WHAT ARE WE READING & REVIEWING IN FEBRUARY 2022?

Tell what is on your reading list for February.

Carol's Reads for February
💘- ★
💘The Boat Man - Dustin Stevens - 4.5★ (Pick A Winner#6) - (Hoopla)
💘Trailer Park Trickster - David R. Slayton - 3★
💘The Stranger’s Wife - Anna-Lou Weatherley - 3★
💘What You Wish For - Mark Edwards - 3★
💘The Monsters We Make - Kali White - 4.5★
💘Clear Water - Amy Lane - 5★ (Hoopla)
💘The Orphan of Cemetery Hill - Hester Fox - 5★
💘Trouble in Mudbug - Jana DeLeon - 2.5★
💘Finders Keepers - N. R. Walker - 5★ (Hoopla)
💘Lost Graves - S.A. Dunphy - 5★
💘Unwritten Law - Eden Finley - 3.5★ - (Hoopla)
💘Unspoken Vow - Eden Finley - 4.5★
💘Dearest Milton James - N.R. Walker- 5★
💘Trifles and Folly - Gail Z. Martin - 4★
💘Keep- Men of the ESRB #2 - Hollis Shiloh- 4★
💘Sure - Men of The ESRB #3 - Hollis Shiloh - 5★
💘A Lover's Game - Stonewall Investigations #4 - Max Walker - 5★
💘Featherbed - Anabeth Albert - 4.5★ (Hoopla)
💘The Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill - 5★
💘Between the Lines - Samantha VanLeer & Jodi Picoult - 3★
💘The Mystery of The Spirits - C S Poe - 5★
💘The Sorrows - Jonathan Janz - 5★
💘The Puller - Michael Hodges - 5★
💘Who We Are - T.J. Klune - 5★
💘The Lights on Knockbridge Lane - Roan Parrish - 5★
💘Here's To Us - Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera - 4★
💘His Horizon - Con Riley - 4★
💘Past His Defenses - Andrew Grey - 5★
💘The Monuments Men Murders - Josh Lanyon - 5★
💘Smash & Grab - Maz Maddox- 3★
💘Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen 4★
💘This House is Haunted - John Boyne - 5★
💘Open Mind- Luna David - 4★
💘Open Encounters - Luna David- 4★
💘Open Play - Luna David - 4★
💘A Solitude of Wolverines - Alice Henderson - 5★
💘Body at Buccaneer's Bay -Josh Lanyon - 5★
💘Deck The Halls - Max Walker - 4.5★
💘Special Delivery by Heidi Cullinan - 4★
💘Unholy; Witchbane #5 - Morgan Brice -5★
💘Heartscape - Garrett Leigh -3.5★
💘Double Blind - Heidi Cullinan - 2.5★
💘Saving Sebastian - Luna David - 5★
💘Lust Killer - Ann Rule - 4★

I will be reading Gory Details for ScaredyKIT and The Space Between Worlds for SFFKit. In addition to that, I am reading The Shape of Darkness and I just put in an order from the bookstore so I'll have more reading options.

Trailer Park Trickster - David R. Slayton
Adam Binder series Book #2
3-★
"They are my harvest, and I will reap them all". Returning to Guthrie, Oklahoma, for the funeral of his mysterious and beloved aunt Sue, Adam Binder once again finds himself in the path of deadly magic when a dark druid begins to prey on members of Adam's family. It all seems linked to the death of Adam's father many years ago--a man who may have somehow survived as a warlock. Watched by the police, separated from the man who may be the love of his life, compelled to seek the truth about his connection to the druid, Adam learns more about his family and its troubled history than he ever bargained for, and finally comes face-to-face with the warlock he has vowed to stop. Meanwhile, beyond the Veil of the mortal world, Argent the Queen of Swords and Vic the Reaper undertake a dangerous journey to a secret meeting of the Council of Races . . . where the sea elves are calling for the destruction of humanity.

I couldn't really work up much enthusiasm for this one. The book had a lot of side story with Vic and Argent off on a side quest that I wasn't really invested in. Their relationship meanders and nothing much is resolved. Adam and Vic referred to themselves as being boyfriends, but still they spent most of the book apart and barely communicating at all. Its description says that it's a romance, the first book in the series was a romance...so I guess I was expecting...um...romance?

Open Mind, Open Encounters, Open Play - Luna David
Kink Chronicles series - Books 1,2,& 3
4★ for all 3

The books are diffidently NOT for everyone. I've read books that dealt with the BDSM community, but I have never read any that bondage play was nearly the entire story. I did like the interaction between the Doms and the Subs. They did love each other a lot and the care and trust that was exhibited was over the top. I'm certainly not criticizing the lifestyle or the choices that anyone makes...but be very sure you know what the world is that you are entering before picking up these books. I put them all together for the review because they were so similar, just different main characters.

¡Hola Papi!– John Paul Brammer
Audiobook read by the author
3***

Subtitle: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons

Brammer studied journalism and creative writing and landed a job writing an advice column for INTO, which was published by Grindr, the popular gay hook-up app. He wasn’t sure he was doing “the gay thing” right, or that he had any business giving advice, but hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. His column, ¡Hola Papi!, took off like wildfire.

This collection of essays serves as a memoir and self-help guide to pressing questions about growing up, surviving break ups, finding love, and all the issues young people – both gay and straight – have to navigate in the process of becoming adults. He recounts his experiences in a small Oklahoma town, his horrible middle-school years, when he was bullied to the point where he considered suicide, his confusing teenage years in the closet, his awakening in college, and his eventual move to New York.

The beginning of each chapter poses a question asking for advice. There are some chapters where I wondered where his story was headed and if he’d ever connect to the question being asked. But Brammer’s honesty and empathy propelled me forward.

Brammer narrates the audiobook himself. He does a fine job, it IS his own story after all, and I can’t imagine anyone doing a better job of narrating it. I did read about half the book in text format, however.

Simon the Fiddler by Paulette Jiles
341 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2

This companion to Jiles' News of the World is beautifully written. It follows Simon Boudlin, a young man from the Ohio River Valley who escaped to Texas to avoid conscription into the Confederate army. Simon is a fiddler, living through his music. In Texas at the close of the war, he is conscripted and assigned to a regimental band, along with a piper and drummer. After the surrender, he plays at a military banquet, and sees the beautiful Irish Doris Dillon. He and Doris go their separate ways, but Simon vows to find her again and dreams of the life he wants to have.

I loved this book! When Simon and Doris appeared in News of the World, I found them interesting. In this story, I find them fascinating. Simon is a man of principles and honor, and in this novel he has a wonderful supporting cast. I was particularly drawn to Patrick, the young drummer, and Damon Lessing, the weary piper. A worth-while read.

>6 BookConcierge: I love the subtitle. I think they should have stuck with that one. People would buy it, rent it etc... just to see how:)

Jumbo: This Being the True Story Of the Greatest Elephant In the World– Paul Chambers
3***

This is a “biography” of the African elephant who gave the world a new word for large, gigantic, stupendous, huge, magnificent: Jumbo.

Chambers details how the young calf was captured by nomadic Hamran traders, and subsequently, through the hands of various dealers in exotic animals, delivered to the zoo in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. That facility eventually sold the young animal to the London Zoological Society, where he came under the care of Matthew Scott, who would become his champion and life-long keeper, and where Jumbo became the darling of Victorian England.

I’d heard of Jumbo before, but only as part of P T Barnum’s circus. I found it fascinating to learn how the giant elephant was trained and treated while at the London Zoo, the thousands of children who received rides on his back, and the outcry on learning that Barnum would take the beloved elephant to America. I also appreciated learning more about the various personalities surrounding Jumbo, from Scott to the head of the London’s Zoological Garden, Abraham Bartlett, to P T Barnum.

I am an admitted fanatic when it comes to elephants, but even I lost interest a few times. And I think that readers who don’t want to read about any mistreatment of animals would best avoid this work. (It’s historically accurate, but that doesn’t make it easier to take.)

>8 Carol420: I think he has a popular advice column titled ¡Hola Papi!.

>7 Hope_H: Completely agree, Hope. Jiles is fast becoming a favorite author.

The Boat Man - Dustin Stevens - (Ohio)
Reed & Billie series Book #1
4.5★
Detective Reed Mattox, just three months removed from the death of his partner, has turned invisibility into an art form. Switching to the K-9, taking over the graveyard shift, moving to a farmhouse mile outside of Columbus - his every move has become predicated on putting as much distance between himself and the outside world as possible. That distance is shattered, though, when bodies begin turning up in The Bottoms, the poverty-stricken section of town he is assigned to patrol. Grisly, horrific scenes start to pop up in the middle of the night, and the overburdened precinct has no choice but to put Reed on it. Now operating far outside of his comfort zone with a Belgian Malinois for a partner that attracts attention wherever they go, Reed is forced to unravel the murders, taking him clear across the city and back years in time, to an event that some very influential people will do anything to keep buried.

I loved the book and I especially loved Billie. Billie was a female Belgian Malinois who became the partner of Columbus, Ohio Detective Reed Maddox. The dog was a perfect partner since Maddox was determined to NEVER take on another human partner. The dog was a military bomb sniffer whose original handler died while attempting to defuse an IED while stationed in Afghanistan. She has been assigned to the K9 unit as a police dog in Columbus, Ohio. These are two kindred souls if I ever saw any. I thought as I read that this man must have never lost his heart to a four-legged creature. He has no idea of the heartbreak that he will encounter there. The "Boatman" is the antagonist in the story...a serial killer who we only see identified by that name... for Charon from Greek mythology, who carries souls across the rivers Styx into the world of the dead. It's a wonderfully written and presented story. It's essentially a tale of vigilante justice. I found it to be both intense and extremely enjoyable. I will search for more of Billie and Reed.

>11 BookConcierge: Now I want to go back and read her backlist!

The Lives of Diamond Bessie / Jody Hadlock.
3.5 stars

In the mid-1800s, Annie was kicked out of her home and sent to the nuns when she was pregnant and unwed at 16-years old. When her baby was born and taken away, she ran and ended up in a brothel. Unmarried “fallen” women really didn’t have much in the way of options if they wanted to make enough money to live. Here, she became Bessie and was very good at what she did. She made enough money to travel and she did fall in love with a couple of clients. There was an “issue” with one of those men...

This was good. It took an unexpected turn in the middle of the book, and initially I wasn’t impressed with where (I thought) it was heading, but it did get better again. As I always appreciate, there was an author’s note at the end, explaining that Bessie was a real woman. I had wondered as I read it if she was a real person, but didn’t know for sure until that note.

A Lover's Game - Max Walker - (New York)
Stonewall Investigations series Book #4
5★
Zane Holden, the founder of Stonewall Investigations, has been haunted by the same case for years. He’s had loved ones taken by the serial killer known as the Unicorn, and his drive to find the monster is higher than ever. Finally, he feels like he’s getting close. Something else that’s getting closer...his wedding day to the man of his dreams. Lorenzo De Luca found the love of his life in Zane. He’s the happiest he’s ever been. His career as a high-powered defense attorney is at a peak and his daydreams are filled with wedding bells and honeymooning. It felt like absolutely nothing could go wrong, but with the tensions from the case rising and a new presence in Enzo’s life making themselves known, there’s suddenly a lot that could go wrong. Zane and Enzo will have to tread carefully on their way to a blissful union. As Zane pushes closer to the Unicorn, the danger increases exponentially, until both men are faced with an excruciating reality: this all has to end one way or another. The two men will need to come together and find strength in their love before they get torn apart by their fear.

I have waited for the conclusion of the Unicorn saga and boy did this book NOT disappoint. I feel in love with Zane and Enzo in book 1 and this story just made me want to keep them in my life. These two men are a joy to read about, as well as the other characters within Stonewall Investigations. This story is clever, and I believe one of the best books Max Walker has written. I never guessed who the Unicorn was and was a bit disappointed to learn the identity. It was like learning that your best friend was a serial killer in their spare time.

I am currently reading Empire Falls and Goodnight Stranger.

