The Sunday Post -- Christmas In July is Coming!

 

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 

What do you think about Christmas in July? Do you partake via reading a holiday themed book or by turning on the Hallmark channel?  I am more of a start buying Halloween/Autumn stuff by July 25th, but I am not opposed to reading a Christmas book in the summer. At the moment I have a few books I'm in the midst of reading soI don't think I'm going to be fitting in a Christmas book. 

Before I share the books I'll be talking about this week. Here is a recipe I recently made that was delicious--this recipe is gluten free if you use tamari sauce. If you want to add protein you could add chicken, pork, seafood, or tofu. 

1. Soak 7 oz of rice noodles in cold water for 10 min. 2. You put 2 tbsp of Toasted Sesame Oil in a pan and add a chopped shallot, a couple of chopped scallions, 2 zucchini that have been sliced with a vegetable peeler, 2 carrots that have also been sliced with a vegetable peeler, add a couple of tbsp of soy or tarmari sauce,  pinch of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of water cook until water is gone and noodles are tender--about 10 minutes. I added Onion Onion seasoning. 

YUM!!!

And now to the books: 

This Book is a Top 10 for the Year Read

 

I picked up this book from my local library and I am so happy that I gave it a shot. It's not my normal genre, but is always good to branch out.  This story grabbed me and didn't let go. Joe Milan Jr. puts our main character through the wringer!  

In the most broad sense, this is a coming-of-age story.  A story where our main character thinks he knows who he is and his place in the world only to have his preconceived notions of himself turn out to be very, very wrong.  The book takes place in the Pacific Northwest and South Korea. Don't let the title throw you off, this isn't really a book about a football star.  I just finished a fantasy YA book that had similar themes, and for me what makes The All-American stand out is that this isn't a story where our MC has any unique skills or abilities. He is just an average Joe.   He gets beat down and loses the little he has and at times he has no one and only maybe five bucks to his name --and he doesn't even know how to properly pronounce his name!  

Five Stars, please give this book a read!

Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams

 

On June 1st, I went with a friend to see Stacey Abrams in conversation with Jake Tapper.  Not only is  Jake Tapper on CNN, but he actually has written a few fiction books...mystery fiction books. This event was all about two writers talking about the craft and their upcoming books. As part of the event, I got a copy of Rogue Justice that has a signed bookplate.  

Rogue Justice is the second book in Stacey Abrams' Avery Keene series. Avery Keene is a super smart Supreme Court clerk who finds herself in the crosshairs of some super bad people. Together with her smarts and her Scooby Doo band of eclectic friends she basically has to save the world from fascism.  Stacey Abrams writes intricate and interesting thrillers. Both books in this series are can't put down books so plan your time well before opening this book, and know as soon as this book ends you'll be ready for the next book.  If I recall correctly Stacey Abrams is working on that book now. Can't wait! 

5 stars!  

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

This is the follow-up book to Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House.  I didn't refresh myself prior to starting this book which I listened to versus read with my eyes. I enjoy the narrator for this series and I was able to pick back up in the world fairly easily.  I liked that this book tied up some storylines that I really needed to be tied up, but left off just as our heroes go to another realm.  I'll be reading book three the moment it is available. 

One of the reasons I really enjoy this series is how magic is centered at Yale University. It makes sense that if there were magic that it would flourish at universities, a place teaming with new adults having experiences for the first time and discovering what they want to become. 

If you like fantasy, or if you liked Leigh Bardugo's other series, definitely give this one a try, I think you'll be quite pleased. 

Now apropos of nothing, I saw this online recently and I beg to differ. I like my chili over spaghetti and topped with cheese and onions. I've never had it with cinnamon rolls. How about you? 

 

Where Does The Time Go?

 

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 

I swear the last few weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye and I really slacked off on posting here!  I have been reading, as always I'd like to read more, and since there are only so many hours in the day and I swear I spend at least three hours a day minimum on just laundry, dishes, and cooking--I'm working on getting back to listening to more books. Audiobooks are amazing and it helps me to keep up with what I want to read. 

