On the Cusp of My Birthday Month! #TheSundayPost

 

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

It's just about August, And that means it's my birthday month! I've informed the family that we'll be going to the local farm to table and fun beverage place that is a block from our house for my dinner. I think I'm going to get a giant pretzel with cheese and an ice cold beer, then have a fancy salad and strawberry shortcake for dessert! What do you like to have as a birthday meal?

I've been doing a bunch of reading and listening lately so I need to  prepare more blog posts to talk about these books. For now: 

Books I'll be talking about this week:

Harry Dresden My Favorite Chicago Wizard!

It's handy that electronic equipment fizzles around Harry Dresden that way electronics are less a part of the story and you don't have as many obsolete electronic/internet references.  I read 6, 7, and 8 in the series one after the other, so I had to double-check what happened in what book. I was able to read and listen to this book switching from audio to kindle throughout.

As always I do enjoy the audio version of these books, and when I read them I hear the audio reader in my head. I found Blood Rites one of the books in the series that I *had* to keep reading--I mean we all know Harry is going to survive the latest evils in Chicago, but still!  I worry. 

In this installment, Kincaid is back, Harry hires him to help with Mavra an evil vampire from the Black Court.  I enjoy Kincaid and was glad he was back in a book. However, there is an attraction between Kincaid and Murphy and I somewhat ship Murphy and Harry so, I don't know how I feel about that.  Of course Harry is not a good relationship prospect for anyone. 

Speaking of relationships, in this book Thomas the super hot white court vampire moves up from an occasional guest appearance to being a supporting character. I was very pleased with this development. I like the flawed Thomas and I loved what happens in this story in relation to Harry and Thomas. AND Harry gets a dog. Mouse, Harry doesn't realize it, but we readers know Mouse will grow to become an excellent bodyguard for Harry and is certainly no mere dog.

This book brings the reader a more detailed understanding of the white court. Harry learns more about his mother and Kincaid sort of gets the girl.

Overall 4 stars.  

A Fabulous Cozy Series, The Secret, Book, & Scone Society-

 If you've read my blog at all, you know that cozy mysteries are a favorite genre of mine.  There are so many cozy series out there that you can find a cozy for anyone. Some series work for me and some aren't my cup of tea, that's what makes variety the spice of life!

This first book in a series worked for me.  I enjoy books with a group of people who connect and become friends, extra credit if they've been around the block and have been through some things.  So this group who deliberately decides to become friends by sharing the bad stuff in their past really hits the spot. Then you add in just a touch of magic by having the setting be a town where people go for healing, and you set the book in the Appalachian Mountains?  AND there is loads of baked goods talk--I'm IN!

This book puts together a great Scooby Doo mystery crew.  I thought Ellery Adams does an excellent job portraying Nora's struggle as someone who has been burned.  Burn recovery is a horribly painful process and I think that readers who have many types of chronic illness or have been in an accident or fire would relate to Nora's POV and feel represented. 

Also, there is a murder mystery--there is that too. Do I have any complaints?  I don't think I do, I often get annoyed when the cozy sleuth goes off and puts themselves in danger, but in this case, Nora doesn't go off alone. 

5 stars, excellent cozy!

When He Was Wicked

 

This is the sixth book in the Bridgerton series. Did I enjoy it?  Not as much as some of the other books. I think the part where Francesca can't decide about getting remarried goes on too long. If you like some decent sex scenes, I think this has more than some of the other books in this series. I did appreciate that unlike many other historical romances set in Regency England the MCs in this story are not virgins and they are working through grief, these are themes I typically enjoy, but for whatever reason I just wasn't that into this book. I think the part I like the most when Violet was on the scene. 

Like where is a romance for Violet. That's what I want to read, I know she doesn't want to get remarried, but... 

Anywho this is a 3 star book for me. It's fine. 

Have you read this one? I also saw today a synopsis of what we can expect on season three of Bridgerton which will be Penelope & Colins story and it seems to be a big departure from the books. Which is OK, I'll watch it either way, I look forward to seeing it. I hope that Lady Danbury still plays a big part in the season. She's great! 

Happy Late July Sunday!

  

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted here @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on your blog for the week ahead. Join in weekly, bi-weekly, or for a monthly wrap-up. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme 

Happy July! I hope you have been having a nice summer. I started back posting last week and this is the first time I've been able to rejoin The Sunday Post since mid May. Busy in a good way! Last weekend we had the graduation party for our college and high school grads and now we are helping our youngest get everything ready to head off to college next month. 

Plus it's officially Leo season!  My birthday is coming soon.  I was thinking the other day that my 40s were pretty crummy and so I'm going to make an effort to have a better decade in my 50s  Of course it would help if the world would just be a nicer, more considerate place. My thought is to control what I can control.  

How about you? How is 2022 going for you? 

This week I'll be posting about some books I have recently read:

I Don't Even Like Office Romance Stories, And Yet

 

I was hooked within the first five pages. I loved this story of Vicky the dog whisperer with  traumatic past and Henry the megarich developer with a heart and a terrible mom.  If you enjoy contemporary romance that takes place in a work environment, I think you'll likely enjoy this book.

I don't like office settings at all and this one was a 5 star read to me! Let me give you the top 5 reasons why I I liked this romance--in no particular order.

1. Annika Martin brings plenty of heat while leaving the physical bodies of the MC vague. The main characters see each other as beautiful and we get general appearance comments but we don't hear details about their personal appearances ie- her flat stomach, his washboard abs, etc. This was nice, I could imagine Vicky and Henry as 'normal' humans.