Featherbed - Annabeth Albert - (Vermont)
Vino & Veritas Series part 1
4.5★
When a bookworm on borrowed time meets a younger free-spirited chicken farmer, sparks and feathers fly.... Harrison Phillip Fletcher III isn't supposed to be here. Not in Burlington, Vermont, not running Vino & Veritas, a quaint inclusive bookstore and wine bar, and definitely not still alive, at 42. Also not supposed to be here. An unexpected delivery of chickens. Finn Barnes knows chickens. The burly organic farmer knows all about rare breed poultry but dealing with a hot older bookseller is an entirely different matter. City-slicker types like Harrison never end up staying in Vermont for the long-term. They should steer clear of each other. But the flare of attraction is mutual. And somehow amid book discussions and farm tours, they discover plenty in common. Now they're stealing kisses in Finn's barn, sneaking out like teens, and burning up the sheets. What starts as a fling brings very real feelings for two lonely souls, but a future together seems as unlikely as chickens in a bookstore. Feathers may be flying but learning to trust takes time neither may have. Can they take a leap of faith together before it's too late?

I really liked Harrison and Finn. Featherbed is an age gap, opposites attract story, filled with humor, heat, and a little emotional turmoil. It’s lighthearted and heartwarming, and quite compelling...not to mention the chemistry that is off the charts from the start. I had some doubts to start with since the two guys start out on the wrong foot. Despite their intense attraction to each other, they seem determined to avoid getting anything going. Not a good thing for a romance book of any genre:) I especially enjoyed seeing them finding that out that they were exactly what each other needed. and the little chickens & ducks were a fun addition. This as well as the other books in the series can easily be read as a standalone. Vino & Veritas is a different type of series than most. It's composed of books written by several individual m/m romance authors. I think I'm going to have fun with this series. I'll have to send my two "book bringing" guys to the bookstore.

Shadow of Night – Deborah Harkness
Digital audiobook performed by Jennifer Ikeda
3***

Book two in the All Souls Trilogy picks up where book one left off.

SPOILER ALERT – if you haven’t read book one, you might not want to read any farther.

.

.

Diana has successfully transported herself and Matthew back to 16th-century England, where they hope to find a witch to successfully help Diana learn her craft, and, perhaps more importantly, find the original Ashmole 782 manuscript. Matthew, having been here before, has an easy enough time fitting in, but Diana is pretty obviously “not from here” and that causes some issues. There is much political intrigue, not only that related to witches vs vampires vs daemons, and Matthew and Diana are mired deep into the muck quickly.

I was not so caught up in this book as I was with the first one. I felt it dragged in places and I didn’t feel the same passion between Diana and Matthew so evident in Discovery of Witches I did enjoy the appearances by famous real-life 16th-century figures (Shakespeare, Marlow, Queen Elizabeth I, etc), as well as learning a bit more about the various kinds of witches and following Diana’s quest to find her roots and learn her craft. And I loved her familiar!

Diana cannot seem to let go of her modern sensibilities and has a tendency to interfere in ways that put them in danger. (Sounds familiar to anyone who’s read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.) Matthew continues his usual brooding and protective behavior. As a result, their relationship hits a few bumps, but they do manage to work things through. There are times when I want to slap Matthew and tell him to just explain in detail, but I suppose that would lessen the suspense and the tension between him and Diana. Harkness also includes a couple of touching scenes involving parental love as well.

The puzzle continues in book three, which I’ll read – eventually. I don’t feel a pressing need to do so, however.

Jennifer Ikeda did a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She really brings these characters to life.

This House Is Haunted - John Boyne - (England)
5★
Set in Norfolk in 1867, Eliza Caine responds to an ad for a governess position at Gaudlin Hall. When she arrives at the hall, shaken by an unsettling disturbance that occurred during her travels, she is greeted by the two children now in her care, Isabella and Eustace. There is no adult present to represent her mysterious employer, and the children offer no explanation. Later that night in her room, another terrifying experience further reinforces the sense that something is very wrong. From the moment Eliza rises the following morning, her every step seems dogged by a malign presence that lives within Gaudlin's walls. Eliza realizes that if she and the children are to survive its violent attentions, she must first uncover the hall's long-buried secrets and confront the demons of its past.

It's a goosebump, producing ghost story that has the approval of me, "The Ghost Story Junkie". It's written in the style of most 19th century novels making it a bit slow and drawn out, but it gets the job done. Our heroine, Eliza is a bit slow on the draw, but she soon realizes a malicious force is pursuing her. The fact that when she arrived the only people there to greet her were the two children...not an adult in sight. Then she finds out the fate of the previous five, yes, count them, FIVE, previous governesses who have served the family in the past year, she knows she is not imagining things. Well, hello, Eliza. What was your first clue? I admit that I was a more than a little frustrated with Eliza as you can tell. The story content and the "presence" more than made up for her stupidity. 304 pages of goosebumps and chills ...but just wait. The very last word sums it up...pure genius.

What You Wish For - Mark Edwards - (England)
3★
Marie Walker has vanished from the face of the earth...Her besotted boyfriend, newspaper photographer Richard Thompson, vows to find her, convinced that Marie's unusual beliefs hold the key. But a shocking discovery makes him question if he ever really knew his girlfriend. And when people around him start to die, Richard is plunged into terrible danger. Drawn into the world of a sinister cult and the darkest corners of the Internet, Richard finds himself increasingly out of his depth as he discovers just how far people will go to protect what they believe in.

I am a huge fan of Mark Edwards and have always found his books to be entertaining and very hard to put down. That said...we come to What You Wish For. It was by no means a bad or dull book; it was just so very, very different than any of his others. I have to admit that I'm not too interested in aliens...we have enough problems with people that look like us here on Earth. What it did do, and it kept me reading, was that it amplified the beliefs in alternate realities and delusive conspiracies that fanatical groups and individuals can have an easier time spreading and reinforcing their messages to people that will believe anything. Everyone from cult personalities and far out fanatical groups easily now can convince some folks that their life's problems can be all solved and forgotten simply by joining their cause. Marie Walker was one of those easily lead people. In searching for Maria, our main protagonists, Richard finds himself rubbing elbows with UFO chasers and people claiming to be abducted by aliens. He also discovered that in those mere four months he had known her, he perhaps should have discussed a little more in detail about her strange beliefs and seen if there was anything that he shared there. I thought the idea was original and interesting...but had trouble seeing it for a thriller. The story works its way down the rabbit hole into an alien underworld, with alien abductions and even alien porn. I actually started to think that Richard should just let the aliens have her and get on with his life. This was, without a doubt, the strangest Mark Edwards book I have ever read.

Longbourn – Jo Baker
Book on CD narrated by Emma Fielding
4****

We are all familiar with what happens in the Bennet, Darcy and Bingley households in Jane Austen’s classic Pride and Prejudice. Now, Jo Baker takes us downstairs to focus on the servants and their lives at Longbourn and Netherfield.

I really enjoyed this follow-up version. Yes, the major events from P&P are all present – the ball at Netherfield, Bingley’s leaving for London, Lizzie’s visit with Charlotte & Mr Collins, Lydia’s scandal, and the HEA endings – but Baker gives us a rich background to the servants that are mostly invisible in Austen’s classic.

Hill (or Mrs Hill as she’s known here) is the only servant we hear about in Austen’s original work. Here she is joined by her husband, and the house butler, Mr Hill, and two housemaids, Sarah and Polly. Sarah is a central character, having come to the house as a young orphan and grown up under the tutelage and care of Mrs Hill, she is in her early twenties as the novel opens. Polly is still a child; not sure of her age, but she guesses she is about twelve, and has not yet reached puberty. Sarah tries to shield her from the hardest labor, and forgives Polly for her lack of work ethic, while worrying about her innocence and vulnerability. And then there is James Smith, a strapping young man who appears one day and becomes the footman, groom, stable hand, and all-around great guy to have around.

Meanwhile, Bingley also has his manservant-footman-valet, Ptolemy. A former slave from the family’s holdings in Jamaica, he is an educated man with ambitions to start a business of his own.

The push/pull of attraction between Sarah and these two very different men is the central plot of this novel.

Regency England had many rules and restrictions that governed proper behavior, whether for the ladies and gentlemen of the upper class, or the servants, farmers and tradespeople in the towns. And this adds an additional layer of suspense in the slow-burn romance between Sarah and her paramour. There is a bit of backstory intrigue involving Mrs Hill. And the reader gets a different view of Mr Bennet’s character than the simple benevolent, indulgent father of Austen’s work.

Emma Fielding does an admirable job of performing the audio version. There are many characters to deal with and her skill as a voice artist is up to the task .

The Stranger's Wife - Anna-Lou Weatherley - (England)
3★
Beth and Cath are leaving their husbands. This is a story about two very different women. One is wealthy and having an affair with a man who gives her the kind of love that her cold, detached husband does not. One is living hand to mouth, suffering at the hands of a violent partner who would rather see her dead than leave him. You may think you know these women already and how their lives will unfold. Beth will live happily ever after with her little girl and her soulmate. Cath will go back to her abusive husband. And these two women will never cross paths. But you will be wrong. On the 3.15pm train from London to Bristol, Beth and Cath are about to meet and discover they share one shocking thing in common.

I didn't find much originality in the story. I can think of several books that were based on this same theme. It also promised me a "jaw-dropping twist"...so okay let's see what this is. Sorry...I knew what it was going to be by the third chapter. There are two main characters, Beth, who has it all. A baby, a nanny...who just disappears without a trace, a beautiful home...she's living the life. The police semi-investigates the nanny's disappearance but say they see no evidence that anything has actually "happened" to her...she just left. As soon as the police leave, Beth tells her husband she wants a divorce because she has "fallen in love with another man, who makes her feel things her husband never did". I thought that they were more like roommates than a married couple anyway. The rest of the book delves into all the crazy and arsine, things her husband does to manipulate her into coming back. She should have just slit his throat in the night and said, "good riddance", end of book. But no... she meets Cath, a woman on the train to London, and forms a crazy plan and talks Cath, a woman whose husband has almost beat her to death on numerous occasions, to go along with it. The running theme throughout the book was, “How well do you really know someone”? I guess I missed the 'jaw-dropping twist", but seeing what stupid, unbelievable thing Beth would come up with next earned it 3 stars.

Nurse, Come You Here!: More True Stories of a Country Nurse On A Scottish Isle
by Mary J. MacLeod
This is the second book in the series of MacLeod’s life as a nurse and mother. In this one the family, re-locates to California due to her husband’s new job. She talks about life in the USA compared to life on the Scottish Isle they lived on but unfortunately she was unable to work as a nurse since she did not have a license to practice in the US. I am enjoying her books. There is one more book in the series that I look forward to reading.

The Lady of the Rivers / Philippa Gregory
4 stars

In the early/mid-15th century Jacquetta of Luxembourg married John of Bedford, the brother of King Henry V and the man responsible for holding Calais (and other parts of France) for England, but she did not have any children with him. When he died, she (without permission) married John’s squire, Richard Woodville. She and Richard went on to have many children (including Elizabeth, who would later marry Edward IV and become Queen) while Richard continued to serve King Henry VI (the kind who was “mad”), and Jacquetta served Margaret of Anjou, Henry’s wife. During this time, the tensions between the Houses of York and Lancaster continued to escalate, in no small part due to Margaret’s desire for revenge on those who sided against her husband and son.

I really liked this. I’ve read very little (looks like only one book… and I don’t remember it!) about Margaret of Anjou, but she sure wasn’t likeable (even a little bit!) in this book. How much of the venom was accurate, I don’t know. I did, however, like Jacquetta and Richard. The book did not go all the way to Jacquetta’s death, but ended right around when her daughter Elizabeth would have met and married Edward.

A Children’s Bible – Lydia Millet
Digital audiobook performed by Xe Sands
3.5***

From the book jacket: Millet’s new novel follows a group of twelve eerily mature children on a forced vacation with their families at a sprawling lakeside mansion. Contemptuous of their parents… the children feel neglected and suffocated at the same time. When a destructive storm descends on the summer estate, the group’s ringleaders – including Eve, who narrates the story – decide to run away, leading the younger ones on a dangerous foray into the apocalyptic chaos outside.

My reactions:
I’m not a great fan of post-apocalyptic stories but this one grabbed me. Evie’s narration is often times emotionless, almost a “just the facts, M’am” recitation. But nevertheless, the tension builds, as the children fend for themselves in a world devastated by a major hurricane and plagued by lawlessness.

