the marriage portrait

 The Marriage Portrait is a novel selected by my book club for our April read.   I wasn't really sure what to expect as this is the first book I have read by Maggie O'Farrell.  The group read Hamnet earlier in the year but I was not at the meeting so I did not read the book.  For fans of readers of historical fiction not set around WWI and WWII this is a good pick.  It is set in 1500s Italy.  I did find it a bit difficult to follow at first as there are multiple time points that are bounced between. as well as different narrators.  The story is about Lucrezia Medici and her role in the family's place in Renaissance Italy.  Having visited Florence and seen the Medici palace adds another layer of intrigue to this book for me.  

Free spirited in her youth and suddenly thrust into marriage, Lucrezia plays a vital role in the Medici heritage.  This is an interesting historic fiction novel that is a bit of a suspense work as well.   

The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great historical period piece set in 1500s Italy. Even more engaging if you have been to Florence and the Medici palace. There is quite a bit of jumping between 3 time periods so sometimes it is a bit confusing to remember which point in the story you are at. Otherwise a great read

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 55 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  43 
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #48
4. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #4
5. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #18 Set During a War other than WWI or WWII
6. Around the Year in 52 Books #41. A book from the NPR “Books We Love” lists
7. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #4. With More Than 500 Pages
8. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #52 picked out by a friend with no context
9. HP Quidditch 23 #46 Weasley is our King: Contains royalty
10. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #44. Read a book set around wartime
11. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 # 37. SELECTED BY FAMILY OR FRIEND
12. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #29 A book your friend recommended
13. Pick your Poison  # 114 A book about our ancestors
14. Diversify your reading #DYRC23  Mar Literary Fiction

The Lost Ticket

 The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson is a delightful story and I really enjoyed it.  I will warn though if you have family members suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's this may have some trigger factors.  The growth of the character Libby and the development of her relationships is at the center of the story.   The quest to find the elusive Lady from Bus 88 adds a feeling of hope and anticipation to the story.  It also allows Libby to develop friendships at a time when she needs them most.  They provide the reset she needs and the support she is lacking from her family.  They become her "family" of sorts.  

There are many aspects of this story that are happy and hopeful.  They overshadow the sad aspects of a disease that takes so much from so many.  It is not a morbidly sad book but the impact of the illness is felt and the urgency it creates is present.  

I really enjoyed this book and now have added Sampson's Last Chance Library to my TBR list.  

The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is delightful but definitely has its sad moments. Anyone dealing with a family member with dementia should be aware that is a story component. Although there is a sad portion to the plot there is also a sense of hope and anticipation. The growth of Libby as a character is wonderful to watch. I would have liked to see where her relationship with her mother had progressed since Sampson have an update on the status with Rebecca. Maybe there’s a sequel for n the works so we see what happens to the characters. I think my desire for this says a lot about the characters Sampson created and her ability to engage her readers. I now want to go read her debut novel



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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  54
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   42
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #47
4. Bookworm #4 Read a book by an author whose name is Samantha, Sam, or a variant
5. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #33 “lost” or “found” in the title
6. HP Quidditch 23 #15 Chaser: A hard to catch book (always out of stock, hard to find copies of, long library wait list)
7. Pick your Poison  # 26 A book by an author you'd like to hug
8. Read with Allison #39 More Than Two People on the Cover

Manor of Dying

 I forgot how much I enjoyed the first 3 books in this series by Kathleen Bridge.  I had begun reading her Killing by the Sea series because they were available as ebooks vs audio which is the only format my library carries the Hamptons Home and Gardens series.  Manor of Dying finds Meg and her bff, Elle, involved in the staging of a tv pilot.  The prospect of working on the show and having a steady paycheck is appealing to Meg.  It doesn't hurt that the home to be the setting has a history as a sanatorium and the site of a murder.  The intrigue becomes all too real when a modern day murder occurs while trapped during a storm.  The clues are there but don't point to the guilty party in an obvious manner so Meg continues to poke around.  

