Carry On Simon Snow

 I selected this book in order to fulfill the Chosen One prompts in several of my challenges.  I discovered this book when I read Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl last year.   This is a spinoff of sorts from that book.  In Fangirl the characters write fanfiction about a fictional character named Simon Snow and Baz.  This book brings those characters and their world to life as the center of the story.  It is a similar story to Harry Potter with a bit more frenemies and romantic tension than those books have.   I did enjoy this book even if it took me quite a while to read it.  I had to turn it in to the library and then got busy with other books as I read and renewed the kindle book from the library.   If you are looking for a fantasy book with a bit of a twist at the end this book would be a great read.  

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

magical thriller

Generally not the gene I read but I thoroughly enjoyed this boon. The frenemies relationship between Simon and Baz grows through the book. Although there are similarities to Potter this book is very different and intense.


View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #124
2. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #134
3. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #148
4. Around the Year in 52 Books #30 A long book
5. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #45 A Coming Of Age Novel 
6. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #5  The Desolation: about a Chosen One

7. BooklistQueen   #25. Coming of Age Story 
8. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #10 over 500 pgs  
9. Bookworm  #40. Read a book that uses the "Chosen One" trope  
10. Magic in the Books Book 6 #6 Includes the Chosen One trope
11. Pick your Poison #23-1 A book with the word "snow" in the title
12. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #22.  500+ pages  
13. 52 books in 52 weeks  #6-2 swords and sorcerers 

The Picture of Dorian Gray

 Well  I must say that between my book club and the challenges I have read a number of books that I would not have chosen otherwise this year.  This book by Oscar Wilde certainly falls in that category.  There is a story that is captivating in itself but then there is a much deeper philosophical discussion going on within the book as well. You can definitely see the influence of Wilde's life and experiences in this work and it definitely feels like a great big stick it to the upper class of England  novel as well.  This is definitely a novel with layers and it feels like a gothic novel with some super natural elements as well.  If you are looking for a classic for the Halloween season this would be a good choice

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wow is this book a bit creepy and deep. Definitely not a quick read but it is engrossing. Makes you stop and think about who is good and evil in the world. Definitely need to remember the era it was written in when reading it. A good classic that isn't necessarily heavily read.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #114
2. Beat the Backlist #BTB2021  #16 banned book 
3. 2021TBR  #2021ReadingChallenge # 3 friend recommendation 
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #121
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #135
6. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf
7. BooklistQueen   #16. Published in the 1800s 
8. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #8 written pre 1900
9. While I was Reading  #1 A book published before 2000
10. Pick your Poison #11-4 A book with a monster on the cover 
11. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #15 mentioned in a tv show or film 
12. Beyond the Bookends  mental health fiction

  

Murder in Red

 Book #49 by the infamous Jessica Fletcher with the help of Jon Land was an entertaining installment set in Cabot Cove, ME.  I enjoyed the humor of the characters making fun of Cabot Cover being a murder magnet.  This was probably the least formulaic of the books I have read from the series in a while and I wonder if it is due to the difference in co-author.  Either way I found it quite enjoyable.  

This book incorporated some corporate and medical ethics queries into the plot line that are definitely relevant in today's society.  I appreciated that the topics were raised without preaching on them and while presenting both sides to the issue.  This story brought Jessica's friend, George Sutherland to town and incorporated him into the storyline along with Mort and Seth.  The book introduces a few other Cabot Cove residents as well.

All in all this was a good mystery with characters and storyline with depth.  If you are a fan of the TV show then you probably already like the books but I would recommend the series to any cozy mystery fan.