Evie struggles to take care of her little brother, Jack, who has a children’s illustrated bible that he reads obsessively. He tries to interpret what they are living through in the context of the bible stories he’s read. And the scenes where he talks about these things give the entire book the feel of a morality play.

I think it would be a good candidate for a book group discussion, with the symbolism, allegory, and inherent warnings about global warming and consumer excess.

Xe Sands does a fine job narrating the audiobook. There are a lot of characters, but I was seldom confused about who was speaking or what was happening. The fact that Evie is narrator probably helped.

The Lights on Knockbridge Lane - Roan Parrish - (Wyoming)
Garnet Run series Book #3
5★
Can one man’s crowded, messy life fill another man’s empty heart? Raising a family was always Adam Mills’ dream, although solo parenting and moving back to tiny Garnet Run certainly were not. After a messy breakup, Adam is doing his best to give his young daughter the life she deserves—including accepting help from their new, reclusive neighbor to fulfill her Christmas wish. Though the little house may not have “the most lights ever,” the Mills home begins to brighten as handsome Wes Mobray spends more time there and slowly sheds his protective layers. But when the eye-catching house ends up in the news, Wes has to make a choice: hide from the darkness of his unusual past or embrace the light of a future—and a family—with Adam.

The two guys were complete opposites in everything from personalities to hobbies. The saying is that opposites attract and that was certainly the case here. Adam is a soft-hearted, sweet man that displays all the characteristics that makes, not a perfect parent, but a caring loving parent. The dialog between Adam and his eight-year-old daughter was equally charming and endearing. Their neighbor, Wes, has made himself the town's favorite topic...and not in a fun or pleasant way. The rumors range from those that wonder if he is a vampire or perhaps a mad scientist. Needless to say, he has acquired a bad reputation. To make matters worse and fuel the rumor mill more his house is gloomy and dark. Wes is happy to let the rumors abound and have people just leave him alone. Turns out that Gus is the cement that will bond the two opposites together. Roan Parrish gave it just the right amount of angst. The I found the story to be an absolute delight, and even with the conflict, it still stood out as a book that I will diffidently read many more times.

The Monsters We Make - Kali White - (Iowa)
4.5★

It's August 1984, and paperboy Christopher Stewart has gone missing. Hours later, 12-year-old Sammy Cox hurries home from his own paper route, red-faced and out of breath, hiding a terrible secret. Crystal, Sammy's 17-year-old sister, is worried by the disappearance but she also sees an opportunity: the Stewart case has echoes of an earlier unsolved disappearance of another boy, one town over. Crystal senses the makings of an award-winning essay, one that could win her a scholarship - and a ticket out of their small Iowa town. Officer Dale Goodkind can't believe his bad luck: another town and another paperboy kidnapping. But this time he vows that it won't go unsolved. As the abductions set in motion an unpredictable chain of violent, devastating events touching each life in unexpected ways, Dale is forced to face his own demons. Told through interwoven perspectives - and based on the real-life Des Moines Register paperboy kidnappings in the early 1980s - The Monsters We Make deftly explores the effects of one crime exposing another and the secrets people keep hidden from friends, families, and, sometimes, even themselves.

Inspired by real life events, Kali White has written a remarkable book complete with dark themes and places where danger often hides in plain sight. The main characters, the missing paperboys, along with Dale, Sammy, Crystal and Tina all have problems of their own. Each has difficult decisions to make which will have far reaching consequences, but the question lingers throughout the story of will they make the right ones? As the story develops the reader quickly becomes drawn into this exquisitely layered novel that is based on an all too real event that rocked this community. If you like true crime stories you will find that without a doubt this is a read that will linger with you long after the last page is turned.

Body at Buccaneer Bay - Josh Lanyon - (Rhode Island)
Secrets and Scrabble Series Book #5
4.5★
Dead Men Tell No Tales...Mystery Bookshop owner Ellery Page and Police Chief Jack Carson are diving for the legendary sunken pirate galleon Blood Red Rose when they discover an old-fashioned diver's suit, water-damaged and encrusted with barnacles. Further examination reveals the 19th Century suit contains a 21st Century body. Who is the mysterious diver? No one seems to be missing from the quaint and cozy town of Pirate's Cove. Was he really diving for pirate's gold? And if not, what exactly did he do to earn that bullet hole in his skull?

There wasn't as much mystery investigation going on in this one. The dead man seemed like more of space filler than the whole reason for the mystery. It was good to see that Ellery and Jack are getting closer, and Jack is starting to act like he might actually show some feelings for Ellery. They may actually have a relationship. We also got to meet Ellery's mother and his stepfather. This series is not supposed to have the big amount of romance as her other books...so Jack and Ellery are more like roommates than lovers... but it fits with the "cozy" theme that the author wanted for this series. The island citizens group that meets at the bookstore...the "Silver Sleuths" are becoming a bit irritating. No law enforcement in the country would allow this group to "investigate" or become involved in anything. I wish Josh would tone them down a bit or just eliminate them. Otherwise, it was worth the time that it took to read it , and I will anxiously await book #6. This really is a series that should be read in order, or you won't understand the changes in the characters attitudes.

The Coroner's Lunch - Colin Cotterill - (Laos)
Dr. Siri Pailboun series Book 31
5★
Laos, 1978: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has unwillingly been appointed the national coroner of the new socialist Laos. His lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky, to say the least. But Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often frustrating days. When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead.

The characters here were so incredibly believable. This book was so different from the other mystery books I have read before. From the first page of the book the drama begins. The mystery is presented of three men who are dropped from a helicopter into a lake with weights attached to their legs. Vietnam and Laos become involved with the investigation of the murders and we meet Dr. Suri, a 72-year-old medical examiner who is ready for retirement but can't resist another murder investigation. In addition, a prominent wife of a leader dies at a banquet. Her husband is very anxious to take the body away from Dr. Suri. Dr. Suri, with his investigative skills doesn't take the word of those above him for what has caused these deaths. He communications with his "customers". The story takes on a paranormal flavor as these people first come to him in dreams, and later visits in his waking life. Overall, the result is a crazy, absorbing, magical, sometimes gory, but always entertaining, ride though a fascinating land with a cast of unforgettable characters.

Deck The Halls - Max Walker
Stonewall Investigations series
4.5★
Andrew Barker is ready for the holidays. His perpetually bright and cheery personality feels right at home for Christmas. He has time off from work and a husband who's waiting for him at home, what else would he need? Well, he had no idea he would be needing to sign divorce papers - let's start there. Declan Rose-Covington, part of a luxury hotel dynasty, is coming into Stonewall Investigations because he needs help with a family issue. With his mom's huge holiday retreat around the corner, he's hoping to solve it before Santa comes to town. The last thing he's expecting is to enter the detective agency and fall for the strikingly handsome man sitting behind the front desk. When Declan and Andrew meet, they both feel an instant connection. Soon, the connection grows powerful enough to push Declan toward a crazy proposition: invite Andrew to the family retreat as a fake boyfriend. Andrew would get a nice week-long vacation out of it and Declan would avoid the judgmental jabs from all the spoused-up family members. The potential for disaster was there, but there was also a chance to truly make this the most wonderful time of the year.

I know that Christmas is past, but you take what you can get when you're waiting for a book from Hoopla. This was worth the wait. I loved the characters of Andrew and Declan and Declan's family. What started out as a "fake boyfriend" relationship quickly turns into a hot reality. Declan knew from the first time he saw Andrew at Stonewall Investigations where he had gone to hire someone to find out who was stealing from his mother. Going home for Christmas is when he asked Andrew to pretend that they were dating, and Andrew agrees. Anything to spend more time with the handsome Declan. Declan's mother is mega rich, but she is "everyday" kind of people and accepts Andrew and gives him the best Christmas of his life.... but it won't be his last. It's a bit of a mystery, a lot of hot romance. What more could you ask for Christmas even in February?

Clear Water - Amy Lane - (California)
5★
Meet Patrick Cleary: party boy, loser, and spaz. Patrick’s been trying desperately to transform himself, and the results have been so spectacular, they’ve almost killed him. Meet Wes “Whiskey” Keenan: he’s a field biologist wondering if it’s time to settle down. When the worst day of Patrick’s life ends with Whiskey saving it, Patrick and Whiskey find themselves sharing company and an impossibly small berth on the world’s tackiest houseboat. Patrick needs to get his life together―and Whiskey wants to help―but Patrick is not entirely convinced it’s doable. He’s pretty sure he’s a freak of nature. But Whiskey, who works with real freaks of nature, thinks all Patrick needs is a little help to see the absolute beauty inside his spastic self, and Whiskey is all about volunteering. Between anomalous frogs, a homicidal ex-boyfriend, and Patrick’s own Hangups, Whiskey’s going to need all of his patience and Patrick’s going to need to find the best of himself before these two men ever see clear water.

I fell in love with Patrick from the start. He seems selfish but is too naïve to project that to anyone including to the man who rescues him from sure death, Wes "Whiskey" Keenan. As for Whiskey, I found that I, in equal measures, felt both frustrated and sorry for him. He is a man who is sweet, smart, and capable of love but fights every fiber in his being to prevent it from happening. You realize that he's not a total unsocial idiot so something terrible must have occurred in his life. Then we watch these two superlatively drawn characters inch toward each other during a summer on a houseboat on the steamy Sacramento River where Whiskey is engaged in an environmental project and where Patrick has become his ward. If we expect heat between them from the start...it isn't going to happen. These two guys...in spite of their mutual attraction, are separated in age by eight years, have a host of interferences to deal with that include Whiskey's research partner...and former girlfriend, a stalking criminal ex-boyfriend and Patrick's obnoxiously cold father. In spite of all that, this can be summed up as a lovely, tender and funny love story.

Nice Work– Celia Imrie
3***

Book two in the Nice series. Love the double entendre of the title as this book is set near Nice, Cannes and Marseille in a charming small French town full of colorful characters and a tight group of expats who are trying to make a new life on the Cote d’Azur. Theresa, Benjamin, William and Carol are moving forward with plans to start a restaurant. They’ve pooled financial resources and life skills, but it’s far from smooth sailing. Meanwhile their pal Sally, an ex-British TV star, seems to be getting involved in the celebrity life now that it’s the season for the Cannes film festival and old friends have looked her up. And a very wealthy, and even more charming Russian with a large yacht is wooing Sally and her friends.

This is a fun, enjoyable read with a bit of intrigue and a likeable cast of recurring characters. Some of the family drama from book one spills over into this tale, with Theresa’s bossy and inconsiderate daughter making an appearance along with Theresa’s ex-husband. I like Theresa but do wish she’d stiffen her spine and set some firm boundaries for her family and friends. William and Benjamin’s constant bickering also gets on my nerves.

There’s a bit of a mystery involving a sort of Mafia connection to the restaurant locations previous owner, not to mention a possible drug deal.

Oh, well … The path to success is bumpy, but the crew pulls together to see one another through.

The Orphan of Cemetery Hill - Hester Fox - (Massachusetts)
5★
The dead won’t bother you if you don’t give them permission. Boston, 1844.
Tabby has a peculiar gift: she can communicate with the recently departed. It makes her special, but it also makes her dangerous. As an orphaned child, she fled with her sister, Alice, from their charlatan Aunt Bellefonte, who wanted only to exploit Tabby’s gift so she could profit from the recent craze for seances. Now a young woman and tragically separated from Alice, Tabby works with her adopted father, Eli, the kind caretaker of a large Boston cemetery. When a series of macabre grave robberies begins to plague the city, Tabby is ensnared in a deadly plot by the perpetrators, known only as the “Resurrection Men.” In the end, Tabby’s gift will either save both her and the cemetery—or bring about her own destruction.

I have read several of Hester Fox's books and can truly say that this author is an expert at creating a chilling read complete with paranormal vibes. Her books nearly always rank on the top of the "creepiness scale". This one was not an exception coming filled with grave robbers and ghost galore. Overall, I had a great time with this story. If you are looking for something creepy and enjoy a historical setting as well as a paranormal angle, The Orphan Of Cemetery Hill is a great option.