Adding to the story's complexity is the fact it is the holiday season and she keeps having her plans with her boyfriend, Cole,  waylaid by Mother Nature.  Then the romantic trope gets more interesting as she realizes her mystery sand writing poet is also the author of the manuscript.  As she spends time with him she feels herself torn between his prescence and Cole's absence.  It all makes for a New Year's Eve to remember.  I am curious to see how that storyline plays out in the next installment of the series.  

Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable read especially for fans of decorating and antiques. This book also touches on some pop culture references such as reality tv and period tv shows. The mystery is well written and the clues present but very subtle. The reveal is more about the why to explain vs the clues.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  53
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  41 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 7 
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Hampton Home and Gardens #4
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 4
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
7. Color Coded #7  white
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #46
9. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #41
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #21
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #41
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #36
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #12  Shot #6
14. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
15. Pick your Poison  # 28 A book that makes you think of warm fires and cozy beds
16. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge   Apr Set on an Island- Long Island

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry

 National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! is a great book to read on your own or to share with children.  It is a perfect book to read in small bites.  The photos that accompany the poems are amazing as well.  Not that you would expect anything less from a National Geographic publication.  The poetry is a great mix of famous poets and those you may not be familiar with.  Some of the poems are deep and require reflection, while others are just fun.  Overall this is a great book that I picked to satisfy prompts about poetry.

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! by J. Patrick Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

great book with amazing photography. it's a perfect book to share with young children or just to enjoy snippets of poetry and great photos.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  52
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   40
3. What an Animal Book #15
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #45
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #40
6. 23 in 2023 # 16 A book written in verse or containing poetry
7. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #1 Book with a Subtitle
8. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #46. Award Winning Nonfiction
9. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #34 novel in verse, poetry, or anthology
10. HP Quidditch 23 #40 Ginny Weasley: A poetry book
11. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #16. AWARD-WINNING BOOK
12. Pick your Poison  # 88 Sonnets: A book of poetry
13. Read with Allison #23 Award-Winning Book
14. Sci and Nature # 30 Nature Poetry
15. Unruly Reader Bingo  #11 Chronicles
16. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  March Animals

Death of a Red Heroine

My experience reading  Death of a Red Heroine is a testament to the powers of participating in reading challenges.  If it were not for the alphabet challenge where I am always trying to find authors that meet the Q/X/Y/Z categories I might not have ever tried this detective story set in Shanghai.  The book is written by Qiu Xiaolong  I ended up really enjoying the storyline and the historical perspective of China as it was transitioning into a more capitalist approach to its economy.  The plot highlights the importance of the Party and the High Ranking Cadres' ability to get things done to their advantage;  something those without the connections cannot readily achieve.   In many ways, it reminded me of the old money influence in the US.  The wealth/power that exists acts as a barrier to newcomers entering the markets.  I did enjoy the book and may give the next in the series a go in the future.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I selected this audiobook from my library mainly because it sounded interesting and the author's name allowed me to fulfill some harder letters in the alphabet challenge. I ended up with a pleasant surprise and learned a lot about the history of China from an author who was born there. The intricacies of the Party establishment and the country's situation post-Tiananmen Square protests were a very interesting backdrop to a detective mystery. This is definitely not a cozy and has some very edgy and graphic details about the murder as well as the sexual exploits of the characters. The mystery is well constructed and details the police work involved in solving crimes, particularly with politically connected suspects and victims. I enjoyed the book and will definitely potentially try another in the series.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  51
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  39 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 6
4. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  China
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  X
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #44
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #39
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #40
9. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
10. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #3
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #41 A Character Who is a Refugee
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #45 more than 450 pages
13. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #24. OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE WORLD
14. Pick your Poison  # 54 A book you expect will expand your initial knowledge of a subject
15. Read with Allison #49 Set in the 1990s:
16. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  Longer than 400 pages
17. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge April- Unusual Historical