Murder in Red by Jessica Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This installment in the murder she wrote series is more original than many of them. it definitely felt less formulaic and seemed like it was a probable plot line. I enjoyed reading it and finished it in one day. Always fun to read a book from the series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #64
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021  Murder She Wrote #49
3. Beat the Backlist #BTB2021  #1 more than one author
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #70
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #83
6. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
7. Cozy Mysteries   #17 author collaboration
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #42
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #67
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #58
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #20 Made Into A TV Series
12. BooklistQueen   #19. A Book Turned Into a TV Series 
13. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #5 made into a tv/movie
14. Spells and Spaceships Big screen
15. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
16. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 1
• Library or bookstore
• Weapons
• Row 5
• Medicine or drugs
• Detectives- Jessica/Mort
• Victims- Mimi; Laurie Ann
17. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #12  Shot #4

Killer Chardonnay

 This is the first book by Kate Lansing and it is a wonderful cozy set in Colorado.  Parker Valentine is opening a winery in Boulder and is trying to grow her business and the wine business in Colorado.  Unfortunately a death at her grand opening does not inspire many new customers and has her facing many negative social media posts.  As she works to figure out who killed the food and wine critic, Gaskel Brown, and save her store, Vino Valentine.  Interspersed with the mystery is her relationship with her best friend, Sage and her family, particularly her brother, Liam.   Those relationships have ups and downs and are realistically portrayed.  You cannot help but root for them to right themselves and for Parker to solve the mystery behind Gaskel's death before her business fails.   

It is wonderful to see a strong female protagonist pursuing her dreams and opening a business.  The descriptions of the wines and winemaking process are wonderful as are those of the food pairings her friend Reid prepares for her VIP party.   I look forward to reading about more wine escapades in the next installment of the series, A Pairing to Die For.

Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wonderful cozy centered around the wine business. This book centers around an unexpected death at the grand opening of Parker Valentine's new winery; "Vino Valentine" I enjoyed the premise of a woman following her dreams to open a business and then struggling to over the problems that ensue after the bad break. Parker is a likeable character and her relationship with her BFF, Sage, and her brother Liam are well constructed and realistic. I soused out the guilty party about halfway through the story despite the misdirects the author set forth. I enjoyed the book and the descriptions of Boulder and the Colorado mountain atmosphere. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #28
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes CO
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #36
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #41
5. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  # 19  FC11
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #29
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #25
9. Around the Year in 52 Books #1. A book related to “In the Beginning...”
10. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #5 Published By Penguin
11. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #27. Filth: with fruit on the cover
12. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #18 debut author
13. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #13. TITLE STARTS WITH 'G' OR 'K'
14. Bookworm  #58.) Read a book (fiction or nonfiction) involving mental illness
15. Magic in the Books Book 4 #1 Read a book involving a sport
16. Pick your Poison #21-1 A cozy mystery with a beverage in the title
17. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags
18. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 2
• Lawn

Row 5
Bathtub, shower, bathroom

• Weapons
• Row 1 
• Poison, poisoned food
• Detectives- Parker Valentine/ Eli 
• Victims- Max/ Gaskel Brown
19. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #54  Shot #1

Hush Hush

 This is the 56th book in the Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods.   The series is a fun escape but are by no means pieces of serious literature.  The book leads the reader on a trip around the different parts in the world where Stone Barrington owns properties.  Unlike many of the books in the series this one really doesn't have a mystery element, it is more thriller suspense in nature.  If you are looking for a fun quick escape then this is a great book for you.

Hush-Hush by Stuart Woods
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a typical gun toting, sexual encounter filled book featuring Stone Barrington. It was an entertaining chase around the world amongst the different properties Stone owns. Many of the typical characters appear with several new characters. If you are looking for an action packed story that borderlines on a spy thriller then this is a good choice for you.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #24
2. AtoZ   #2021AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge "H" 
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021 current on Stone Barrington series
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #32
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #35
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #25
7. Around the Year in 52 Books #39. A book involving an immigrant
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #31 Shares A Similar Title To Another Book
9. BooklistQueen   # 34. An Author You Love
10. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #15 by one of your fav authors
11. What's in a Name   #2 Doubled word (ex. In a Dark, Dark Wood; Wolf by Wolf)
12. Pick your Poison #24-3 Anything you want 
13. Medical Examiner Challenge  11 Toe Tags (shot)
14. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 1
• Pathway or forest x7
• Row 2
• Alley or mews x1
• Lawn x1

