I picked this book in order to cover a zombie prompt plus what's not to love about my favorite mystery loving gang.
The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Death Under The Stars by C.A. Larmer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
enjoyable cozy with lots of Christie references
This book has undertones of Christie’s Evil under the sun and mixes with some Hitchcock plot as well. The group dynamics of the murder mystery book club changed a bit in this installment. Now Alicia is involved with Det Jackson so there is the amateur connected with the pro trope. Also there is a bit of strain in the group dynamics and changes in member’s circumstances; all making for interesting twists. The book features lots of red herrings and twisty clues that make for a well written book. I look forward to continuing the series
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Reflex by Dick Francis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is another great book by Dick Francis. This focuses on a steeplechase jockey, Phil Nore. He finds himself embroiled in several mysteries involving family and friends. Meanwhile these events lead to some more questions judging his and others’ actions. There are some very suspenseful moments as well as some soul searching for sure. I listened to the audiobook and found the narrator, Simon Preeble, to be amazing for the subject and the setting
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
The 12th book in the Cozy Cruise series keeps coming up with unique nonmurder mysteries. My only complaint with this book was the lack of description of Alaskan ports due to the plot line in this book.
An Alaska Adventure: Book Twelve: The Cozy Cruise Mysteries by Lizzie Josephson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
clever cozy
This book is perfect for anyone looking for a quick paced cozy that doesn’t involve murder There are some clever plot points and I hope they eventually do cruise in Alaska for the descriptions. If you are looking for in-depth complex details this may not satisfy but if looks for a good plot with unique twists then be sure to read
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder by Chris Cavender
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Good cozy with plenty of twists in the mystery. There are some moments when Eleanor makes some not so wise decisions in her pursuit of the truth. Her dilemma about her relationship with David feels realistic as well
Pizza lovers will find their mouth watering at some of the kitchen scenes for sure.
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 3: Crushed by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Another engaging installment in this series. I enjoy the perspective of the teen acceptance and adjustment to her powers. The conflict between her heritage and her lifestyle is again a central theme. I appreciated that her brother explained the difficulties in her being able to date/marry outside her culture. It is handled well. She also comes to realize with the power comes conflict between what different factions feel the inhumans times should be
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Violeta by Isabel Allende was a selection for my book club this year and it fit several prompts for different challenges perfectly. This was my first book by Allende and I will be reading more works by her in the future for sure. Overall I really liked the way she combines character development and story action. My only real complaint was the ending of the book felt as though she was throwing as many possible social issues into the story as possible rather than sticking to the main plotline that centered around the Chilean political uprising and the general US involvement in Latin American politics. The story is an amazing saga of the family and all it underwent over the course of Violetta's lifetime.
Violeta by Isabel Allende
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
fantastic epic historical novel
This is such a beautiful mix of description and characters. The history of Chile and S America that is revisited in this novel is an astonishing reminder of how much has changed in the world and how often it repeats in a different manner. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is the last portion felt as though all the faults in the world had to be thrown into the storyline/Violeta’s reflection letter. It just felt a bit contrived at that point whereas the rest of the book had felt authentic without lecturing til then. I am glad I went back and finished this book after having begun earlier in the year
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The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:
Tracked here on the TBR site
JANUARY
I am going to do this prompt-based challenge again in 2023. It is hosted by Austine and Katie on the Austine Decker blog. You don't have to own the book and can borrow etc. There is a 24 or 52 prompt list. They have created a bingo card or a regular checklist for whichever format you prefer to track using.
#BTB23
Prompts completed 48/52
Once again I am doing several challenges to help clear the ever growing TBR pile.
Some of the TBR challenges refer to physical books I own and others have to do with clearing the list of Want to Read and Library borrows that I am always seeming to add to as well.
First up are 2 hosted by Bev on her MyReadersBlock blog.
Mount TBR- #MountTBR2023 books you already own before 1/1/23 Goodreads group
Virtual Mount TBR- #VirtualMountTBR2023 Clear your want to read list Goodreads group
~Once you choose your challenge level you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find you are on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are welcome to upgrade. All books counted for lower mountains carry over towards the new peak.
This challenge is only for books you do not own. They may be borrowed from the library, a friend, found on a free e-book site (like Project Gutenberg), or anywhere else that allows you to temporarily "checkout" the book. Also--unlike Mount TBR--there is no date limit on your wish list. If you see a book that strikes your fancy after January 1 and want to grab it from the library, etc. then go for it.
