Carrie Soto is Back

 This is the 3rd book by Taylor Jenkins Reed that I have read.  I must say I have enjoyed them all for various reasons.  Carrie Soto is Back might be my favorite though because I really enjoy tennis. I previously read  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo this year. (my review) While I did enjoy that book, I am certainly not a Hollywood insider so the tennis topic was more familiar to me.  The details of the matches and the practice sessions that Jenkins Reed writes about make sense to me.  I enjoyed watching the changes in Carrie's personality and awareness of others.  Her hypercompetitive nature is well-represented in this story and it resonates with me as reflecting people I have interacted with in my life.  

I suspect if I had read Malibu Rising I might have experienced different emotions toward Carrie and I would imagine those who have read that book may dislike her significantly.  I think this is one of Jenkins Reed's strengths.  She develops characters that you experience a full range of emotions about.  She isn't afraid to write about characters people dislike.  I am curious to see how the different novels have characters that make appearances in the different stories.  I will definitely need to add Malibu Rising and the others to my TBR list.  

 

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is for more than just tennis fans, but it’s especially appealing if you play the game. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and watching the complexity of Carrie’s character. It caused me to reflect on what makes a great athlete and on the public’s perception and expectations of them. I did find myself thinking on different pro players and how their personalities appear in Carrie. This book has plenty of personal reflection by Carrie and made me contemplate what drives others and how we interpret their actions. This is my third book by Taylor Jenkins Reid and is my favorite for sure. It was easy to become invested and to root for and against Carrie at different 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 # 101 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 83  
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #92
4. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #7
5. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #26. A Book Everyone is Talking About
6. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #26 let’s play sportsball
7. HP Quidditch 23 #1 Quidditch: Involving a sport
8. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #29. SPORTS OR SPACE
9. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #19   A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge
• used 2022 challenge - A different book by an author you read in 2021  (I did as 2022) 
10. Pick your Poison  #9  A book about self-discovery
11. Read Around the US   sep Books with Characters Traveling Across State Lines

Bookclubbed to Death

Even though Bookclubbed to Death is the 8th book in the Mystery Bookshop series, V.M. Burns is able to keep the storyline fresh.   Samantha finds herself embroiled in another murder investigation.  But unlike in the other books, there is a more cooperative relationship with some of the investigators.  The ending is definitely a bit surprising but the resolution of the murder does make sense.  As usual, Samantha writes a cozy mystery in parallel to her mystery-solving endeavors.  Her writing is a means for her to sort her thoughts into coherent ideas.  It's kind of like how people's dreams help them sort out their daily encounters and dilemmas.  I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.

Bookclubbed to Death by V.M. Burns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This cozy was full of twists and crimes. I always enjoy how the main “real life” mystery mirrors the one Samantha is writing as part of the plot. It is fun to see how her writing provides clarity to her puzzling over the cases. This book found Samantha interacting with some characters in a different way that made for an engaging twist in the 9th book in the series. The who and the underlying why were quite surprising. The book also reminded us that our words do hurt others and just because you are not saying them in person doesn’t make them sting less. A good reminder in this day of social media

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 100 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   82
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 15  Book #1
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 8
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
6. What an Animal Book #37
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #91
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #48
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #77
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #65
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #108  Shot #2
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
13. Cozy Mysteries   #21 Three cozies, same author
14. Beyond the Bookends  September-Read a book written by a BIPOC female author

How the Murder Crumbles

 How the Murder Crumbles is the first book in a new series by Debra Sennefelder.  I have read her Food Blogger mystery series and was excited to try this new Cookie Shop series.  There are some overlaps in character types between the 2 series.  If I had to guess, I would imagine Ms. Sennefelder has some background in the blogging world since it seems to be a comfort zone for her to write about.  There are some very descriptive sections about photography, advertising/marketing, and cookie decorating.  If think it would be easy for readers to find something of interest in this story.  The mystery is full of misguided suspicions and thus the reveal of the guilty party was quite interesting.  

I look forward to reading more in this series as it moves forward.

 

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable book. I really liked the details about cookie decorating. There were plenty of suspects and some typical romantic angst. There are some very unlikely partnerships in the investigation and some great plot twists. Small town gossip places a critical role in the story. I look forward to reading more 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 #99  
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  81 
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #90
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #47
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #76
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #64
9. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #84  Shot #4
10. Medical Examiner Challenge 4 Toe Tags
11. 23 in 2023 # 1 A book published in 2023 

Murder Ink

 Murder Ink is the 6th book in the Victoria Square series and it has a bit of an edgier feel to it than the normal books in the series by Lorraine Bartlett.  This series features a strong entrepreneur in the main character, Lindsay.  The is a bit of cliche romantic tension found in the story, in fact, it appears there are 3 men interested in Lindsay at the conclusion of this book.  I will say the guilty party was a bit of a surprise and there are some interesting twists during the investigating process.  All in all the book is a good read and I look forward to seeing how the square progresses and the relationships change as the series moves forward.