Row 3
Bar, store, restaurant x2 

• Weapons
• Row 2 
• Hand gun
• Row 5
• Rifle or shotgun
• Detectives- Ed Rawls/Dino Baccheti/ Lance Cabot/ Stone Barrington/ Rocky
15. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #5b  Shot #3

Olive Bright Pigeoneer

 This novel by Stephanie Graves is a great combination of a historic fiction novel and a cozy mystery in the classic styling of Agatha Christie.  It is a well written mystery that has quite a few suspects and a surprise ending.  The main character, Olive is a well developed character that demonstrates multiple layers of her personality.  She is a young woman torn between helping her family and a need to feel like she is helping her country.

The Bright family has a dovecote of winning racing pigeons.  They have appealed to the war department to utilize their pigeons in the war effort, unfortunately Olive's father has a reputation that precedes him and makes that an impossibility.   Olive is feeling restless in her hometown and is seeking to signup for war work.   Then along comes a suspicious death in town and a strange visitor to their home.   The visitor insists on secrecy but offers to let Olive and her pigeons play a role in the war effort but she cannot tell her family.    The resulting cover story makes for some interesting plot lines.  Meanwhile Olive is investigating the mysterious death of the town's opinionated busybody.   Olive decides to channel her inner Hercule Poirot and investigate this death which she feels is not the accident that the inquest determines it to be.  

All in all this is a well written and entertaining historic cozy.   I recommend it as a great combination of historical fiction and the mystery included in the plot.  

Olive Bright, Pigeoneer by Stephanie Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun take on a cozy mystery. It really read more like a historic fiction novel for quite awhile. There is lots of historic detail and story based around WWII era England. The mystery that is included is well written and intertwined with the storyline well. The investigation leads to a surprise ending and guilty party. If interested in reading historic cozy mysteries this is a good choice

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #22
2. AtoZ   #2021AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge "O"
3. 2021TBR  #2021ReadingChallenge # 16 war novel
4. Cozy Mysteries   # 13 you picked for title
5. Cruisin thru Cozies  #9 historic #2
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #24
7. Craving for Cozies  Book #21
8. Around the Year in 52 Books #48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #7 An Author With Only 1 Published Book
10. BooklistQueen   # 21. A WWII Story
11. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #24 occupation in title
12. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #10. DEBUT AUTHOR
13. Magic in the Books Book 2 #1 Bird on the cover
14. Pick your Poison #6-3 A book about baby boomers
15. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2021 – Historical Fiction Novel Featuring Inspiring Women
16. Diversify your reading #DYRC21-  Historical Fiction
17. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
18. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 5
• Garden, park, gazebo
• Weapons
• Row 1 
• Poison, poisoned food
• Detectives- Olive/Jamie
• Victims- Miss Buxelbee
19. 52 books in 52 weeks  #37 military

The Day the World Came to Town

 This non fiction work by Jim DeFede is a recounting of the days from Sept 11, 2001- Sept 15th.  If you were alive that day you know exactly where you were when you heard and how your family was impacted.  This story is about people who were right in the middle of the chaos, not in NYC or DC but immediately impacted nonetheless.   It is written as perspectives of local residents of Gander, Newfoundland and passengers on the flights that were redirected and grounded there when all air traffic was stopped in the US.  Coincidentally there were some very influential passengers on a few of the flights who shed some additional background and insight beyond just having been there, the stories are engaging as well as inspiring.

Mr. DeFede wrote a novel like non-fiction account.  It was a pleasurable read that I sat down and completed on a bleak winter afternoon.  The book reminded me of the good in man kind and at the heart of most people that is so easily overshadowed by the news media today.  It was refreshing to be reminded there are good people who do the right thing just because it is the right thing.  

The people of Gander and the surrounding small communities took in nearly 7000 stranded passengers and crew.   They rallied to house, feed and transport those individuals who found themselves stranded during a time of confusion and angst.   The author was able to focus his narrative on a small group of those individuals that tells a story of survival and innate goodness.  The people of Newfoundland put their lives on hold to help provide some proximity of normal to complete strangers, and wanted NOTHING in return.    

I urge you to read this book and treasure the beauty of human nature at its best.  I had the opportunity to visit St. Anthony, Newfoundland in 2019 with my husband and I can attest to the warm nature of the citizens.  It reminded me of my experiences in New Zealand.  These are truly people who will give the clothes off their backs to strangers and think it's weird that you are surprised at the gesture.  There is a chapter on being screeched in and I can say we too experienced this on our cruise ship.  It is an unforgettable experience to say the least- you will have to read the book to see what it means.  

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an amazing non fiction book that shows an entirely different side to the events of 9/11. It is easy to forget that so many people's lives were impacted on that day outside of those on the 4 planes and in the Towers and Pentagon. DeFede writes an amazing compilation of the stories of some of the passengers and the local residents of Gander, Newfoundland.

The different unique stories he was able to identify and relay are amazing. It is interesting to see how many different compelling stories were established in a small province of Canada. The strength and goodness of people really shine in this book. DeFede's writing style reads like a story instead of a non fiction textbook and it is so enjoyable.

This book reminds us of the wonderful kindness and generosity of good people in a time of need. It is a refreshing read that reminds me of the good in mankind which is much needed in such a turbulent time right now.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #15
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Newfoundland, Canada
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #23
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #26
5. Non Fiction Reader  #2021ReadNonFic  #1 Biography
6. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #37. A book you think your best friend would like
7. Around the Year in 52 Books #2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
8. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #8 A Book In The 900's Of The Dewey Decimal System
9. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #1. The Eye: Nonfic about an unfamiliar subject
10. BooklistQueen   # 4. Biography
11. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #7 biography/autobiography
12. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #36. RELEASED BETWEEN 1991 - 2012
13. Bookworm  #7.) Read a book with the color white on the cover
14. Pick your Poison #26-3 A book set after a major world event (war, weather disaster, etc.)
15. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #21  a book with illustrations
16. 52 books in 52 weeks  #9 anithero
17. Unruly Reader Bingo  #7 narrative non fiction 

Cold Case Crumble

 This is the 3rd book in the Jessica James series by Jennifer Joy (Becca Bloom).   The series is set in Ecuador and does a wonderful job of blending descriptions of the local atmosphere with the mystery itself.  The characters are charming and feel like a real family, full of quirky habits and gentle teasing.   If you are looking for a well developed mystery with surprises these are great books to select.

Jessica is visiting with a family that has a long term relationship with her own family.  Unfortunately her vacation has turned into a repetitive case of finding bodies and having to solve mysteries.  This time, she and Tia Flora, Sylvia, and Abuelita uncover a cold case going back to when Sylvia was in high school in Banos.   The characters continue to develop as do the relationships between them.  The family is a tight knit group with typical family interactions.   It is easy to visualize the characters and the locations described in the book.

The mystery itself is a wonderfully written book with plenty of twists and turns with a surprise conclusion.  I look forward to continue reading the series to see how Jessica continues to fare in Ecuador.  