Dark Rivers - Morgan Brice - (Pennsylvania)
Witchbane series Book #3
5★
Seth Tanner and Evan Malone are learning to navigate their new partnership—as lovers and as monster hunters—while hot on the trail of a coven of dark warlocks. Seth has never been in love like this before, consumed by white-hot passion and willing to risk his life to protect Evan. His quest to avenge his brother’s murder used to be an obsession, one he was willing to die for. Now, Seth worries that his reckless pursuit of vengeance might get Evan—or both of them—killed. But he can’t walk away—the witches’ century-long killing spree has to stop. Seth prays that both he and Evan make it alive and together to the finish line, when the fight is done. Evan’s normal world turned upside-down the night a dangerous stranger rescued him from being sacrificed in a bloody ritual. Now he knows that magic and monsters are real, legends and lore are true, and fighting for his life has become an everyday event. He’s learned to hold his own. But when a vengeful ex-lover stalks him while they’re on a case, Evan has to confront his past and confess an ugly truth. His love for Seth had been strong enough to get them this far, but he fears that the stalker or the warlock could tear them apart forever. If the skills they possess aren’t enough to protect them and their bond can’t keep them together, the ancient evil will remain unchallenged, and more people will die.

I don't think there is anyone in the world that loves this series more than me. I unashamedly admit that this is my 6th reread and I plan to add more since the 7th book in the series, The Devil You Know, just came out. I just can't stop. Maybe there is a support group for people like me:) One thing that makes this authors books so good is the crossovers she makes with the Badlands and the Trifles & Folly series, and I'm sure character from the newer ones will also be added. Morgan Brice is careful to keep Seth and Evan's relationship front and center while still maintaining a focus on the highly suspenseful search for the powerful warlock witch, those helping him, and all the while trying to keep the man designated as the next sacrifice alive. This is a huge goal, often bringing in new elements of magic and the paranormal, and visits to sites around the city they are in. The most important thing is IT ALL WORKS!

Trouble in Mudbug - Jana DeLeon - (Louisiana)
2.5★
Scientist Maryse Robicheaux thought that a lot of her problems had gone away with her mother-in-law’s death. The woman was rude, pushy, manipulative and used her considerable wealth to run herd over the entire town of Mudbug, Louisiana. Unfortunately, death doesn’t slow down Helena one bit. DEA Agent Luc LeJeune is wondering what his undercover assignment investigating the sexy scientist has gotten him into – especially as it seems someone wants her dead. Keeping his secrets while protecting Maryse proves to be easier than fighting his attraction for the brainy beauty.

I am disappointed. I loved the title and the book cover. I even found some of the story funny and silly. Then...I'm not a prude, and I probably am able to overlook the sex scenes more than most would, after all I read m/m romances, but where these scenes "belong" in my m/m romances, they stuck out like a sore thumb in this little mystery with the cute title and cover. The language was also way, way, way out of place. I bet it was from just slightly, to extremely offensive to 98% of the people that read, or tried to read, this. I guess it boils down to that I don't understand why authors ruin a good story by doing this. If this is the type of dialog and scenes they want to present, they need to change the genre they are writing in.

A Solitude of Wolverines - Alice Henderson - (Montana)
Alex Carter series Book #1
5★
“The first book in a thrilling series featuring an intrepid wildlife biologist who's dedicated to saving endangered species...and relies on her superior survival skills to thwart those who aim to stop her. While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land. Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds. After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human—and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much—she's stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat. In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival.

Alex’s interactions with the small-town locals on her post are really good. Also, the setting and the plot was also well done. The book was, indeed, suspenseful and I enjoyed learning more about wolverines, since the Zoo I worked at for 28 years, didn't have wolverines, although the species are becoming more prominent in Michigan. The actual theme is powerful for anyone concerned by the often lack of concern for animal lives-difficult to absorb. Alice Henderson manages to take what might just be the first animal-activist and naturalist thriller. A really good story that combines chills, thrills, and plenty of heart right up through the finale. Thanks to my friend Lynda for recommending this book.

Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen
4★
Unlock your heart and the rest will follow. Ruby is used to taking care of herself. But now that she’s living with her sister, she’s got her own room, she’s going to a good school, and her future looks bright. Plus, there’s the adorable boy next door. Can Ruby learn to open her heart and let him in?

"What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed there, regardless."
Seventeen-year-old Ruby has a plan...perhaps not a good plan, but it's better than nothing, at least that's what she tells yourself. Ruby's mother has disappeared and suddenly the authorities send Ruby to her sister Cora. When Cora lived at home, she made it her job to care for Ruby and protect her from their mother...but Cora's been gone for ten years, and Ruby's heard little from her since. This is anything but a happy reunion. Ruby doesn't want to let anyone in or let anyone close. She would rather just rely on herself. No one else is ever going let her down. So, she makes a plan to just stick it out at her sister's until she turns eighteen, then she's out of there. Then she discovers Nate...the cute next-door neighbor and he becomes the reason she stays. The night she met Nate she not only discovers that the whole world is not against her but leads her to begin to understand the true meaning of family. I think the best description of this one is definitely a "feel-good" story.

Things My Son Needs to Know about the World
Fredrik Backman
4/5 stars
This non-fiction book revolves around the author Fredrik Backman, his relationship with his son and what he wants to teach him. I have always enjoyed his books and this non-fiction doesn’t disappoint. Short but very sweet!

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
562 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2
Book Club Selection for February

A letter delivered 50 years after it was mailed leads Edie Burchill to Milderhurst Castle, where her mother had been evacuated to during the early years of World War II. Edie meets the three Blythe sisters: Percy, the brusque, efficient eldest; Saffy, Percy's more domestically-inclined twin; and Juniper, their younger half-sister. Percy and Saffy have dedicated their lives to protecting and caring for Juniper, who has never been the same since her fiance appeared to jilt her in 1941. Their father had been a famous writer, notable for his novel about the mysterious Mud Man. Edie sets out to find more about her mother's connection to the castle and discovers there are more secrets "in the distant hours" of the castle walls.

I love Morton's work, and this is no exception. I appreciated that this one relied less on coincidence than a few of her others. I loved the characters and their complexity. My only wish - a timeline. I have to create my own when I read her books!

Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen
Digital audiobook narrated by Carolyn Seymour
4****

One of the best opening lines of literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

I thought it was okay when I read it in high school. I re-read it shortly after the BBC mini-series came out and really appreciated it. I’ve seen several film adaptations. And now I’ve listened to the audio version.

It's no wonder this is a classic. Austen is simply the master of dialogue. The way in which the characters interact brings them to life. From Mrs Bennet’s hysterics, to Lydia’s self-centered teen-aged giddiness, to Mr Collins’ simpering diatribes, to Jane’s cautious and measured observations, to Elizabeth’s outrage and clever responses to Darcy and Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the dialogue simply sparkles.

Update: 2022
This time around I listened to a different audio version, narrated by Carolyn Seymour. I think I like Seymour's narration even better than Kate Reading's, and that's saying a lot. Totally enjoyable experience, and I noticed things about the relationships and the way that Austen crafted the plot that I hadn't noticed before. Truly a work that has earned its place in the English canon.

Lost Graves - S.A. Dunohy
Boyle & Keneally series Book #2
5★
The only sound in the forest was the wind through the branches; the only light came from the campfire. Jessie stood up, suddenly gripped by a powerful sense of dread. There was something – someone – beyond the darkness, through the trees…When single father Joe Keenan and his young son Finbar make camp for the night in the ancient forest of Leitrim, little do they imagine their rural escape is about to turn into a nightmare. For deep in the woods, they find a corpse… As the remains of dozens more victims are uncovered by police, it becomes clear this is the burial site of a serial killer who has obviously been active and unnoticed, for years. Arrested for the murders, while his beloved son is sent into care, Joe pleads his innocence to no avail. But criminal behaviorist Jessie Boyle is convinced the killer is still out there. Determined to reunite Joe and his son, Jessie’s investigation turns towards the local community. Who knows the shadowy depths of the forest well enough to hide not just one, but many bodies? Then someone else goes missing, and the situation takes a terrifying turn: it’s clear the killer is escalating their gruesome spree. Forced to enter the woods alone to save a life, Jessie runs from a killer so skilled at hiding and so clever at hunting, it will take every ounce of her strength to make it out alive…

Another book that I chose more for the cover tam the story content. This time I hit the jackpot. As the story progresses, we learn along with Jessie and Seamus, that there is more going on in the woods than meets the eye. Throughout the story there is an underlying sense of dread and mounting tension that increases with every chapter. The reader has plenty of action, some sub-plots, and several twists and turns. I grew up on Celtic legends, so I was surprised and very pleased to see that I knew some of those in this book very well. I always loved their supernatural, dark, and ominous vibes that brought the ancient tales alive for me as a young girl. It was like listening to my grandmother again with this book. I love tense, creepy, and atmospheric books. I also love books that keep me on my toes and kept me engaged from cover to cover. This one had it all.

>40 BookConcierge: Jane Austen is so worth revisiting. I remember listening to the audiobook of Sense and Sensibility a few years ago--although I don't remember who the narrator was, unfortunately--and it was just wonderful. It was amazing to me how perfectly plotted the book was.

Unwritten Law - Eden Finley
Steele Brothers series Book #1
3.5★
Being an identical twin doesn’t come without issues. No one can tell us apart, not even our parents sometimes. We don’t usually use that to our advantage, but it comes in handy when my brother needs help breaking up with his boyfriends—which happens more than I’d care to admit. I know it’s enabling him, but I can’t say no to Anders. I will do anything for my twin. The breakups always go the same; they’re swift and simple. Until Reed. He’s everything I've fantasized about but never allowed myself to have. When I give in to temptation and begin to freak out, it’s not because he’s a guy. It’s because he thinks I’m my brother, and I can’t bring myself to tell him the truth.

I think that I knew going in that the entire storyline was going to be based on a misunderstanding, but I guess I hoped that it wouldn't take up the entire focus. The last two chapters redeemed the story, somewhat. The jest of it is that there are three characters. Law, Reed, and Anders (Law's twin). Law and Anders are identical twins. Ever since childhood they have played the game that is probably very common with all identicals... Law frequently pretends to be Anders to help him deal with confrontations; but it so happens that one of those pretenses goes longer and naive Reed gets emotionally and physically involved with both brothers; although in reality he's with only one brother (Law). Confused yet? I worked through it but I'm not sure my brain can survive wrapping itself around book #2. We'll see.

Heartscape - Garrett Leigh - (Vermont)
Vino and Veritas series - Part 1
3.5★
I’m not the obvious choice to run Burlington’s coolest wine bar—quiet, brooding, clueless about tannin content, and always one wrong turn away from another downward spiral. But no one seems to mind that I'm a wreck. Besides me. I just focus on getting through each shift until the night a beautiful stranger appears, looking as lost and damaged as I feel. When a mutual friend calls in a favor, the sexy newcomer winds up crashing on my couch. I don't know if it's his melodic Cornish accent, or his ocean blue eyes, or the rock-hard body with the mysterious scars, but I get the feeling whatever happened to him runs far deeper than those wounds. Having Jax in my home makes my chest warm. Makes me shiver. Makes me want more. But I've got a pile of baggage and I don't want to be a burden on anyone let alone a man who seems to have enough demons of his own. Our chemistry is off the charts. His arms feel like home. The last thing I want is to screw this up. Is it wrong to hope we can heal each other? Or will one of us die trying?

Vino and Veritas is an 18-book series written by a variety of authors. They don't need to be read in any order. Good thing, since I never do. Anyway... I quickly became invested in each of these complex characters. Tanner and Jax meet when a mutual friend connects them when Jax finds himself in need of a helping hand after losing most of his belongings to a hostel fire. What ensues is friendship they both desperately need, which evolves into some amazing chemistry. There is a lot of self-reflection and soul searching in this story that slows the pace down a bit, but it never makes it boring. At times their tory is heart wrenching and at other times, amusing. Overall...great writing, and a really good story.