I have decided this is our Midwestern Summer.  In May I traveled with friends to Wisconsin. In June Tom and I went to a wedding in Kohler, WI.  At the end of June we went  and stayed in Downtown, Chicago and during the 4th of July weekend we went on a day trip to Crown Point, IN.  In August we are going to Minnesota and then I think in September we are going to St. Louis.

The Midwest is awesome.  I highly recommend you make a plan to visit us here in the Midwest.  I am partial to Chicago since we live in the suburbs. Chicago has amazing food--so many restaurants. And loads of free activities. While w were downtown I went to a free concert in Millenium Park for example. 

Bookwise I have several books to blog about including:

Big Little Spells Thank You Net Galley

 

This book is the follow-up to the book Small Town, Big Magic. I believe that this book takes place right after book one.   Big Little Spells will be out on August 29th, so you have plenty of time to read that book and then pre-order this book.  

I liked aspects of this book and didn't connect with other aspects. If you like stories involving witches, this one takes place in Missouri, but it's a secret witchy town so no 'humans'. I felt a bit lost as I read, not knowing if more of the motivations and backstories would have been clearer if I had read book one.  The book is told from the POV of our main character Rebekah she was exiled from her community when she was a teen and this book references her teen years frequently but I didn't feel like I had a good understanding of what the deal was, even when the big incident of her teen years is revealed.  I could have benefited from a whole book with her and her sister and her friends from their senior year of HS. 

I liked that Rebekah had been in therapy and used those techniques to deal with issues that came up when she arrived back home. For the romance portion of the book, because this is a closed-door romance, I would have enjoyed a lot more build-up and pining. If you like witch books and don't really care for detailed romance I think this book will be a good fit for you--the romance is there and is a plot point but it's not too in your face--I apparently do like in-your-face romance! 

I read other reviews of this book and it seems that the consensus is if you like Hazel Beck's works or enjoyed the first book in the series, you are going to love this one! 

3 stars--thanks Net Galley for the ARC!  All opinions are mine! 

Those Empty Eyes- An Engaging Thriller

 

I've enjoyed every Charlie Donlea book I have read so I was excited to put this on hold at my local library and waited eagerly for my hold to come up.  This book is told mainly through the POV of a young woman who was accused of killing her own family and even after vindication in court, conspiracy theories abound and she has to take on a new identity.  This is just the tip of the iceberg of this story, so you are not being spoiled here. 

This book is a stand-alone story, BUT for fans of Charlie Donlea like me, about 80% into this story a side character from Charlie Donlea's book universe arrives on the scene.  The book has a resolution to all the questions the book asks, but also leaves room where I could see Charlie Donlea writing about the further adventures of our MC or one of the villains! Fun stuff! Great for vacation reading! 

5 stars!

****** 

My own personal writing update, I've started drafting my story!  I've written about 2000 words so far, just a really rough draft and who knows where it will all end--but I'm having fun getting to know these characters! 

The Sunday Post - School is Out For Summer

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 summer my friends!  My last day at school was on Monday!  My plan is more reading--the last few weeks I was busy and wasn't finding the time to read. I did go to a book talk with Stacey Abrams interviewed by Jake Tapper.  I enjoyed her first book in this political thriller series While Justice Sleeps and this one takes place just a few months later.  Stacey Abrams is very good at that sense of urgency that make a good thriller and her plots are possible, not likely but not impossible where it takes you out of the story. 

And speaking of thrillers I recently finished reading Those Empty Eyes by Charlie Donlea, whose books I always enjoy; I'll post a review of that book this week. 

I finished watching Queenmaker on Netflix, it is a Korean political thriller and it's quite good. If you liek a thriller, check it out!  What have you been up to? How is your summer going? 

 

Rehearsed to Death By Frank Anthony Polito

Here is the first paragraph of the description  of Rehearsed To Death:

"Hart to Hart via HGTV, this fabulous new quozy (queer cozy) mystery series by award-winning author and playwright Frank Anthony Polito’s features a gay couple who solve crimes while renovating houses in suburban Detroit as part of their hit reality show Domestic Partners. Now, their foray into community theater proves a major risk thanks to some deadly improvisation . . ."