Cold Case Crumble by Jennifer Joy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Always fun to read about Jessica James' adventures in Ecuador. This installment has Jessica and her hosts, Tia Flora, Abuelita, Adi, and Sylvia, all discovering an unwelcome surprise while fixing up the new building Tia Flora has acquired to build her new bakery. This time Jessica actually has the permission of the Head Policeman and the local officers to investigate the mystery. She only has a short time window to solve the cold case since the pertinent individuals will only be in Banos for 4 days. As is typical with this series there are moments of levity and some twists and turns in the mystery. The characters continue to be endearing and you feel as though you could hang out with them in Abuelita's restaurant kitchen.
If you are looking for a fun cozy set in South America this is a great series to explore

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Ecuador
2. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #21
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #24
5. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
6. Cruisin thru Cozies  #5-1 set outside US
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #16
8. Craving for Cozies  Book #14
9. Around the Year in 52 Books #35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer
10. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #22. Es Mentiras: with a door on the cover
11. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #23 weather word in title
12. Bookworm  #29.) Read a book from your favorite genre
13. Magic in the Books Book 3 #6 With a source of light on the cover
14. Pick your Poison #25 Borrowing A book with a character from a different book
15. Medical Examiner Challenge  2 Toe Tags-  hit, poison
16. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 1
• Kitchen or bakery
• Row 4
• Hotel room
• Weapons
• Row 1 
• Poison, poisoned food
• Row 2 
• Rock, brick, blunt object
• Detectives- Jessica/Tia Flora/Abuelita/Adi/Sylvia
• Victims- Sophia/Alex
17. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #22  Shot #3

The Red Address Book

 This novel is a well written reflection on the life of Doris as told by Sofia Lundberg.   It is a compilation of stories as told by Doris to her great niece, Jenny as she nears 97 years of age.  These different experiences and stages of Doris' life are presented as individual sections categorized by the entries in Doris' address book.   Her stories are associated with the different stages in her life as they relate to the different people she had met over the years and had entered into her address book.  These entries represent different stages in her life, all closed chapters at this point with the exception of her relationship with Jenny.  

There are many aspects of this novel that are sad and it would be easy to imagine the story as being a tear jerker.  Lundberg has done a wonderful job of pointing out the sadness and isolation of the end of Doris' life without being overly dramatic.   The stories of her life are the focus, they show how fully she lived.  As is often the case, they demonstrate the life before children and the lives that children know.  Often times, our offspring are shocked by the person who lived a different life before they were born.  This is definitely the case with Doris and Jenny.  Similarly, we find out Jenny has a similar change to her life when she became a mother.  

The stories Doris shares with Jenny depict and amazing life which helps offset the sadness of the current situation Doris finds herself in.   It would be easy to focus on the isolation Doris is experiencing late in her life and be overcome with sadness but rather the tapestry of Doris' life is central to the story.  This novel is an amazing layered journey through Doris' life but also a closure for herself and Jenny.  

I highly recommend this book and the only reason I did not give it 5 stars was the slow pace in which the story began.  Once the story got going, it was harder to put down but the format of each chapter representing an encapsulated story made it easy to start and stop my reading.

The Red Address Book by Sofia Lundberg
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to think about this novel at first. It started out a bit slow and then it really caught my attention and I couldn't read it fast enough. One of the nice aspects about it is each of the chapters tend to be encapsulated stories so you ca read it a little bit at a time and not feel like you have to backtrack to get started again.

The story is full of reminiscences and stories of Doris' life in Stockholm, Paris, New York and England. She experienced an amazing amount during her lifetime, but it is apparent she never shared it with her great niece, Jenny. Jenny discovers the stories as she visits Doris for one last time in Stockholm and wants her great aunt to tell her more and share more about their shared past as well as Doris' before Jenny was born. The story is poignant about how, as she lived to be quite an elderly lady, most of her acquaintances have passed away. The story is structured as a events of her life through the interactions with the different individuals in her address book. The reader hears about her love and tragedies as well as the adventures she experienced. Doris is clearly a strong woman who is reflecting on her life and her loss of independence. We should all be so blessed to have such a long life and to remember it is such detail.
I highly recommend this book