Murder Ink by Lorraine Bartlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoy reading this series. I like the expansion in the business repertoire of Lindsay. She is a strong businesswoman and I appreciate how she blends her personal side with her business acumen. The mystics well company has plenty of suspects. The ending is quite surprising and entertaining

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #98  
2. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 6
3. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
4. What an Animal Book #36
5. Mount TBR   #MountTBR2023  Book # 9
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #69
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #46
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #75
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #63
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 7 Shot #5
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags

The Last Thing He Told Me

 The Last Thing He Told Me is a great thriller by Laura Dave.  I have had this book on my TBR list for a while now and have been waiting for my hold on my library list.  While we were on a cruise in Alaska, I found this book in the ship's library.   I was able to devour this book in one day.  I really enjoyed the premise behind the story and the characters' backstories that built up as the story progressed. The relationships and emotions that are expressed by the characters felt very real and it was easy to relate to them. The characters and the story were well done and it is easy to see why the book won a Goodreads award.  I am very curious to read other works by Laura Dave.  

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The level of suspense and complexity of relationships in this book made it better than many thrillers. There were many anxious moments in the book and the reader cannot begin to imagine the secrets being kept by the characters. I am intrigued to try other books by this author.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #97  
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 80 
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book # 
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #68
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #74
6. Medical Examiner Challenge 1  Toe Tags
7. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #37 Written in Present Tense
8. Bookworm #  39 A book by an author named David/Dave
9. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #30 A book that's on a celebrity book-club list
10. Read Around the US   Sept Characters Traveling Across State Lines
11. Read Your Bookshelf   September: Turn to page 50 in your August book (or 49 or 51 if your page 50 is blank) and your September book has to have one of the words from that page in the title.  "Told"
12. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge September - New Author

Shelved Under Murder

 Shelved Under Murder is the 2nd book in the Blue Ridge Library series which I began reading earlier this year.  Victoria Gilbert has a fun series set in Virginia with this concept.  I enjoy her other series which is a Booklovers B & B series so I am happy to have found this series.  The background story of these characters is a bit more plausible than the other one- a retired spy hiding in plain sight.  In this series, Amy has relocated to Taylorsville and is running the local library.  She encounters plenty of small-town charm and nosiness as she goes about her job and her relationship.  She has some wonderful friends and family who are helping her to adjust and whom she is helping when they find themselves embroiled in a murder investigation.  It is enjoyable how the story intertwines Amy's art history background into the storyline in a plausible manner.  I look forward to reading more about Amy and her library in future books in the series.  

Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed reading about Amy and Sunny’s investigation into the death of an artist. There were some subplot crimes which blended well with the story and made it interesting. I enjoy reading about Amy and Richards blooming relationship as well. I will definitely continue reading this 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 #  96
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 79  
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #88
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #67
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #45
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #73
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #62
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #45  Shot #5
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
12. Pick your Poison  # 46 A book with the name of a street or highway in the title
13. Read Around the US   Sept Characters Traveling Across State Lines

Misfortune Cookie

 This is the 9th book in the Noodle Shop series by Vivienne Chien.  I thoroughly enjoy the series but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the previous books.   I think it had to do with missing the usual quirky supporting cast.  This book is set in L.A. when Lana and her sister, Anna May, are visiting their Aunt.  The structure of the mystery is well done, it is just that I couldn't follow the characters since they were almost all new to me.  I enjoyed the book, just not as much as others in the series.  I look forward to reading more when Lana and Anna May are back in Cleveland.  

Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I enjoy reading the stories about the situations Lana finds herself in, I did not enjoy this one quite as much as the ones set in Ohio. I think because the characters weee not the core group that are in the other books it was more difficult for me to follow and stay engaged. The mystery is well plotted and revealed it was just difficult for me to follow the characters for some reason. I do hope the series continues as I enjoy it

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  95
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #78   
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 14 Book #1
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 9
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #87
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #44
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #72
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #61
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 23 Shot #5
11. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #20 featuring travel (time optional)
13. Pick your Poison  # 109 *A book you've been waiting to gobble up
14. Read Around the US   Sept Characters Traveling Across State Lines

Gone for Gouda

 Gone for Gouda is the 2nd book in the Cheese Shop series by Korina Moss.  I enjoy this series and the struggles Willa faces in running her business.  It is nice for storylines to not always be sunshine and perfection.  

Gone for Gouda by Korina Moss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun series especially if you are a cheese lover. Lots of interesting recipes mixed into the storyline. These is a great ensemble cast book with Willa as the lead. There are plenty of suspects and motives but the ending is definitely surprising

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #94  
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 77  
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 2
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. What an Animal Book #35
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #86
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #66
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #44
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #71
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #60
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 95 Shot #2
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags