-up

     

   

Thanks to Stephanie 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.)

~~~oOo~~~

STACKING THE SHELVES

I hope this week I've done a better job of sticking with the purpose of the link-up better.  I've decided to post one for each day of the last week, book name linked to GoodReads:

Sunday, 1 January - 25 Mysteries to Die For (anthology-various authors)
Monday, 2 January - Highland Fire: Guardians of the Stone #1 by Tanya Anne Crosby
Tuesday, 3 January - Craving: A Willow Creek Vampire by Stephanie Summers
Wednesday, 4 January - A Friend of Silence (Roger & Bess Mystery #1) by M. Lee Prescott
Thursday, 5 January - Zoey's Post It Notes by Jeff & Zoey Steiner
Friday, 6 January - (I MUST HAVE FORGOTTEN MY MORNING CUP OF COFFEE)
Saturday, 7 January - Carpe Bead'em by Tonya Kappes

~~~oOo~~~

IT'S MONDAY! WHAT ARE YOU READING

dystopian, post-apocalyptic, YA

I'm on page 27 of 188 and anticipate being done by the time Monday rolls around, and will probably be on to this one:

paranormal romance

As always, the covers link to GoodReads.

~~~oOo~~~

THE INSPIRE ME TWINS

~~~oOo~~~

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge is hosted by Yvonne at the Socrates' Book Reviews blog.  Click on the button to go to the sign-up page.

Level one (Snoop) - Read one book in each of these cozy sub-genres (total of 10 books)

- One from culinary (anything dealing with food:  restaurants, baked goods, etc.)
- One from animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
- One from craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
- One from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
- One from British cozy mysteries (example:  Belinda Lawrence series)
- One career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
- One holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
- One travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
- One historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
- One is your choice!  (freebie!)

Level two (Investigator) - Read all the books in level one plus an additional 10 cozy books of your choice (total of 20)
Level three (Super Sleuth) - Read two books from each sub-genre in level one plus an additional 10 cozy books of your choice (total of 30 books)
Level four (Sleuth Extraordinaire) - Read two books from each sub-genre in level one plus an additional 20 cozy books of your choice (total of 40 books)

I think I'll put in for Level two - Investigator.

MY BOOK LIST:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

QUESTION:

What book have you recommended most in the past?

(My Answer) - I don't know that I've 'formally recommended' any one book in the past, but The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck has been my favorite for years.

Bookish Mondays - 26 September 2016

     

   

Thanks to Stephanie 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.)

STACKING THE SHELVES

These books came in the mail or UPS in the past week.  Covers link to GoodReads.

Nano-synopsis:   The joys and heartaches of adoption.

Micro-synopsis:  Girl loses father.  Girl meets wealthy extended family.  Girl meets suave continental type - does he love her or her money more?

~~~oOo~~~

IT'S MONDAY.  WHAT ARE YOU READING?

I've just finished or will finish these today.  They'll be reviewed this week here on the blog.  Covers linked to GoodReads.

Micro Review: First Daughter meets Montana cowboy.  Sparks ensue.

Micro Review:  Sometimes life forces you to choose what is important.

~~~oOo~~~

THE INSPIRATION TWINS!

Have a super week, y'all!

Monday Bookish Post - September 12, 2016

     

   

Thanks to Tynga 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.)

STACKING THE SHELVES

Last Monday (September 5th), I reviewed Heather Haven's new Alvarez Family Mystery, The CEO Came DOA.  Later that day, I was doing the reader's happy dance as I was able to obtain the first four books in the series:

  

  

This last one came through the OnlineBookClub.Org.  I have to admit that it gets extra points with me just for being set in my home state of Kentucky:

~~~oOo~~~

IT'S MONDAY; WHAT ARE YOU READING?

(I'll be posting a review for this book tomorrow, Tuesday 13 September, 2016, here on the blog.)  My first experience with Alyssa Maxwell's work was with Murder Most Malicious, the first book in the "A Lady and Lady's Maid Mystery" series.  I'm enjoying this new book every bit as much and have put the entire "A Gilded Newport Mystery" series on my TBR.

~~~oOo~~~

And for my friends at the "Inspire Me Mondays" link-ups, I hope this brings a little smile to your face:

Have a great week, y'all!

Monday Bookish Post - Monday, April 4, 2016

     

   

Thanks to Stephanie 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.