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #13
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Sweden
3. Beat the Backlist #BTB2021  #24 written in letters or diary entries 
4. 2021TBR  #2021ReadingChallenge # 19 written in a foreign language  
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #19
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #22
7. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #3
8. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #38. A book about art or an artist
9. Around the Year in 52 Books #12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation
10. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #22 A Family Saga
11. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #39. Oliver: involves dreams
12. BooklistQueen   # 28. A Book About Friendship
13. A Pretty Mess Challenge # 3. Debut author
14. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #19 translated book
15. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #31. A BOOK YOU NEVER FINISHED
16. Bookworm  #41.) Read a book where the main character is elderly
17. Magic in the Books Book 4 #7 Read a book in translation
18. Pick your Poison #20- 2 A book about overcoming obstacles
19. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf # 9 on your tbr for over a year
20. Monthly Keyword #MonthlyKeyWordGXO  "RED"
21. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge  Western Europe
22. Beyond the Bookends  about addiction
23. 52 books in 52 weeks  #27 diary
24. Unruly Reader Bingo  #22 immigrant

 

Ms. Marvel Vol 2

 This is the 2nd installment of the G. Willow Wilson Graphic Novels I have read.   Last year for my graphic novel selection I picked Vol 1 of the series.   See my review here.    I decided to pick the next one in the series for this year as well since it covered several of my topics for different challenges.   

I continue to realize I am not the best audience for graphic novels, even though I do enjoy the Marvel movies.  I think I just have trouble following the flow of the story line.  This plot was a bit confusing for me at times but I also think so of that relates to the fact this is a compilation of several issues of comic books.   I do like that there is a strong young female as the lead in the story.  The dynamics are especially complex as she is a Muslim teen trying to balance her religious beliefs and constricts with being a typical American teen.  I appreciated that she sought the advice of her church leader in this book and came to realize the applicability of his advice.  

The target audience is YA for this series and the messages at the end were a bit too "woke" and preachy for my taste at times.  I truly hope not all fiction geared toward YA is so pessimistic and fatalistic.   I think this is often the message given to them in school as well and I worry about their outlook for their futures. There are many positive aspects of life today versus the past.  We have progressed while realizing we can still grow as a nation.  This might also explain the popularity of dystopian tomes with that generation as well.   I suspect much of it is just this generation's cause and as they take on responsibilities their outlooks may change some and balance the extremes with the possibilities.  

Ms. Marvel, Vol. 2: Generation Why by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

great story with a strong teenage girl in the lead character role. I appreciate watching her growth as a person/superhero while enjoying the action. I did find the storyline hard to follow at times, not always certain who was talking but the general idea was readily able to be followed.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #12
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes NJ
3. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  "G"
4. 2021TBR  #2021ReadingChallenge #13 ya book
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #16
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #19
7. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #24. A book by a Muslim American author
8. Around the Year in 52 Books #17. A book with a Muslim character or author
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #26  An Author Of Color
10. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #26. Titan: a graphic novel
11. BooklistQueen   #8. An Author Who Uses Initials
12. A Pretty Mess Challenge #6. YA book by author of color 
13. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #14 with images
14. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #11. RELEASED IN APRIL
15. Bookworm  #47.) Read a book with the main character  of a different ethnicity than you 
16. Magic in the Books  Book 4 #4 Includes a shapeshifter
17. Spells and Spaceships Monster Badge
18. Pick your Poison #27-3 A comic book 
19. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #1 an unusual format 
20. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2021 Contemporary Black Author
21. 52 books in 52 weeks  #19 robot

The Three Mrs. Wrights

 Wow, didn't realize one person could be so deceitful and able to keep their stories straight.  Linda. Keir created quite a tangled web of a story and an amazing male main character.  Jonathan/Jack/Trip is quite a charming and proficient liar.  His ability to deceive others in his life makes you wonder if he is even sure what the truth is any longer or if he is the ultimate sociopath.   The story is quite well written and you cannot help but cheer for the leading ladies of the story. They are strong women who are duped and it seems easy to judge from a distance but if you think of the many busy lives we encounter in today's world you will soon realize the premise isn't as far fetched as it would first seem.   The conclusion to the story is quite intriguing and as happy as can be hoped for under the circumstances laid out by the plot.