Criminally Cocoa

 Criminally Cocoa is a fun novella in the Amish Candy Shop series.   Amanda Flower set it in NYC rather than the usual OH Amish country.  In this book Charlotte, Bailey and Cass find themselves in NY filming a tv show starring Bailey.  This book has a more innocent feel to it as the narrator is Charlotte.  This perspective allows Flower to explain much of the Amish point of view as well as many of the concepts of Rumspringa.  This makes for a change of pace from the usual Englisch frame of reference the reader gets when Bailey is narrating.  While the story is more innocent it is fun to see the city from the perspective of Charlotte who has lived her whole life in rural Ohio.  Never fear though there is still a mystery to be solved and the antics of Jethro are still alive and well.  A fun interlude in the series.  I read this book out of order and it did not impact the plot of the next book in the series.  I read and reviewed Toxic Toffee in 2020.  

This book in addition to being the 2nd book with the word Cocoa in it while being read at Easter time met the challenge prompts to find a book with a Rabbit on it and a mini challenge for April by 52 Book Club.  This latter is the prompt to have an egg on the cover.   

 

Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a fun novella in the Amish Candy Shop series. I really enjoyed reading a story from Charlotte's perspective and learning more about the Amish experience of Rumspringa. I found it especially fun to see Charlotte's take on NYC as I lived there when I was about her age but I had seen more of the world than she has.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #   
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023 Yes the Amish Candy series.  
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3.5
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. What an Animal Book #14
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 7
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #38
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #20
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #39
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #35
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #102  Shot #1
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  Toe Tags
13. 23 in 2023 # 12 A book with a rabbit on the cover or in the title
14. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #10 bought and forgot it
15. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #10. A COMING-OF-AGE STORY
16. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge # A book with a rabbit on the cover
17. Pick your Poison  # 132 A book you can read in a day

Cocoa Conviction

 I decided to go ahead and read Cocoa Conviction next since it would allow me to finish off the box set and return it to Kindle Unlimited.   It also fits the prompt for the April Mini Challenge having to do with chocolate so it seemed like a good idea to just go ahead with it before some of my library books.   It is also an Easter book so reading it at Easter seemed fitting.   

Again the story is fun even if the premise is a bit far-fetched.  I find the adventures of the retired spy and the spy in hiding to be a bit unrealistic.  But then again, who knows if I know spies and am unaware of their true profession.  This story did leave a few loose ends which is a bit annoying but not so much to deter me from reading about future adventures involving Charlotte and Georgina.  

If you are looking for a series with 2 strong female characters related to one another then you might really enjoy this series set in Gossip, TX.

Cocoa Conviction by Rosie A. Point
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

another book describing the antics of Charlotte and her granmother, Georgina. For 2 spies trying to keep a low profile they sure do keep finding themselves mixed up in murder investigations. enjoyable cozy mystery with good structure even if the plot seems a bit outlandish at times.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  
2. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
3. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
4. What an Animal Book #13
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #43
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #37
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #19
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #38
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #34
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #79  Shot #4
11. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
12. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #30. TWO WORD TITLE
13. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #
14. Pick your Poison  # 17 Twofer two books by the same author using different names (counts as two books)

52 Book Club mini challenge

 The 52 Book Club challenge hosts have periodic monthly challenges in addition to their annual 52 prompt challenge.   My link for that challenge can be found here.   

I haven't done all of the monthly ones so far but here are the ones they hosted in 2023

April Mini    

• Egg On Cover  Idea:  Deadly Deals and Donuts (Donut Truck Mystery #1)
• Criminally Cocoa (Amish Candy Shop #3.5) by Amanda Flower
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/11/23

• Includes E/G/G
• National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar!  by J. Patrick Lewis
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/12/23

• Featuring Chocolate
• Cocoa Conviction (Mission Inn Possible #3) by Rosie A Point
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/10/23

March Mini  

• From an Animal's point of view
• 
  

A Feather on the cover

• A Killing by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/15/23

• Character who works with Animals
• Beagles Love Steak Secrets by C A Phipps
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/9/23