2. Vicky doesn't have a 'sassy' best friend. 

3. Henry doesn't have a scheming ex. 

4. There is a cute dog but he doesn't take over the story. 

5. There is a small breakup and a big break up.

There is a also interesting craft talk and not really any fashion talk which works for me. Close to the end there is an ancedote which turns into book two in this series, it was fun for me as the reader to see that short few sentences and know that it was going to come around and be a whole story.  Maybe I'll continue the series!

5 stars for this well written, all the right tropes for me contemporary romance! 

This Thriller's Main Character has the coolest job!

 I follow this writer on Twitter and for far too long  I have been following her without having read a thing she had written.  Fortunately, I finally made a point to read one of her books, I got the audiobook for These Toxic Things and overall this is a nice thriller that really lends itself to a listening experience, enough action to keep you distracted while you are working out or cleaning or working. 

My favorite part of the book was Mickie's job, she makes interactive digital scrapbooks, she is like a 3/D documentarian. She has work troubles and then she finds herself pulled into a suspicious death investigation involving her client. She really inserts herself into the drama as only a noisy mystery MC can do. 

I had trouble when listening to realizing when the POV switched from the Mickie to the killer. If I was reading the book it would not have been an issue, this was more due to the audio reader not differentiating their voice btwn Mickie and the Killer enough for my ears. You many not have this issue-- and probably definitely won't now that you know their is more than one POV you will hear. 

Overall rating for me was 4 stars, this reminded me of a Harlan Coben book. Fast paced with a few subplots, and all is resolved in the end. 

Bridgerton, Eloise suprises me!

 I was in no hurry to read Eloise's book. She is fairly annoying on the TV show and I didn't know what all her story could offer.  However, I was very pleasantly surprised by

this book.  Although I'm tired of romances featuring virgins, I found this book to be very enjoyable, I liked that Eloise and Phillip begin conversing via letters and that she shows up at his door basically unannounced. And then they have loads of time together alone-- scandalous!  And then just when they are getting to really know each other her family shows up.  So it's nice to have-- much like Benedict's book nearly the first half of the story without the larger Bridgerton family on the scene and then they swoop in and help the couple find their way.

I believe I liked this story because 1. Eloise is older than what we have seen on the show so far, so she is less annoying on the show because she is more mature, and 2. I like that Sir Phillip is a widow with a child--so he had depth. 

I am interested to see how this book will be shown on the big screen as Eloise's story has verged from what we see in the book significantly at this point. 

4 stars for To Sir Phillip, With Love  (now if this book has been written as an epistolary that would have made it a 5 in my book!)  

Lord of Population, why isn't this a Netflix series already?

 

I heard about this book when I was listening to the podcast Fated Mates* (link here: FATED MATES) The book is a take on vampires, in this book they are aliens but they drink human blood so yep, vampires! This post-apocalyptic tale of a badass human trying to survive in the harshest of conditions was so hard to put down. I stayed up way too late reading because I had to know how in the world Abel and Kane would get to a HEA.  But they do. This book is action-packed.  I love when a character has to question their own belief system, so this book really worked for me. Plus I do enjoy vampire stories, I'm not so much into aliens, but this is a great mix of both. 

If you decide to read this book, or if you have read it already please let me know if you think it would make a great limited series or movie.  Do you know who could play Abel?  Zendaya! Ah yes, I can see it now. The question is who could play Kane? 

* Here is the description of what the Fated Mates podcast is about from their website: "Fated Mates is a romance novel podcast co-hosted by author Sarah MacLean and romance critic Jen Prokop. Weekly episodes include romance novel read-alongs and discussions of the work of the genre, highlighting the romance novel as a powerful tool in fighting patriarchy…with absolutely no kink shaming."

Busy, Busy, Busy and A #NetGalley review #Renovated to Death!

 I have been MIA for a while, but fear not, nothing bad has been happening and I haven't given up reading. I've read a bunch of books but I got really off track on blogging.

You see what happened was just after my last post on 5/13, I began canvassing for a local candidate for state representative. Canvassing is when you go knock on people's doors and if they answer you give information about the candidate you are canvassing for, and ask them if they will be supporting your candidate.

I did so much walking!!!! 15-20 thousand steps per day, and it was HOT and sometimes it rained.  But in the end, it was all worth it!  My candidate won his primary! It was hard work, and I was tired!  My knocking fist got sore, and one day I got a little sunburn, I think it was as hard as training for the marathon last year!  

Right after the primary was over, I traveled with the hubs to my mom's side of the family for a family reunion. It was wonderful to see family I have not seen in years!  Then we came back from that and boom! time for Youngest Child's college orientation!  Now, this weekend we are having a graduation party for Oldest Child's college graduation and Youngest Child's high school graduation!

I hope you are having a lovely July!

Here is my review of a new cozy mystery, which hopefully will be a long-lived series, Renovated To Death by Frank Anthony Polito.  When it comes to the first book in a new Cozy Mystery series it can be a little overwhelming for the reader who is meeting a whole cast of characters and looking for clues to solve a murder.  That being said I always cut the writers some slack when evaluating their first books. 

What makes Renovated to Death stand apart from most cozies is that this book is that our amateur is a gay man. In my experience, most cozies are from a straight female perspective. This book takes place in Michigan and the local gay community is integral to the story.  At first, I thought the characters were a bit on the stereotypical side, but then I realized this is a cozy with a healthy dose of humor. If you read this book, now you know going in to see the humor!

If you like home DIY and are a fan of HGTV, you'll really appreciate the home renovation talk in this book.  The main character PJ and his husband JP (ah, cute couple names!) are hosts of a home renovation show and there is lots of talk about home renovation projects and restoration. 

I found this to be a fun, fresh take on the genre and I look forward to future adventures with PJ and JP.

4 stars!