When I was a wee lass, I LOVED Hart to Hart, the best detectives on TV!  So it's no wonder I enjoy this new series by Mr. Polito.  This is the second book in his series, and it's rare in two ways.  1. Instead of one amateur slueth we have an engaged couple--fun! I like having a couple instead of someone all on their own. 2. The couple in question is gay, there aren't very many cozy mysteries that have gay characters. 

In this book, the action and drama takes place on and off the stage as PJ's play Blue Tuesday is being produced and JP is the male lead.  I really enjoyed that in book one the focus was on their HDTV show and now in this book we have a focus on the play and the theater, a change of venue, really fun.

The story is told from PJ's point of view, almost as if we are reading his diary and I like this style.  If you read this book, keep in mind that this is going to be filled with humor alongside the more serious themes of murder and whatnot! 

4 Stars for Rehearsed To Death 

Thank you Net Galley for the electronic ARC, all opinions are my own!

Thank You Net Galley! A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert

 Because I enjoy Victoria Gilbert's Booklovers B & B Cozy Series, I requested her new mystery A Cryptic Clue from Net Galley. I'm not sure if this book is categorized as a Cozy, but it does have cozy elements, including an amateur sleuth, and no swearing. 

 I think it is more in Agatha Cristie's or Sherlock Holmes's style.  Cam Clewe is a thirty-something second-generation multi-millionaire (maybe even a billionaire?). He hires Jane Hunter, a former college librarian, to catalog his extensive collection of books, memorabilia, art, and more on his sprawling estate.   Cam is a handsome introvert with anxiety issues and perhaps OCD or ADHD.  Jane has a past that involved domestic violence.  Of course, not too much time passes before someone stumbles across a body, and Cam asks Jane to help him investigate who's the killer--since he is a prime suspect.

Victoria Gilbert gives us a large, but manageable, cast of suspects and some nice red herrings.  This first book solves the main mystery of who killed the person who died at Cam's estate, and in the end, Hunter and Clewe decide to work together to solve cold cases. I enjoyed the mystery and the pairing of 30-something Cam and 60-something Jane--something a little different in the main characters. If you enjoy mysteries, give this book a try, you'll enjoy it! 

My First Amazon First Read WOW-- So Good!

 

I usually forget to check out the free Amazon First Reads, but this month I remembered and I chose this book based on the cover. It looked interesting.  I read it in three sittings it was so good. This is the first book in what will hopefully be a nice series. As such it has several things going for it:

1. I was easily able to keep track of the characters.

2. A big bad problem was solved at the end of the book, so there's nice closure while plenty of other plates are in the air to make me want to read what happens next. 

3. Both POV characters are women. This seems like a rarity and I'd like to read more of it. 

The world-building is strong and the magic system is well thought out.  Some of what happens is really creepy and I would say this book has elements of Horror.  In total coincidence, part of the magic in this book involves people becoming stone statues, an element that is also in the KDrama Alchemy of Souls that I just finished watching.  

What do you think? Have you read anything else by Beth Cato or are you looking for a new fantasy book to read? 

5 Stars

Hammered By Kevin Herne Book #Readalong

 

I borrowed the ebook of Hammered  from my library, and I didn't finish the ebook. The book has quite a bit of Norse mythology and I was struggling with trying to pronounce those names in my head and keep everything straight. I switched to the audio version and it was easier for me to follow, I think this was mostly because I have watched all the Thor-related Marvel movies and was familiar with how various characters' names sound in contrast to knowing the spellings. 

This is the third book in the series and it looks like things will be changing from here, we will be moving away from Tempe, Arizona. This book takes place in Asgard for the most part, which was interesting. Lots of action and we don't really know if Atticus has really messed up by going after Thor, or if things will work out.  We do find out exactly what Jesus would do in Atticus's shoes, which is a fun scene in the book. 

The best part of this book for me is when Atticus is spending time camping out with his brothers-in-arms and we learn the back stories behind why this group of desperate supernatural beings want to kill Thor. 

This book is very male-centric and I would really like more Granuaile in these books, but I think maybe that isn't to be? 