The Sorrows - Jonathon Janz - (California)
5★
The Sorrows, an island off the coast of northern California, and its castle have been uninhabited since a series of gruesome murders in 1925. But its owner needs money, so he allows film composers Ben and Eddie and a couple of their female friends to stay a month in Castle Blackwood. Eddie is certain a haunted castle is just the setting Ben needs to find inspiration for a horror film. But what they find is more horrific than any movie. Something is waiting for them in the castle. A malevolent being has been trapped for nearly a century. And he’s ready to feed.

Right up the "Ghost Story Junkie's" alley. Ben and Eddie are composers who specialize in film scores. They’ve just been hired to score a major new horror movie, but Ben has writer’s block. Eddie thinks that spending some time in a castle on an island off the coast of Northern California will help Ben get his groove back. But no one has lived there since a bunch of people were killed there in the 20’s. Only one way on or off the island...what could possibly go wrong? Horror, gore, and more ensue. I wish we had been able to find out a little more about the entity and the island’s multiple mysteries since as I still had questions in the end. I see there is a sequel called Castle of Sorrows, so maybe we will find out more. It feels like there’s more to this island and I will definitely be scheduling a return trip!

Unspoken Vow - Eden Finley
Steele Brothers series Book #2
4.5★
He's everything I want but run away from. There's a long list of things I don't handle well like change. relationships, and breakups. However, there's one person above everything else I can't seem to get a handle on...namely Brody Wallace. In short, he's perfect. The reality, he scares me. He's the opposite of what I usually go for. He's bigger. Intimidating. He reminds me of someone I'd rather forget. When I need to find a new place to live, Brody offers me his spare room, but I have no plans on taking him up on the offer. He doesn't know what happened to me five years ago, and I want to keep it that way. But with limited options, I find myself outside his apartment holding a full moving box and wondering: How can I do this without exposing the darkest part of my past?

This book was so full of hope, determination and anguish. Brody and Anders fit together in a way they shouldn't have at first glance. Brody is such a caring person, trying to do whatever he can to make things easier for Anders. You can feel the tension when he fights against his natural instincts. It's difficult to feel anything but sympathy for Anders as he struggles with most aspects of his life, but the thing I didn't feel was pity. He tried so hard to be okay when he knew, and the reader knew that he wasn't, but he wanted so much to climb out of the hole he had dropped into. We only get the aftermath of what happened, and only an idea how bad things have been the other five years. But it's enough. Reed and Law from the first book appear into the story which was a nice touch. They get a nice follow-up near the end. I really, really loved "Lucky", aka "Meatball", Brody’s sisters' cat that she rescued. Why "Meatball" is living with Brody....well it’s complicated...but that's another part of the story. It was a superb touch by the author, adding a bit of humor, while at the same time allowing the characters to touch on the topic of abuse. Overall... it's an emotional, engaging, amazing read that was just about perfect.

Buzz, Sting, Bite: Why We Need Insects / Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson
4 stars

The subtitle pretty much says it all. Chapters include insect anatomy, sex, the food chain, symbiosis between insects and plants, insects and human food, insects as “janitors”, industries, and more.

I found this really Interesting, but I’m afraid I won’t remember much. There were so many little tidbits of information, it will be hard to remember. I have heard it before, but even if they are pests, insects really are beneficial, and humans would be hard-pressed to live on a planet without them.

I'll Be Gone in the Dark / Michelle McNamara
3.5 stars

The Golden State Killer, murdered and raped over the course of about ten years in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The author of this book was obsessed with finding out who he was… or really, just bringing him to justice. The book is part-memoir, in addition to true crime. The name “Golden State Killer” was even coined by this author; unfortunately, she died before she finished the book.

The man she called the Golden State Killer started off known as the East Area Rapist (the EAR). Later on, someone else (they hadn’t linked the two at the time) was known as the “Original Night Stalker” (I think there was another Night Stalker, as well.)

I listened to the audio, so that may not have helped keep things straight, but between following the rapist/murderer and his (many many) activities, and the author’s sections that were memoir, it didn’t help that nothing was in chronological order. And there were so many murders and rapes, it was hard to follow what was happening. Maybe it would have been easier to read (I suspect so) rather than listen to. So, I was a bit confused for a while, trying to figure out who everyone was and where they fit in.

Trifles and Folly 2 - Gail Z. Martin - (South Carolina)
Deadly Curiosities Series #2 (Novella)
4★
Curses, vengeance from beyond the grave, haunted curios, werewolves, and wicked faeries. Walk on the wild side, deep in the shadows through these delightfully creepy short stories and novellas that take place around and between the novels in the Deadly Curiosities series. Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles and Folly, an antique shop with a secret history. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them. She and her allies use magic and paranormal abilities to keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats. Trifles and Folly 2, is a satisfyingly spooky set of dark urban fantasy tales full of Southern cemeteries, restless spirits, Voodoo, magic, supernatural creatures, pirate ghosts, vampires and vengeance.

I love the main characters, especially when they appear in the other wonderful series that Gail Z. martin writes as Morgan Brice. Cassidy Kincaide is the cousin of Simon Kincaid, one of the main characters in the Badlands series. She advises the main character's in Witchbane, Treasure Trove, and Kings of The Mountain series. This story is a good standalone introduction to Cassidy and her support group that will make the main series books more interesting. The only thing I don't care for is the reader for this series in the audiobooks. I would like to make a plea to the author to please, please give poor Sorren somebody to keep him warm at night...well, as warm as a 600-year-old vampire can get. Everybody has somebody but him. There must be a gentleman or lady vampire out there that would volunteer. He seems to be way too much alone.

Here's To Us -Becky Albertalli - (New York)
What If It's Us Series Book #2
4★
Ben survived freshman year of college, but he’s feeling more stuck than ever. His classes are a slog, his part-time job working with his father is even worse, and his best friend Dylan’s been acting weird for weeks. Ben’s only real bright spot is his writing partner Mario, who’s been giving him a lot of Spanish lessons and even more kisses. Mario’s big Hollywood dreams make Ben start to dream bigger—and the choices he makes now could be the key to reshaping his future. So why can’t he stop thinking about a certain boy from his past? Arthur is back in New York City for the first time in two years, ready to take the theater world by a storm as the world’s best . . . intern to the assistant of an off-off-Broadway director. Of course, it sucks to be spending the summer apart from his sweet, reliable boyfriend, Mikey, but he knows their relationship is strong enough to weather the distance. Which is why it’s no big deal when his ex-boyfriend Ben stumbles back into the picture. And it’s definitely fine that Ben’s blissfully happy with some mystery boy. First loves are special, but it’s way too late for what-ifs. Right? Even as the boys try to shake off the past, they keep running into each other in the present. Is this the universe trying to tell them there’s a do-over in their future?

The first book dealt with real life problems and real-life feelings of these young boys. This book welcomes back all the characters, and they have matured by 2 years. It’s refreshing to see where their journeys went and how they're back together in New York. But everything stops there. They must work through their current circumstances and feelings to see where their own futures go, and if those futures include each other. The end was perfect. A beautiful love story.

Smash & Grab - Maz Maddox
RELIC series Book #1
3★
My standard issued lab badge reads 'Simon' but it really should say 'unexciting nerd with no social life' Don't get me wrong -- I love what I do with a passion, but it doesn't leave a lot of time for much else. Especially romance. While chipping away at my work, I'm suddenly the person between hired cartel muscle and the fossil that will define my career. Which isn't the most insane part of the story. My savior is a chaotic, bat-wielding punk with a bubble gum pink mohawk and a killer smile. In a mad dash to escape the thieves, my knight in studded armor sweeps me across the country while hitting every tourist trap along the way. While smuggling a fossil, might I add. Oh, and did I mention this pink punk can shift into a dinosaur?

Smash & Grab is a short read...a really short read. In the description I had read it was described as "cute", delightful and whimsy. I know that I am diffidently in the minority, but I didn't get any of this from the story. Actually "silly" would have pretty much said it all. I believe that the shortness may have been partially responsible for there being no room for character or plot development. The storyline is straight with no surprises. You would think that a pink punk that can shift into a dinosaur would produce at least one unexpected surprise. I did like the characters of Simon and Dalton. They are perfect together. Simon is nerdy and kind of mellow, Dalton is over the top craziness, but they balance each other out, but they didn't make the story any more interesting for me. Think I'll skip the rest of the series.

Past His Defenses - Andrew Grey - (France)
5★
When a case reopens old wounds from the kidnapping of his younger sister, police officer Robert Fenner is told in no uncertain terms that he needs a break. And maybe his superiors are right. He books a flight to visit an old friend, who happens to be the one who got away, and hopes for the best. Electronic security consultant Dixie Halewood works from his home in Paris, where he lives with his adopted son, Henri. Dixie doesn’t expect a message from an old flame asking for a place to stay, but he agrees. Their past is just that—the past. Things between them aren’t as settled as they thought—Henri, Paris, and proximity work their magic. The two men are drawn closer and old flames burst back to life, but Dixie’s work brings a new threat to their safety and the budding family they missed out on the first time around.

Andrew Grey is one of my favorite m/m romance authors. He writes from the heart and most of his books include young children into the story line. Mr. grey may have outdone himself this time, because the romance between the Robert and Dixie is not only sweet and believable, but Dixie's son, Henri is what contributes the biggest part of what makes the book a 5-star read. You will be touched on so many levels with this superb offering by Andrew Grey. Wish I could have stayed and visited longer.

Devil in Winter – Lisa Kleypas
Book on CD read by Rosalyn Landor.
3***

Book number three in the Wallflower regency-romance series.

Evangeline Jenner has been sent to live with her relatives, as her father, Ivo Jenner, does not deem it appropriate for her to grow up in his gambling club. Her maternal aunt and uncles have their eye on her fortune and have arranged a marriage for her to one of her cousins. But Evangeline has other plans. She presents herself at the home of Lord Sebastian St Vincent, a viscount with significant need of funds and a notorious rake, and strikes a bargain with the devil.

Well, this was a fun romp of a novel. The situations are melodramatic and full of sexual tension. Kleypas’s characters are straight out of central casting, but that’s part of the fun. The action moves forward at a steady pace, there are dastardly villains, innocent damsels, mysterious foreigners, handsome heroes, and a feisty heroine.

Rosalyn Landor does a marvelous job of reading the audio. She sets a good pace and does a pretty good job of differentiating the many characters. The deep voice she uses for Sebastian makes me laugh but it’s really all part of the fun. I did read about half the book in traditional text format, however.

Breakfast of Champions
Kurt Vonnegut
3/5 stars
Writer Kilgore Trout who writes fiction finds out that a car dealer thinks he is writing the truth in this unusual satire. I thought I had read some Vonnegut before this book but nothing comes up in my logs. I’m not sure if I would read any more of his books though he is highly acclaimed.

Double Blind - Heidi Cullinan
Special Delivery series #2
2.5★
Know when to show your hand...and when to hedge your bets. Randy Jensen can't stand to just sit by and watch as a mysterious man throws money away on the roulette wheel, especially since Randy's got his own bet going as to the reason this guy is making every play like it's his last day on earth. The man's dark desperation hits Randy right in the gut. Half of him warns that getting involved is a sucker's bet, and the other half scrambles for a reason - any reason - to save the man's soul. Ethan Ellison has no idea what he's going to do with himself once his last dollar is gone - until Randy whirls into his life with a heart-stealing smile and a poker player's gaze that sees too much. Randy draws Ethan into a series of wagers that lead to a scorching kiss by midnight, but he isn't the only one with an interest in Ethan's vulnerability. Soon they're both taking risks that play fast and loose not only with the law but with the biggest prize of all: their hearts.

I learned more about the game of poker than I EVER cared to know...complete with odds and hands and things i didn't even know were part of the game. For almost four chapters that was the storyline. I almost stopped reading and then Sam and Mitch from the first book showed up. Still, they played poker in every form possible. I didn't care of any of the characters except for Sam and Mitch. Where it got interesting was when they teamed up to save the cassino. It was complicated...and I will admit I didn't understand a lot of it, and I wondered when one of the mostly good guys was going to get wise enough to kill the lousy, cheating Las Vagas mobster. There was something about the story that made me read one more chapter and then one more, but it wasn't my favorite book, but turned out it wasn't my least either. I seldom warn about a book, after all anyone that reads an m/m romance book should know what they're going to encounter...but if you are considering this series, be aware that this series is very, very graphic. I've read some of this authors' other books and they have been nothing like this. I doubt that I'll go for the 3rd book in the series.

I finished The Hunting Party and was not impressed. There is a certain formulaic thriller that I feel I have read several times over by now.

I'm going to pick up Revolutionary Road next, and maybe Bone China as well.

Dearest Milton James - N.R. Walker - (Australia)
5★
Malachi Keogh finds himself in a job he neither wanted nor asked for when his father, boss of Sydney's postal service, sends him to the end of the business line, aka The Dead Letter Office. Malachi expects tedious and boring but instead discovers a warehouse with a quirky bunch of misfit co-workers, including a stoic and nerdy boss, Julian Pollard. Malachi's intrigued by Julian at first, and he soon learns there's more to the man than his boring clothes of beige, tan, and brown, a far cry from Malachi's hot pink, lilac, and electric blue. Where Julian is calm and ordered, Malachi is chaos personified, but despite their outward differences, there's an immediate chemistry between them that sends Malachi's head-and heart into a spin. To keep his father happy, Malachi needs this job. He also needs to solve the mystery of the pile of old letters that sits in Julian's office and maybe get to the bottom of what makes Julian tick. Like everything that goes through the mail center, only time will tell if Malachi has found his intended destination or if he'll find himself returned to sender.

I love N.R. Walker's work. I've read most of her books and anxiously await the next one. This one captivated me completely with its humor, earnestness, and I-wish-I-could-work-there vibe. I had the best job in the whole world for 28 years, so it takes a lot to make me have that feeling, especially if it doesn't involve an animal of some type. The letters carried their own interesting mystery. They were like paper ghost that had waited years to tell their stories...and what stories some of them had. While finding the authors and recipients of decades-old misplaced or lost love letters was the premise of the book, it also helped to act as a catalyst in the romance between Malachi and Julian. Some might say the story is too sweet, but I thought it was perfectly lovely and warm and even hilarious in places, thanks to Malachi’s inability to stop talking.

Mystery of The Spirits C. S. Poe - (New York)
Snow and Winter series #5
5★
Antique dealer Sebastian Snow and Homicide detective Calvin Winter have been happily married for a year and a half. In that time, there’s been nary a mystery in sight, and for a recovering sleuth like Sebastian, an uneventful life is exactly what he needs. That is, until Calvin’s lieutenant enters the Emporium and demands insight on a bizarre object known as a spiritoscope, hailing from the early days of the Spiritualism movement. Sebastian’s extensive knowledge of Victorian curiosities leads him to consulting for the NYPD—putting him at odds with his husband. And as the bodies begin to stack up, so do the seemingly dead-end clues, which if Sebastian can’t make sense of, might result in a whole lot more death.

This is one of my favorite series. The mystery is outstanding and the history of the strange objects that Sebastian traces the use and history of is more than fascinating. I had to know if these paranormal objects had any place in reality, and I found out that they did...which made the stories that much more interesting. Most of them had suspected powers that the folks that owned them truly found dangerous to the extent that they needed to be destroyed. However, because of their tainted histories they were worth large amounts of cold hard cash and were diffidently worth killing for. I'm a huge fan of the Snow and Winter series since running across it two years ago. I was really, really looking forward to reading this one after waiting what seemed like eons. I knew they had married in the last one and wanted to see this couple happy with their lives. I'm glad to say it doesn't disappoint in the least. I hope there are more to come.

The Monuments Men Murders - Josh Lanyon - (Montana)
The Art of Murder series Book #4
4★
Despite having attracted the attention of a stalker; Special Agent Jason West is doing his best to keep his mind on his job and off his own troubles. But his latest case implicates one of the original Monuments Men in the theft and perhaps destruction of part of the world's cultural heritage, a lost Vermeer. But Naval Reserve Lt. Commander Emerson Harley wasn't just a World War II hero; he was the grandfather Jason grew up idolizing. In fact, Grandpa Harley was a large part of what inspired Jason to join the FBI's Art Crime Team. Learning that his grandfather might have turned a blind eye to American GIs "liberating" priceless art treasures at the end of the war is more than disturbing. It's devastating. Jason is determined to clear his grandfather's name, even if that means putting him on a collision course with romantic partner BAU Chief Sam Kennedy. Meanwhile, someone in the shadows is biding his time.

Jason and Sam find themselves in the rare circumstance of both being in the same place at the same time as Sam wraps up a task force while Jason investigates the possible existence of paintings looted by an American GI during WWII. Both are looking forward to sharing more than a few times together. Jason’s case forms the entirety of the mystery plot, and he finds that a beloved member of his own family may have been more than "involved". There’s a lot of discussion of history, and art in particular, which I could have done with less of.... but I did really like the case and their task of making sense of it after so much time had passed. The hard sell of the plot though, is the building relationship between Jason and Sam. These two are really great characters.

Elizabeth of York: The First Tudor Queen / Alison Weir
3.25 stars

Elizabeth of York was Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydeville’s daughter. During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, they were Yorkists. Elizabeth married Henry VII, who was a Lancaster, thus bringing the two sides together. Between them, they began the Tudor era, and Henry VIII was their son. This is meant to be a biography of Elizabeth.

I only say it’s “meant to be” a biography because, as with so many women of the time (including queens), there is just so little information about them. So, really, I feel like it’s more of a history of what happened around her during her life, often with musings as to what Elizabeth may have been doing or feeling at certain times or about certain things. It’s a long book, over 500 pages, and nonfiction, which does tend to go slower for me. There’s a lot of information, much of it I didn’t know (I think this is the first book I’ve read specifically focusing on Elizabeth), and even though I found much of it interesting, there are still dry parts.

Keep- Men of ESRB - Hollis Shiloh , Sure - Men of ESRB
Men of ESRB series Books 2 & 3
5★

Keep book #2 -Pete might always know when people are lying, but that doesn't make him a good judge of character. Will he ever find a man who wants to keep him? Pete's the kind of guy who gets on people's nerves. He can't sit still. He talks too much. He doesn't know when to shut up. And he always knows when people are lying. While his talent wasn't strong enough to get an empath rating from the ESRB, he now has a second chance with the new testing system they're using. If he makes it, he'll have some well-paying job offers from people who actually appreciate his gifts. Maybe this time things will work out. Maybe his life will finally take a turn for the better. With some hot guys in it, too.
Sure Book #3 - Pete has a pretty good life these days: a job he likes, friends, and a boyfriend who accepts him as he is. But despite all this, life isn't without its challenges and dangers.

Both are fairly short books with Sure taking up the storyline from Keep with the continued story of the two characters, Pete and Ellery (Ell) I really like how Pete goes into detail about his love and insecurity towards Ell (Ellery) and his fears, and doubts about himself. The story is very well written. All the love and drama in just the right places.

(ESRB stands for Extra Sensory Regulatory Bureau.)

Between the Lines - Jodi Picoult
3★
What happens when happily ever after…isn’t? Delilah is a bit of a loner who prefers spending her time in the school library with her head in a book—one book in particular. Between the Lines may be a fairy tale, but it feels real. Prince Oliver is brave, adventurous, and loving. He really speaks to Delilah. And then one day Oliver actually speaks to her. Turns out, Oliver is more than a one-dimensional storybook prince. He’s a restless teen who feels trapped by his literary existence and hates that his entire life is predetermined. He’s sure there’s more for him out there in the real world, and Delilah might just be his key to freedom.

This was such a fun, light-hearted and feel-good story. It carries Jodi Picoult's name as its author, but it was actually written by her young daughter and was probably intended for younger than the YA age group that its advertised for. Delilah seems like your typical teenage girl who happens to love a certain fairytale. Yet when she reads the fairy tale, she notices that certain things are changing within the fairy tale itself. The characters are very different within the fairy tale itself, and they have roles that they are intended to play withing the story they are a part of in the book. They're lives are very different. Then we find that Delilah and Oliver can communicate with each other. At first Delilah think she is losing her mind but soon learns that Oliver wants to get out of the book. As Delilah and Oliver try to find different ideas to accomplish this, they find that none of them are working out very well. I won't go any further with the plot because it will ruin the outcome for anyone that may read it.

Songs of the Humpback Whale / Jodi Picoult
3.5 stars

Jane and Oliver have been married for 15(?) years, and they were together longer than that. Their daughter Rebecca’s 15th birthday is coming up soon. Oliver is a famous marine biologist who studies humpback whales, but his career success has come to the detriment of his home life. After a big argument, Jane and Rebecca leave. Jane’s brother Joley (Jane and Joley have always been close), helps direct Jane from California to Massachusetts (where Joley is living and working) via letters along the way.

The first half was a bit more confusing with regard to timeline. Rebecca’s POV was told with each chapter going backward in time (but luckily, those were the chapters that told us a date). Until the middle of the book where other timelines met up, chapters were all moving forward chronologically, but they had started at different points in the story. Luckily, mid-way through, the timelines met up.

I didn’t find this as good as Picoult’s other books, but the second half did pick up for me – maybe because all timelines (except Rebecca’s) were now moving forward. But it might also have been that I liked reading the same thing happening from a different POV. Have to admit, though. I don’t think I really liked any of the characters. I suppose that could mean that everyone had good and bad points (like in real life), but I really didn’t like Sam and Hadley. I agreed with the ending – just barely as it almost didn’t go that way, and I was really afraid it wouldn’t (but there are probably readers who wanted it to end the way I didn’t!).

Who We Are - T.J. Klune
Bear, Otter & Kid Chronicles #2
5★
Bear, Otter, and the Kid survived last summer with their hearts and souls intact. They've moved into the Green Monstrosity, and Bear is finally able to admit his love for the man who saved him from himself.But that's not the end of their story. How could it be?The boys find that life doesn't stop just because they got their happily ever after. There's still the custody battle for the Kid. The return of Otter's parents. A first trip to a gay bar. The Kid goes to therapy, and Mrs. Paquinn decides that Bigfoot is real. Anna and Creed do... well, whatever it is Anna and Creed do. There are newfound jealousies, the return of old enemies, bad poetry, and misanthropic seagulls. And through it all, Bear struggles to understand his mother's abandonment of him and his brother, only to delve deeper into their shared past. What he finds there will alter their lives forever and help him realize what it'll take to become who they're supposed to be. Family is not always defined by blood. It's defined by those who make us whole - those who make us who we are.

I really, really liked this story. I love how in this book Bear seems to have gotten over some of his misgivings that rode him in the first book and has learned that “Nothing's too fast if it means forever.” This one also takes us further into some of the other relationships, not just Bear, Otter, and The Kid, but Anna, Creed, Mrs. Paquinn, the two sets of parents, and even Bear's evil mom. The memories of her are necessary because, as the book is titled, they influence who we are. Everyone was impacted by what she did before the events in book one. I probably hold the World Championship title for reading series out of order, but this is one that absolutely needs to be read in order. We even get some new characters that add to the drama of this sweet and sometimes, funny series. Everyone has a part to play in Bear and Otters HEA...and we have to remember that "it's not about where you come from. It's about who you are.” I don't usually put quotes from a book into a review, but this one just begs to be included. "I told him that we would grow old together, that I'd be there to make fun of him when he started to get fat and bald, when he'd get spots on his hands. I told him we'd build a little house by the beach, and we'd sit on the porch wrapped up in a blanket and that the world would pass us by and that it was okay. It was okay because we'd have lived it all already".

Leonard and Hungry Paul – Rónán Hession
4****

Two thirty-something single men are friends. They each live at home, they play board games, take satisfaction in their work, like to read, and are, in general, nice. Can quiet, gentle people change the world?

Oh, I loved this book! I liked how Hession showed us these two men slowly and gently, revealing their strengths and flaws, as we got to know them. They are grounded in their home life, in the people they love and care for, and in those who care for them. They don’t make waves, they’re not out to change the world, or even their corner of it.

When we meet Leonard, he is living alone in his childhood home, his mother having died recently. He has a steady job working for a children’s encyclopaedia; he writes (or rewrites) the text the educated researcher submits to make it more accessible for kids. Hungry Paul is Leonard’s best (and only) friend. He still lives at home with his parents, and his older sister’s wedding is a central focus of the plot. Hungry Paul takes judo lessons (he’s not very good) and works one day a week as a substitute letter carrier.

Neither man has ever really learned how to handle social interaction. They’re awkward and often overthink what they should say, resulting in their saying nothing (or, worse, saying the wrong thing). But they slowly come to realize that they do have something to offer to others … if only their quiet and steady presence.

I’m struck by how often we fail to see all the quiet, gentle people around us. It’s the loud, demanding ones that grab our attention, but it’s the many people like Leonard and Hungry Paul who steadfastly keep things moving. Who remind us that silence can be healing, and that a steady friend supports just by being a friend.

The ending is perfect. Happy and hopeful but not tied up in a nice, neat bow. I’m left with many questions (including how Hungry Paul got this moniker), but I think that’s part of Hession’s point.

Revenge Wears Prada – Lauren Weisberger
Digital audiobook narrated by Megan Hilty
2**

Subtitle: The Devil Returns
This is a follow-up to the immensely popular The Devil Wears Prada.

Several years after the ending of the first book’s plot, Andy and her former nemesis, Emily, join forces and create a high-end bridal magazine that garners them much attention … including from Miranda Priestly, their former boss at Runway. Meanwhile, both have gotten married and are navigating the ups and downs of the newly married.

This book deals with the drama of the early working life of most singles, and/or newly married couples. They have to juggle demands of their careers against the pull of the relationships. They’re not always sure whom to trust and sometimes overreact, while at other times giving in to inertia and the status quo.

I have to say that Andy really irritated me. Her go-to position seemed to be to wait in silence, while feeling sick and tired of it all. Emily was equally clueless about friendship, dismissing Andy’s hesitancy in favor of her own ambition.

I’d already read book three in the series (which focuses on Emily), so that may have colored my reactions.

Megan Hilty does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She sets a good pace and has clear diction, so I could easily understand even when listening at double speed.

Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office
Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman
4/5 stars
I loved The Office and when I found this book at the library, I put everything else down to read this wonderful book told by everyone who acted, produced, wrote and worked on the series. If you haven’t seen the series -don’t read this book but definitely see the series then read this book. Highly recommended for fans of the series!

Saving Sebastian - Luna David
Custos Securities Series Book #3
5★
Gideon McCade--weighed down by memories of his previous life as a Navy SEAL and a CIA agent--has blood on his hands. He turns to his BDSM club, Catharsis, and dominating submissives to get him through the daily grind of civilian life. Knowing his past is too much to inflict on a life partner, he keeps his connections brief and superficial. When his former life comes back to haunt him, his desire for revenge pulls him back into the shadows, darkening his hopes for a future in the light. Temporarily sidelining his career as a tattoo artist, Sebastian Phillips works as a composite artist for the local police department. To alleviate the inescapable burden of a congenital medical condition, he immerses himself in his art and seeks the catharsis of submission. But with life weighing heavily on his shoulders and darkness encroaching, he yearns for a contract with a Dominant that sees past the protective barriers he's erected to the vulnerable submissive within. When happenstance brings Gideon and Sebastian together, their connection is undeniable. The knowledge that they are both too damaged to form permanent bonds of love causes them to rely on an impersonal contract to fulfil their physical needs. But staying emotionally detached becomes impossible, and breaking their contract seems the only option. Will Gideon's need for vengeance and Sebastian's declining health destroy what's grown between them, or will they help each other find their way back into the light?

This was not simply about the acts of a BDSM relationship but was the complete development of a true personal relationship and one that was done so with such depth, attention and patience. The character development, including their doubts, hesitancy and questions revolving around their worth to one another was beautifully captured. I seldom shed tears over a book...but many times I found their situations almost shattering. Watching Sebastian, whose parents turned their backs on him, find himself and learn his true worth and how precious his love was to and from Gideon, was priceless. Every aspect was so beautifully and amazingly crafted. I guess this is another one that will go on my reread list.

Penance / Kanae Minato
3.5 stars

10-year old friends Sae, Maki, Akiko, Yuka, and Emily are playing in the schoolyard when Emily is lured away by a man. It’s a bit later when the other girls find Emily’s dead body. In Japan, there is (or was) a statute of limitations of 15 years. When, after a few years, the murderer is still not caught, Emily’s mother tells the four girls they will pay if the murderer is not found. Fifteen years later, the four girls are adults now, but they have been drastically affected by their friend’s murder and her mother’s curse.

I liked this. Each chapter was from a different character’s point of view as an adult and looking back on what happened when Emily was killed. There was also a chapter (after the four girls’ chapters) narrated by Emily’s mother. The chapters (and book as a whole) was fairly short, so trying to remember who was who was a bit tricky, but it usually only took a small reminder for me to remember each story as I continued through the book.

The Puller - Michael Hodges -(Michigan)
5★
Matt Kearns has two choices: fight or hide. The creature in the orchard took the rest. Three days ago, he arrived at his favorite place in the world, a remote shack in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The plan was to mourn his father’s death and figure out his life. Now he's fighting for it. An invisible creature has him trapped. Every time Matt tries to flee, he’s dragged backwards by an unseen force. Alone and with no hope of rescue, Matt must escape the Puller's reach. But how do you free yourself from something you cannot see?

It tells the story of a young man who retreats to his family's fishing cabin located in the wilderness of the forests in overlooking Lake Michigan in Michigan's Upper Peninsula He's gone there to gather his thoughts and collect his emotions after the deaths of his father, his girlfriend, and his dog. While there, he encounters and is subsequently trapped in the isolated cabin by a monstrous creature referred to as "the Puller" It has been a very long time since I've seen a writer create so effective and monstrous a monster as the creature in this book. We are treated to a number of fascinating characters that include a cast of animal inhabitants of the Upper Peninsula, all of whom have some connection to Matt. The author proves himself to be a master of foreshadowing and of connecting disparate strings of plots to weave an absolutely startling and terrifying tale. I live in Michigan and have visited the UP many times. Think maybe I'll remember next time what could be lurking nearby.

His Horizon - Con Riley - (England)
4★
Can a second chance at love heal old wounds in a crowded Cornish kitchen? Jude’s drowning in guilt when he can’t save his family business single-handed. The last person he expects to throw a lifeline is Rob, a rival chef who once beat him to first place in a cooking contest. Almost a year later, two chefs working so closely together won’t be easy. Not when Rob is everything Jude isn’t—popular, extroverted, and almost one-time hook-up. What’s worse is that Rob wears his heart on his sleeve while Jude’s still in the closet. Jude’s dilemma doesn’t end there. Rob’s rescue package comes with conditions that mean sharing everything from the profits to Jude’s sleeping quarters. Falling for Rob again will either be a disaster, or signal a much brighter future, but only if Jude can meet Rob’s final condition and love him in the open.

I understood Jade's feelings of learning that his parent's boat was lost at sea, but his leaving to go look for them seemed way over the line. This was the OCEAN, not a lake. Leaving the searching to the experts seemed to be a better idea. I know that worry will create some odd behavior, but Jade seemed to be full of decisions that weren't thought out very well. In spite of that it is a journey full of hope and loss, heartbreak and happiness, and rediscovering the truth of things that you didn’t realize for so long, and most of all, love.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place / Alan Bradley
3.75 stars

After a recent tragedy, when Dogger takes Flavia and her sisters on a trip by boat, Flavia manages to find a body in the water. As she investigates, she also figures out what happened with three women who’d been poisoned at a church years earlier.

I liked this one. As usual, I listened to the audio and upped my rating by ¼ star for Jayne Entwistle. I liked that Flavia’s sisters seemed to be a bit nicer this time around. For some reason, I don’t remember really “noticing” the humour, but I did this time around. I’m sure I probably did, but for some reason it just didn’t stick in my head.

The Whale Rider – Witi Ihimaera
5***** and a ❤

In the poignant author’s note at the beginning of this edition, the author writes about his inspiration for telling this story. While he was working in New York City, he witnessed an extraordinary event – a whale swam up the Hudson. Coincidentally, at the same time, his young daughter, following a day at the movies, asked “Daddy, why are the boys always heroes while the girls yell out, ‘Save me, save me, I’m so helpless?” And so inspired by these two events, Ihimaera turned his attention to the Maori folklore of his homeland, New Zealand and penned this book.

What a wonderful story. Magical, mystical, and yet completely relatable. Eight-year-old Kahu wants nothing so much as to please her grandfather and be loved by him. But he dismisses her as a “useless girl.” Still, her grandmother, father and uncle champion her cause, as she comes of age and proves that she has what it takes to become chief and lead her people.

The novel is full of Maori legend and language, but a glossary at the back helps. As with many stories based on legend and folklore, I am reminded of the many summer nights spent sitting in the dark on the porch at my grandmother’s house, listening to my grandparents, aunts and uncles tell stories that enthralled, scared, educated, and inspired us.

I would love to read more by this author.

Lisey's Story
Stephen King
3/5 stars
Lisey Debusher's husband, Scott, a famous writer died a couple of years ago after a long marriage. Lisey continues struggling from his death and goes to a place to where he fought his demons. With the help of one of her sisters, she comes to terms with her life with Scott and his death.
Not my favorite book of King's, I found it awfully long and somewhat repetitive.

>75 JulieLill: That's not one of my favorites by King either.

I finished Revolutionary Road - another 5-star book for me. I'm now starting Telephone by Percival Everett.

The Haunting of Sunshine House - Dominika Best - (California)
Ghost of Los Angelas series Book #1
5★
Is the evil lurking in Sunshine House human or something much worse? Once an exclusive Hollywood hotel catering to the likes of Rudolf Valentino and other great stars of the Silent Film Era, the Bockerman Hotel now is the Sunshine House, an assisted living home for seniors. And its residents are dying…in droves. Sara Caine, paranormal investigator, couldn’t believe she got an invitation to hunt for ghosts in the most haunted building in all of Los Angeles, The Sunshine House. Her excitement turns to horror as the mysteries of Sunshine House reveal themselves to be more terrifying than she could have ever imagined.

Sunshine House, an assisted living residence, was once, in a previous life, the Bockerman Hotel of Hollywood where many famous actors had once lived and died. Some died by foul play, and their ghosts still roamed the rooms and the corridors. It's more than just a ghost story, it’s a story about a very human serial killer. The supernatural and the natural are expertly woven together to create a breath holding story that will keep the reader reading long into the night. Those that are looking for a quick reveal may be a bit disappointed but if you are a "Ghost Story Junkie" and enjoy seeing a supernatural tale unwind and twist over you...you will enjoy your visit to Sunshine House.

A Street Cat Named Bob / James Bowen
4 stars

James had just gotten himself into housing and off the streets. He was a recovering heroin addict when he found an orange cat he called Bob. James was still struggling to feed himself, let alone feed a cat, and take on vet bills as Bob was injured when he first came to James. James was a busker and continued to busk with Bob at his side. Bob helped out in that he attracted a lot of attention, so James made a lot more money than he otherwise would have. When James was kicked out of his favourite busking spots (he was not where musicians were supposed to play), he (and Bob) switched to selling the “Big Issue”, a weekly magazine sold by people down on their luck and trying to get their lives on track.

I really liked this. Bob and James saved each other. It was eye-opening to read about James’ (and likely similar stories to many others living on the streets) homelessness and life on the streets, and how hard it was for him to kick his addiction. It is a quick book to read. The book itself only goes for a couple of years after James and Bob found each other, but looking them up online after finishing, I am saddened to hear that Bob died after being hit by a car in 2020.

Wintering by Katherine May
5*****

Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a breakup, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. "Wintering" explores how she not only endured this painful time but embraced the singular opportunities it offered.

A lyrical, kind, insightful book on taking a step back to re-group. But it's more than that - it shows the path that Katherine May took when she had to stop her own life in the face of illness. The biggest strength is her way of giving validation to those times in our lives when we, too, are faced with the challenges life throws at us, and the rightness of retreating from the world to emerge whole on the other side. Her observations of her native English seaside and towns add a grounding to this slim volume.

She speaks with a friend from Finland, who talks about the steps the Finns have to take each year to prepare for the winter. Because it always comes. She speaks with a Druid and joins a group celebrating the Midwinter sunrise at Stonehenge. She discusses dormice, those quintessential English sleepers who spend so much time fattening up before slipping into their annual hibernation.

I found myself taking heart from her examples and the underlying message: winter will always come around again. The challenge is how we prepare for and nurture ourselves during those times.

English locations: Folkestone Beach, Stonehenge/Salisbury Hill, the River Stour at Sandwich.

Blood Cross by Faith Hunter
4****

The Vampire Council of New Orleans has hired Jane to hunt and kill one of their own who has broken sacred ancient rules. But she quickly realizes that in a community that is thousands of years old, loyalties run deep. With the help of her witch best friend and local vigilantes, Jane finds herself caught between bitter rivalries--and closer than ever to the secret origin of the entire vampire race.

A fast-paced, full of action combination mystery thriller and supernatural exploration of the New Orleans vampires and witches. And boy do I wish the cover artists would paint their heroines more like the book and less like . . . their fantasies.

Anyway, Jane Yellowrock is still in New Orleans and invited to a party of all of the clans of vamps. There is a great deal of detail and history discussed during the party, and then the inevitable action happens to start this novel off quickly.

Also part of this book, in kind of a character-building way, is her best friend Molly, Molly's two kids, and a bayou ceremony with a pair of Eastern Cherokee women shamans. This latter creates a depth of understanding and calm for Jane during these turbulent times, as Molly's children are kidnapped by rogue vampire/witch siblings as part of a long history of their attempting to use witch children in a blood ritual to minimize the madness of vampires when they are first turned. In this world, the "dovoveo" is a decade long event. And witches have a gene that makes them witches.

All in all, an eventful book in the urban fantasy genre, where police files contain case histories of vampires and witch children kidnapping, and former Marines who live in public housing and help in the action.

My quibbles with this book are slight: I would like to see less of the "Jane Yellowrock stays awake for 3 days and nights straight and manages to function", which seems to be a fault of publishing houses and police procedurals. I do like how the has both Rick and Bruiser as her love interests, and still has not bedded either one.

Furious Hours – Casey Cep
Book on CD read by Hilary Huber
3.5*** rounded up

Subtitle: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee

This is a combination of a true crime exploration of the serial killer Reverend Willie Maxwell, and a mini biography of Harper Lee.

Maxwell was well-known in his Alabama town even before his relatives started dying off in odd “accidents” which captured the attention of law enforcement and the ire of the many insurance companies from which Maxwell had purchased life insurance policies on said relatives. He kept his attorney, “Big Tom” Radney quite busy defending him against murder charges and suing the insurance companies to get what was owned to him. Maxwell was at the funeral of the latest victim when he was shot at point blank range by a grieving relative of the deceased. And Big Tom immediately became HIS lawyer to defend against the murder charges, despite the accused’s confession and the 340 witnesses.

Meanwhile Harper Lee has published her runaway (and still) bestselling novel, To Kill A Mockingbird and has helped her childhood friend Truman Capote with the research on his true-crime “nonfiction novel” In Cold Blood. The Rev Maxwell’s case captures her attention, and she begins researching the case(s) with the idea of writing a book.

I found the entire story fascinating, but then I am a fan of true crime books. I was completely captivated by Maxwell’s story and how that unfolded. And I, like many other readers, am eternally interested in Nelle Harper Lee, so was happy that I learned a few new things about Lee’s life, especially her own demons.

However, I think the author would have been less successful with this book without the Lee hook, and that somehow just didn’t sit right with me. So, three stars: I liked it; other true-crime or Lee fans will probably like it too.

Hilary Huber does a find job of narrating the audiobook. Her clear diction and steady pace made it easy for me to understand and follow the intricacies of the case.

Lust Killer -Ann Rule - (Oregon)
4★
To his neighbors, Jerry Brudos was a gentle, quiet man whose mild manner sharply contrasted with his awesome physical strength. To his employers, Jerry was an expert electrician, the kind of skilled worker you just don't find anymore. To his wife, Darcie, Jerry was a good husband, and a loving father to their children, despite his increasingly sexual demands on her, and his violent insistence that she never venture into his garage workroom and the giant food freezer there. To the Oregon police, Jerry Brudos was the most hideously twisted killer they had ever unmasked. And they brought to light what he had done to four young women—and perhaps many more—in the nightmare darkness of his sexual hunger and rage. First, Jerry Brudos was brought to trial...and then, in a shattering aftermath, his wife was accused as well.

OMG! Do you really know anyone well enough to know what they are capable of??? This man was institutionalized in his teen years and just told to "grow up" and released back to secretly prey on society. The author tells each story with detail and insight. The writing is straight forward without being unnecessarily gruesome or disrespectful to the victims in the book. Insights and details give us a journey into the twisted mind and lifestyle of the perpetrator that fooled everyone and piled up the victims. I shudder to think of all the more victims there would have been had he not been caught. Here is the website if anyone would like to read more about this. https://www.biography.com/crime-figure/jerome-brudos

Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III
452 p. - ★ ★ ★ ★

An exploration on the search for love, Gone So Long profiles three people: Daniel Ahearn, a dying ex-con who killed his young wife 40 years prior; Susan Dunn, his daughter with whom he has had no contact for 40 years; and Lois Dubie, his mother-in-law who reared Susan and wants to see Daniel dead. Daniel leads a quiet, reclusive life, but when he is diagnosed with cancer, he begins thinking about finding his daughter Susan. Susan, who witnessed her mother's murder, leaves behind a messy trail of broken relationships. Lois, now an antiques dealer in Florida, has let her hate and bitterness consume her and poison her relationships with others. Daniel writes a letter to Susan, which sets off the story.

Slow-moving and introspective, this novel is very well-written. At times, it is too slow-moving, though, and I was slightly under-whelmed with the ending. Of the three main characters, Daniel is the most interesting. I did find the setting in the early years fascinating - an amusement park in Massachusetts.

Little Town on the Prairie / Laura Ingalls Wilder
4 stars

The Ingalls family have just come off that “long winter” with blizzard after blizzard after blizzard. Pa is working construction in town, in addition to growing corn and oats and raising a few animals on the homestead. In order to help with money to be able to send Mary to college, Laura takes a sewing job in town. Once that ends, school is starting. At 14-almost-15, Laura needs to be serious at school, so she can get her teacher’s certificate when she turns 16 so she can help with money in order to keep Mary at college.

A surprise person from Laura’s life a few years earlier reappears in her life at school this year. She knows who Almanzo Wilder is, as she sees him around town and he once gave her a ride to school when she is running late. As the Ingalls’ move into town for the second winter in a row, the people in town are creating more social activities to do. And the town keeps growing.

This is such an enjoyable series. The illustrations are very nice. There is one uncomfortable bit of town entertainment near the end, unfortunately, but at the time that it would have happened it wasn’t frowned upon, though it most certainly is now (to say the least). Laura’s recitation of American history is, while impressive, European white history. So, due to the time period it is set, there are some no-so-good things about the book, but overall, I still find these books a lot of fun.

No Judgments by Meg Cabot
367 pages - ★ ★ ★ 1/2

Sabrina "Bree" Beckham has escaped to Florida's Little Bridge Island where she has dyed her hair pink, taken a waitressing job, and adopted a toothless rescue cat. So when she is urged to evacuate the island in anticipation of a Category 5 hurricane, she decides to stay behind. Her boss's wife insists she shelter with them, and they are upset that their nephew Drew is sheltering in his own home with his four dogs. Bree knows Drew as the hot construction guy who has breakfast in the cafe each morning. What she doesn't know is how much Drew is attracted to her!

A cute romance. Fairly well-written. Good for any pet-lover!

West Side Rising – Char Miller
With a forward by Julián Castro
4****

Subtitle: How San Antonio's 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement

I grew up in San Antonio. The all-girls boarding school I attended from kindergarten through 7th grade was downtown, on the banks of the San Antonio River. Still visible on the limestone walls of the main building’s second floor was a watermark from “the great flood.” I learned when I was in high school that the city’s famous River Walk was a WPA project begun as part of an effort for flood control.

I also grew up on the city’s West side. And each summer, the torrential rains so common in that season would flood our street, sometimes resulting in a raging torrent that carried cars for blocks.

This book explores not only the results of the city’s founding in a flood plain, but the political decisions – motivated by class and racial prejudice – that ensured that the areas poorest citizens would continue to suffer for centuries despite contributing tax dollars to help the wealthy stay dry. And how, a group of those West Side residents, fueled by yet another flood, marshalled their collective political power to achieve major changes.

Miller did extensive research, and it shows. But the parts of the book I most enjoyed were those that dealt directly with the 1921 disaster and its aftermath. I wanted more of the personal stories, but they went unrecorded for the most part. While I was interested in the political struggle to change the city’s focus on its majority minority population (and Miller does a great job of detailing the successful efforts of organizations such as COPS - Communities Organized for Public Service), the compelling disaster story seemed to fade.

One of Miller’s sources was a 64-page report written shortly after the disaster, titled “La tragedia de la inundación de San Antonio. Here is a section of Miller’s book that quotes extensively from that report:
The “San Antonio River hit the rich – it affected the big stores on Avenida C. The powerful houses of Houston and Commerce St. It must be said in its honor that it was greedy – it wanted riches and destroyed estates.” By contrast, Alazán Creek – “an imitation of a brook, a laughable pantomime, a thin and flexible snake” – proved ravenous. “It was the taker of lives – it was a cruel executioner who wiped out every poor soul it encountered.” Put differently, the river “swallowed pianos velvet rugs, Venetian moons of unparalleled beauty and wealth. Alazán Creek drowned children, killed women, knocked down men. And it was our people, the Mexican people, that succumbed defeated, whose poverty did not allow (them) to reside in a house in a pious neighborhood, a street near the center and out of danger. The sons of Mexico were the ones that fell asleep, unperturbed by danger, to wake up in the hands of a monster.”

A storm sewer drainage system was finally put into my parents’ neighborhood in the late 1990s. Every year, still, there are drownings in San Antonio as a result of flood waters – usually people who try to drive their cars through water covering the road and get swept away by the current.

For images of the various creeks – looking innocent when NOT in flood stage – visit
https://www.westsidecreeks.com/about-the-creeks/ In the green bar at the top of the page, hover your cursor on the “about the creeks” link and you can visit each creek in turn. Hard to imagine these little “imitation of a brook” waterways can rage into killer torrents – but they can, and do.

Pictures of an Exhibitionist by Keith Emerson
4****

Keith Emerson is one of my musical heroes and his music became part of my life in so very many ways: from studying for college exams listening to the Live Works album (with the symphony orchestra), to playing "Pictures at an Exhibition" starting in college, to meeting him at the 1986 Emerson, Lake & Powell tour. His ability to re-conceive of music in so many styles was a magnet, and his audacity to bring keyboards front and center in rock and roll fit with my love of the piano.

This book is fun and quirky, much like I'm sure he was on his good days. His descriptions and turns of phrase kept me on my reading toes and pointed out that he was more than a dull rock star. Other reviewers have pointed out how detailed the events are with his first band, The Nice, and I really have to agree. He puts a lot of detail into his early years, childhood, school exploits, and the like, which is expected in an autobiography. But. While his career started with The Nice, they had nowhere near the impact of ELP on the world of music.

And glossing over the part of the book that ELP fans want to know about (how did he develop the Fugue in Endless Enigma? Where did the inspiration for Karn Eval 9 come from, and how did that music develop?) might have been because so much more of ELP was documented than The Nice was. Maybe also the constant fighting in the band was still troubling and he wanted to just dash off the bare minimum about the band and their history. Or maybe he just wound down from the first part of the book and couldn't continue the momentum.

Another troubling aspect was the constant reference and relaying of his and bandmates' sexual exploits. Unnecessary, and makes me wonder who he was trying to impress. Loved ya for your music, Keith.

But. I'm glad I found this book at a halfway reasonable price and read it. He was a friggin' musical genius, and I grieve for his death by suicide at the age of 71.

>87 threadnsong: Loved ELP's music! I will add this to my never-ending TBR!

>88 Hope_H: Yay!!! I recommend scouring sites until you find a copy for a reasonable amount of money. Or you may luck out at a yard sale or local used book store (if they're not checking on-line prices too much). It is totally worth it!

Have you read Greg Lake's autobiography, Lucky Man, yet?