Feb Mini Challenge

• Set in Winter

• A Christmas Candy Killing (Killer Chocolate, #1) by Christine Romeril
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/6/23

• Shadow on the Cover

• Dead Heat by Dick Francis and Felix Francis
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/14/23

A time Loop   

• The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/21/23

Strawberry Sin

 Strawberry Sin is the 2nd Mission Inn Possible mystery by Rosie A Point.  While the premise of a retired grandmother who was a spy and her granddaughter, a spy in hiding, working to solve murder mysteries is a bit of a stretch even for cozy mysteries, the stories are still entertaining.  Small-town life is made even more humorous when the town is Gossip, TX.  Charlotte and her Gamma, Georgina,  find themselves embroiled in another murder investigation which makes it difficult for Charlotte to keep a low profile and hide from her revenge-seeking ex.  The clues are well constructed and the means by which they solve the case without acknowledging they were the ones to figure it out is well done.  If you are looking for an enjoyable quick read this series is a good option.  I have a 3 book compilation from Kindle Unlimited right now and the 3rd book fit perfectly into the April mini-challenges I am doing for 52 book club.  

Strawberry Sin by Rosie A. Point
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An enjoyable cozy with a bit of spy tactics thrown in. Charlotte is hiding undercover in Texas while on Hiatus from her career as a spy. Her retired spy grandmother has an inn i the town of Gossip. Believe me the small town residents like to gossip. This plus the murders that keep happening are making it hard for Charlotte to stay hidden. Her agency sends in her partner to act as a handler which adds one more person to hide her sleuthing from. Of course the irony of Agent Smulder’s arrival right at Valentine’s Day adds to the plot line. While being a light hearted mystery with some cliche moments the story is fin and the mystery is enjoyable to unravel. Looking forward to the next in the series

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  48
2. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
3. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #42
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #36
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #18
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #37
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #33
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 79 Shot #3
10. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
11. Pick your Poison  #17 Twofer two books by the same author using different names (counts as two books) 
12. HP Quidditch 23 #42 Marcus Flint: Involves a fire  

Larceny in Liverpool

 Who ever thought I would read a cozy mystery starring the Beatles.  Larceny in Liverpool by Kal Smagh is a clever cozy that does just that.  There's a bit of a mystery surrounding stolen lyrics surrounded by a lot of fanaticism in the early days of the Beatles.  There are glimpses of famous locations such as the Cavern Club and plenty of strange fan mail.   The book is clever if not super deep in the clues.  I am not sure how the series will continue but I am willing to give the next installment a go;   particularly since they are in Kindle Unlimited.  

Larceny in Liverpool by Kal Smagh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

such a fun premise

What a totally unique idea for a cozy mystery. It’s fun to read about secrets within the inner circle as the Beatles first struck out in their career. There are lots of components people will be familiar with but the story and larceny are unique I look forward to reading more of Helen’s story telling

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  47
2. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
3. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #41
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #35
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Historical  #1
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #36
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #32
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #101  Shot #1
10. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book # 2
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #7 A City or Country name in the title
12. Around the Year in 52 Books #29. A book that is light
13. Cozy Mysteries   #22 Cozy without murder
14. HP Quidditch 23 #4 Quidditch Throughout the Ages: A historical fiction
15. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #23. Read a historical fiction novel
16. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #14. A BOOK YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT
17. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #34 A historical-fiction book
18. Pick your Poison  # 61 A fiction book with a real person as protagonist
19. Read with Allison #8 Historical Fiction
20. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge April- Unusual Historic Fiction

A Proposal They Can't Refuse

 This rom-com by Natalie Cana was a complete surprise to me.  I didn't know much about A Proposal They Can't Refuse, other than it involved the trope of fake dating and mixed-heritage dating.  I was pleasantly surprised to find it was set in Chicago and thus fulfilled my geography prompt for IL as well as had some location familiarity for me.  