Highly recommend for anyone interested in a non mystery suspense book.

The Three Mrs. Wrights: A Novel by Linda Keir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Quite an intriguing novel of suspense. It definitely created an atmosphere where trusting others seems to be impossible. As you read you cannot wait to find out what the real story is, not the fabricated identities you are meeting, but rather the real truth. There is quite a fun twist at the end that leads to as happy an ending as can be found in a book about so much deceit and lying.
Very glad I picked this book out at the library 

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #7
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  IL
3. AtoZ   #2021AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge "T"
4. Color Coded #5  Brown
5. Around the Year in 52 Books #32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #32 A Selfish Character
7. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #52. Manuela Dominguez: author/MC works in the sciences
8. BooklistQueen   #12. With a Number in the Title 
9. A Pretty Mess Challenge #12  book with 2 authors 
10. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #11 multiple authors
11. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #42. WRITTEN BY TWO AUTHORS  
12. Bookworm  #16 Read a book that has a person on the cover
13. Magic in the Books 
• Book 6 #2 with a number in the title/on the cover
14. Pick your Poison #22-4 A book about an estranged family
15. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #10  set at or featuring a wedding 
16. 52 books in 52 weeks  #41 hide in place
17. Unruly Reader Bingo  #18 blurb

Misalignment and Murder

 This book is an Advanced Reader Copy that I received from the author.  It isn't actually being released until Feb 15th on Amazon.  It is the second installment of the Chiro Cozy series by Cathy Tully.   Susannah Shine owns her own chiropractor practice in Peach Grove, Georgia.  She has been in the town for 15 years and has a wonderful core group of friends.  These friends, spearheaded by Bitsy, end up assisting her in solving mysteries that she seems to keep getting dragged into.  The characters are fun and quirky, the reader can definitely see them as real people that you would meet in your own life.  

This second book introduces us to Angie, Susannah's sister, who has recently relocated from Brooklyn to live with Susannah.  She and her son, Caden, are very key components of this book.  While I did enjoy meeting these 2 key new characters, at times it felt as though there were too many new characters playing roles in the story.  It was hard to track who was who at times.  This is the reason I only gave the book a 3 star rating.   

The mystery itself is very sound and has several twists and subplots that are relevant and engaging.  Overall I look forward to reading more in this series as it is released.

Misalignment and Murder: A Chiro Cozy Mystery Book 2 by Cathy Tully
My rating: 3 of 5 stars 

I enjoyed this second installment of the Chiro Cozy series with Susannah Shine as the lead character. I liked that the core group of characters has been expanded to include Susannah's sister, Angie and her son Caden. The characters continue to be developed and I appreciate that they seem to learn new things about each other in the different books. I did feel at times there were a few too many characters introduced in this installment but once you got into the book it was a bit more apparent who they were and how they fit into the existing relationships. The mystery itself was well developed and had several twists and subplots that kept it interesting. There was even some humor thrown in via Angie's Brooklyn accent and the subtle language differences it brought to the story. 
I look forward to ready more in this series 

View all my reviews

 √

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

Possible prompts

I will decide as the year goes along which prompts I use it for on several challenges since it meets multiple criteria within the challenge.

1. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  GA
2. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  "T"
3. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2021  Chiro Cozy series
4. Beat the Backlist #BTB2021  # 31 set in autumn
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #8
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #10
7. Calendar of Crime  #CalendarOfCrime2021   
8. Cozy Mysteries   #18  with a character list
9. Cruisin thru Cozies   holiday based #1
10. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #7
11. Craving for Cozies  Book #5
12. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #1  published 2021
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #51 Published in 2021
14. Around the Year in 52 Books #49  A book with an ensemble cast 
15. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #28  Forsaken: involves a crew/squad of some kind 
16. BooklistQueen   #52 2021 Release
17. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #1 book published in 2021
18. While I was Reading  #9. A book with a dog on the cover
19. Bookworm  #25 Read a book by a Self Published author
20. Magic in the Books 
• Book 1 #5 Set at a holiday
21. Spells and Spaceships  new release
22. Pick your Poison #27- 2 A 2021 release
23. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
24. Beachcomber Challenge  
• Crime Scenes 
• Row 1 Pathway or forest

Row 5 Garden, park, gazebo

• Weapons
• Row 2 Hand gun
• Detectives- Susannah
• Victims- Gus/Travis
25. 52 books in 52 weeks  #21 cunning capers
26. Unruly Reader Bingo  #21 breezy

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

 This is the first book I have read by Marie Benedict and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I will need to move my other TBRs by her up on my reading priorities' list.   I have been intending to read the The Carnegie's Maid for a prompt this year so I am even more excited to read it and now I will try to fit The Other Einstein in as well.  I find it intriguing that she has dedicated her writing efforts to focus on historical females.  

This book, as the title implies, focuses on Agatha Christie.  Specifically it is about the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of the famous author.  Ms. Benedict's character development and description makes it easy to visualize the scenes and the characters dialogue and action as they are disclosed.   The narration was a unique approach where you split back and forth in time.   Alternating between the "present" day, where Mr. Christie is the narrator at the time of his wife's disappearance, and back in time from when they first up until the current events.  

The choice of this split narrative becomes very apparent at the conclusion of the novel.  The effect is very appropriate and makes the book that much  better.   My only reasoning for not assigning the novel a 5th star was the fact that the ending felt very familiar, almost as though I had read it before.  This is because I just read the Agatha Christie Book Club by C.A. Larmer last year and that book goes into detail about the real life disappearance of Agatha Christie.   This had the impact of my feeling as though the ending was drawn out too much but if you aren't familiar with the story of her disappearance then this would not be an issue at all.  

This book is a great read for any Agatha Christie fan and since I have just started reading her books from the beginning of her publications this novel was all that much more fascinating.  I was reading about the story of her writing the very books I had just read (Mysterious Affair at Styles reviewed here on my blog).  It was a wonderfully fun dimension to the story.   

All in all this is a wonderful book that I can highly recommend.  

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
My rating: 4 of 5 stars 

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. It was very easy to place yourself into the scenes as they were written. The characters of Mr and Mrs Christie were well written and their emotions believable 
Any reader of Mrs Christie’s novels should be engaged. My only draw back was I felt I could predict the wrap up from having previously read the Agatha Christie Book Club as they went into the details of the real event of Mrs Christie’s disappearance. I kept feeling as though I’d read this book before even though I had not 

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #6
2. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  "B"
3. Beat the Backlist #BTB2021  #8 multiple points of view
4. 20021TBR  #2021ReadingChallenge #8 author you've always wanted to read
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2021   Book #6
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #8
7. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #5
8. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #2
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2021  #11 Book With Discussion Questions Inside 
10. The Unofficial Magnus Archives Challenge  #TMARC21  #41 Annabelle: with an unreliable narrator 
11. BooklistQueen   #7  set in 1920s
12. A Pretty Mess Challenge # 11. Based on a true story
13. NJM Book Challenge  #NJMBookChallenge2021  #20 author new to you 
14. While I was Reading  #3. A book you’ve been looking forward to
15. Nerd Daily  #NERDREADING2021 #14 MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES  
16. Bookworm  #31.) Read a book that takes place in Europe
17. Magic in the Books 
• Book 1 #3 Includes a solemn vow
18. Pick your Poison #1-3 A book about being a first time parent
19. Bloggers Bookshelf   #bloggersbookshelf #6 based on a real event
20. 52 books in 52 weeks  #2 amnesia
21. Unruly Reader Bingo  #19 edwardian