Monday Bookish Post - March 14, 2016

     

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

~~~oOo~~~

STACKING THE SHELVES

(click the cover to go to GoodReads; I got this book from NetGalley and will post a review on April 27th.)

Business has never been better for home stager Caprice De Luca, but her personal life could stand a few renovations. Just when she thought things were getting serious with her boyfriend Grant, his pretty ex-wife swoops into town and nabs his attention. Uncle Dom is living with her parents and desperately needs a new job. And her sister Nikki's catering business is threatened when rival Drew Pierson starts eating away at her share of the market. Things could not possibly get more chaotic when Drew is found  bludgeoned to death by one of his grandmother's antique Tiffany lamps--and Nikki is the number one suspect. Now, Caprice must act fast to illuminate the truth and clear her sister's name--before a cold-blooded killer puts her lights out next.

(click the graphic to go to Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour, through which I received the MOBI file.  I will review this collection on May 11.)

Sleuthing Women is a collection of 10 full-length mysteries featuring murder and assorted mayhem by 10 critically acclaimed, award-winning, and bestselling authors. Each novel in this set is the first book in an established multi-book series—a total of over 3,000 pages of reading pleasure for lovers of amateur sleuth, caper, and cozy mysteries.

(And here I thought it was a collection of short stories.  Haha!  Joke's on me! :O))

(Click on cover to go to GoodReads.  MOBI from NetGalley.  Reviewing on May 13.)

Walking the red carpet at the Academy Awards with a bow-tied Bullmastiff draws Nic and Nigel Martini plenty of attention from the press. But that's nothing compared to the attention they receive at the A-list after party, when Hollywood royalty learn that Nic and Nigel have discovered behind the scenes footage from A Winter's Night, an acclaimed film known for backstage love triangles and the tragic death of its original star, Melanie Summers.

Returning home after the party, Nic and Nigel find their house in shambles and their employee DeDee Evans beaten within an inch of her life. And when the weapon used to pummel DeDee implicates beloved actress Christina Franklin, Nic and Nigel drink and banter their way into a modern-day version of a golden-era crime caper.

~~~oOo~~~

IT'S MONDAY, WHAT ARE  YOU READING?

I just finished:

(Click on the cover to go to the GoodReads page; Revewing on March 24.)

It's the end of the Reagan years, with Iran-contra still smoldering, and G.H.W. Bush looking like a winner. Rob Price is a Nam vet with attitude who's lost his Wall Street job and takes one with a small obscure government agency. Something's going on, and before he finds out what it is, a fellow agent is killed and Rob disappears himself with a satchel of black money. When he turns whistleblower he finds himself with a corporate tiger by the tail and a Eurasian martial artist girlfriend that other guys envy.

Next up will be:

(MOBI from author.  Reviewing on April 1.)

Jane Hays has been told all her life that it’s dangerous to be out in the forest past sundown. At fifteen, she’s quite sure that it’s all old wives’ tales... yet, why does her village bar the gates every night? Why do they even have gates? When she is caught in an unexpected rainstorm on her way home, Jane ignores all the warnings and seeks shelter in a cottage in the middle of the forest. Soon, she is caught up in a world of magic and beauty – and in the storm of the Fairy Queen’s wrath.

The Fairy Queen is out for blood. There have been intruders - human intruders - in her domain and she will stop at nothing to find them and kill them. After all, it is only fair. She is only seeking retribution for the death that humans leave in their wake.

But Jane isn’t all that she seems to be. And the events of the night aren’t as innocent as they appear.

~~~oOo~~~

So, friends, what are you reading this week?

Bookish Mondays, January 11, 2016

     

BOOKS READ

The Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian

Last Dance by Joyce and Jim Lavene (review to come asap)

Death of an Alchemist by Mary Lawrence (review scheduled for Feb. 17)

Blog Design BasicsYour Must-Know Visual and Branding Style Tips - by several, review to follow

Immortal Reign by Aiden James

BOOKS REVIEWED

The Masquerading Magician by Gigi Pandian

Stabbing in the Senate by Colleen J. Shogan

Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters by Lida Sideris

Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell

BOOKS RECEIVED

Elysium Dreams by Hayden James (for review Jan 29)

Rikki Tikki Tavi by Rudyard Kipling (because I read it as a child)

and a busload of others

Bookish Mondays - Jan 4, 2016

     

FREE DOWNLOADS (Dec 29 - Jan 4):

Love in a World of Sorrow by Fanya Gottesfeld Heller

The Lost Pony of Riverdale by Amanda Willis

Mental Math: 2 Manuscripts by Athena Trotter

The Lazy Girl Guide to Natural Skincare by Erica Johnson

The Renewing of the Mind Project by Barb Raveling

Echo Forward by Rachel Emmerton

Desolation Run by James Snyder

The Wrangler's Mail-Order Bride by Cindy Caldwell

Sing Me To Sleep by Chris Simms

The Rabbit Ate My Flipflops by Rachel Elizabeth Cole

Bad Boy Bear: Paranormal Shifter Romance by 

Dead Wood by Dani Moore and Dan Ames

Only in Vegas by Lindsey Brookes

Love in a Small Town by Zoe York

Lady of Devices by Shelley Adina (steampunk reading challenge)

Assassins of the Steam Age by Joseph Robert Louis (steampunk reading challenge)

The Steampunk Club by E. A. Deverell (steampunk reading challenge)

The Woman on the Painted Horse by Angela Christina Archer

The Apollo Program - Charles River Editors

A Hearth in Candlewood by Delia Parr

I really don't have any book reviews posted this week.  I have read 2 books so far this year, Death of a Brooklyn Landlord by Susan Russo Anderson (review coming Jan 20) and Plain Dead by Emma Miller (I think that review comes on Jan 20 as well.

I'll have some reviews to talk about next week.

Mon, Jan 4:  Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell

Wed. Jan 6:  Murder and Other Unnatural Disasters by Lisa Sideris

Wed. Jan 6:  Stabbing in the Senate by Colleen J. Shogan

Fri. Jan 8:  The Masquerading Magician by GiGi Pandian

Sun. Jan 10:  Skiing is Murder by Carolyn Arnold

Mon. Jan 11:  Thread and Gone by Lea Wait

What are You Reading? (May 19)

  

LAST WEEK

(busy, busy, busy)

(covers in this section link back to my reviews)

Monday

Eurasian beauty Mai Faca plots to marry Jake Warden, a successful oral surgeon forbidden to her because of family honor. In an unheard-of scheme, fellow oral surgeon, Bret Manley, falls victim to Mai's seduction as she and Jake play a cruel trick to be together. Jake acts with surgical precision to clear the path to Mai's happiness, threatening lives including his own. In a wake of turmoil and destruction, Bret's uncle and well-known criminal attorney, Hubie Santos, attempts to find out if a surgeon would use his knowledge to kill.

~~~oOo~~~

Tuesday

With her own wedding fast approaching and her mother-in-law dating an unexpected beau, the last thing Natalie Barnes needs is to find a young man shot dead in a dinghy. A note she finds with the body suggests the dearly departed had a secret rendezvous planned with somebody on the island. But when suspicion is cast on a fisherman Natalie believes to be innocent, she begins to wonder if the murder was the result of a lover’s quarrel . . . or a lobsterman’s disagreement gone horribly wrong.

~~~oOo~~~

Wednesday

To Izzy’s surprise, newcomer Julia Ainsley seems determined to buy her home—although she’s never set foot inside. But on the day of the open house, things take a tragic turn. A body is uncovered in the cottage’s backyard. When the police find Julia’s name and phone number in the victim’s pocket, this slender thread of evidence makes her a person of interest.

~~~oOo~~~

Thursday

In this first of a trilogy, we meet three “hard cases” students who refuse the valuable lessons 2347 History Camps teach. But when they are kidnapped and taken back in time to 1347 Verona, Italy, they only have two choices; adapt to the harsh medieval ways or die. The dangers are many, their enemies are powerful, and safety is a long way away. It’s hardly the ideal environment to fall in love – but that’s exactly what happens. In an attempt to survive, the trio risks introducing technology from the future. It could save them – or it could change history.

~~~oOo~~~

Friday

Media headlines abound these days saying, “Tea is trendy…” and we believe it until we read the first chapter of Ritual Tea: How the 9 Secrets of Tea Can Transform Your Life.   Entitled, Tea’s Sordid and Holy Exploits, chapter one is a worldwide, whirlwind tour of tea history that leaves the reader knowing once and for all that tea has always been trendy for very good reasons. Next to water, tea is the world’s most popular drink.

~~~oOo~~~

Hired as a nanny for her cousin’s children, Anne Tearle finds security and a loving family. The children are a dream, but London society is a world of its own, one where a displaced farm girl has no business being. But, wealthy rake, Gavin MacKay, helps her to see associating with the upper class might not be as horrid as she first assumed. 

~~~oOo~~~

THIS WEEK'S REVIEWS

Tuesday 5/20

Dr. Lauren Crawford is a brilliant research scientist who discovers a revolutionary treatment for cancer that not only extends life, but much improves the quality of life for terminal cancer patients. The treatment, in some instances, can even cure certain cancers. On the evening before Dr. Crawford holds a press conference to announce that the FDA has given preliminary approval of her new cancer treatment, somebody follows her to her car and puts three bullets in her head. Was it a planned murder with a motive, a mugging gone badly, or merely a random act of violence?

~~~oOo~~~

Wednesday 5/21

What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING! 

Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention of the rich and powerful.

~~~oOo~~~

DOWN THE PIPE/JUST FOR FUN
(links in this section go to GoodReads)