I found this to be a bit spicier than many rom-com works, with a bit more detail about bedroom activities that aren't always included in lighter rom-com books.  This book definitely developed the characters of Mila and Liam as well as their interactions with their families.   I also appreciated that it wasn't just a comedy of mistakes but rather some rather serious miscommunication that lead to issues among the couple and the families.  While it is an overall feel-good book, there are definitely some poignant moments, I would compare it to the JoJo Moyes, Me Before You series.  There are some intense emotions and character history to absorb.  Overall I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next book in the series, ,due out at the end of Oct.  

A Proposal They Can't Refuse by Natalie Caña
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

a rom com with depth

I really didn’t know much about the book when I started; only that it had a fake dating trope which fulfilled a challenge prompt for me. I found this book to have many happy and funny moments but it definitely had intense ones as well. It is most certainly not all happily ever after. For those looking for a rom com with some added depth and spice this is a great pick

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  46
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   38
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  IL
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #40
5. Around the Year in 52 Books #48. A book with an unusually large version of an animal in the story
6. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #34. Genre You Don’t Usually Read
7. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #7  fairy/folktale you haven’t heard of before
8. HP Quidditch 23 #48 Wronski Feint: Includes misdirection
9. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #29. Read a book where the two main characters are "fake dating"
10. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #8. ROMANCE OR HORROR
11. Pick your Poison  #133 A book you wish you'd written 
12. Read with Allison #1 23 Letters in the Title
13. Read Your Bookshelf   A book that is in a different genre than your March book

MS Marvel Vol 4

 I have selected the Ms Marvel Vol 4  this year to continue reading the series as it covers multiple prompts from my challenges.  There is almost always a prompt where G Willow Wilson as an author meets the requirements.  Additionally this year there were prompts about graphic novels in genres I don't normally read and although Parable of the Sower would have fit the prompt, I utilized that graphic novel for other prompts.  

I did find this book, a series of books really, to be a bit more difficult to follow than previous volumes I have read.  I think it is much more intended for the die hard Ms Marvel fans and Avengers fans in general.  I like them but more from the entertainment factor of the movies rather than a devotion to the Marvel universe.  

That being said, I do enjoy the fact Kamala is portrayed as a strong young woman who overcomes many challenges including her family background to be someone that is admired and respected, even if it is her alter ego.  I would recommend reading the volumes in order as there are portions of previous stories that are built upon in this one and it gives context to have read the others.  

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 4: Last Days by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this volume of Ms Marvel to be a bit confusing. Not really sure if the story has to do with Thanos in the Marvel timeline or not. Also the last of the volume feels a bit miah mash with sudden random mix ups with Spider Man. I found myself quite confused and feeling as though I was lacking context to the storyline. This book felt as though it was better suited to hard core Avenger followers

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 45 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  37 
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  NJ
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #39
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #34
6. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #3. By a Black Author
7. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #12 name in the title 
8. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #3  A book outside of your comfort genre's 
9. Read with Allison #36 Fantasy
10. Read Your Bookshelf  March: The title starts with the next letter in the alphabet from your Feb book.
11. Diversify your reading #DYRC23 May: Young Adult

A Friend in Knead

 I selected this book from my Kindle library in order to meet the monthly keyword challenge;  friend was a word to select from in March.  I ended up enjoying A Friend in Knead by Judith Jackson and found the characters to be fun.   I especially liked the dog with tutus and eye patches.  The parrot that belongs to the cafe's cook is a riot as well.  The mystery was well constructed with clues being dropped but not being obvious.  The guilty party was an interesting outcome.  I look forward to reading more in the series in the future.

A Friend In Knead by Judith Jackson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

enjoyable small town Murder mystery

This is the first book in the series and as such the reader is introduced to a lot of characters. Some are quirky and others annoying- as intended. My only real complaint about the book was my inability to keep track off all these characters, really a minor issue. The mystery is well constructed with clues present that make sense and lead to the guilty party. I look forward to reading more about this little cafe In Vermont

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  44
2. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge F
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #12
6. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 6
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #33
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #17
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #35
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #31
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #  Shot #
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  Friend