I read this book for Anne's Read-Along you can check it out here and consider joining us! 

The Iron Druid Chronicles

3.5 stars

The Sunday Post - Good Reads and No More Boot

 

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 

After a total of seven weeks, I was finally able to go for a little run yesterday. I am going to be careful moving forward and run for fewer days so that I don't wind up with a stress injury again. This week is Patrick's birthday, it is very hard to believe he is already 23. Seems like a few minutes ago he was ten. We are going to a Star Wars Trivia night on his birthday and then as a family once Anna is home next weekend we are going to one of those watch "a movie and eat dinner" places to see Guardians of the Galaxy Three.  So a fun week!  By Friday, we will only have 17 more days of school left. 

The school kids all have spring fever so they are pretty rambunctious during lunch, but that's understandable we are all excited to enjoy the lazy, hazy days of summer! 

How was your week?  Below are the books I'll be blogging about this week- 

Reading this for the Readalong

Got this as an Amazon First Read

This one was from Net Galley

Possibility of Life, Are We Alone Out Here Or?

If you read or watch and enjoy Sci-Fi in any form, I recommend reading or listening to this book. Jaime Green approaches the big questions of our existence and whether or not we are alone as a scientist who loves to read. The book is filled with what we know from science and how that informs our stories of the possibility of life. If you find non-fiction to be 'dry' give this book a try and I think you'll find it fascinating. I am giving it 5 stars because it will stick with me for quite some time and because she talks about some books that I will now seek out and read. 

Here is what it says on Goodreads about this book:

In The Possibility of Life, acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green traces the history of our understanding, from the days of Galileo and Copernicus up through to our contemporary quest for exoplanets in the "Goldilocks zone," where life akin to ours on Earth might exist. Along the way, she interweaves insights from a long-standing tradition of science fiction writers who use the power of imagination to extrapolate and construct worlds that in turn inspire scientists.

Weaving in expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy research, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture touchstones ranging from A Wrinkle in Time to Star Trek to Avatar, The Possibility of Life explores our evolving conception of the cosmos to ask an even deeper question: What does it mean to be human?

 

I Need 8 Days in a Week to Read All These Books-

I don't have a review today because I spent most of my free time the past few days watching Alchemy of Souls on Netflix. It is a very good show- I recommend it if you like fantasy with romantic elements. I am almost done listening to: 

In The Possibility of Life,  Jaime Green ties in discussion of how the universe works through a lens of science fiction, so she talks about Star Trek,  as well as Darwin and books such as The Golden Compass.  I will talk about that more later. 

Additionally, I picked up Charlie Donlea's latest release which was  on hold at my library:

And then I have two romances on Net Galley:

And then a friend recommended Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score and that looks amazing so I had to download it to read.

I am very tempted to read more and sleep less. I love that my current 'problem' is so many good books I get to read! Living the dream!  I am also working on the prep work to do my own writing. I have been reading and doing the homework assignments in the book Romance the Brand by Zoe York. This book is a guidebook on how to create not just one romance book but build a series of books that people will want to read. That is what I love about romance books, most of the time if you like a book, you get to read more happily-ever-afters in the same universe, and all the side characters get their day in the sun. Currently, I'm making a map of my imaginary town.  It will have a train station because I love a town with a train station. But enough talking, I've go to get back to reading!

 

Another Fun Paranormal Romance from Audible Originals

 I downloaded this book to listen to last week because it was written by Molly Harper and narrated by Amanda Ronconi and Teddy Hamilton. 

I loved Molly Harper's Mystic Bayou Series, so I was confident in giving this a listen. This story is about a woman who has lost her mother and moved to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at the behest of an aunt she has never met. Things happen and it turns out that Riley has some major family history. She can see the dead, she has always been able to see the dead but now she finally learns she has been seeing ghosts and why.  

Riley soon has a coven, a crush, and some major mysteries to solve.  The cast is likeable, the narration is great, the romance is just starting and I was delighted with how much was resolved at the end of the book and we have a nice juicy ongoing mystery to move into book two. 

If you like romance with a little magic, give this series a listen! 

4 stars

Wolfsong By T.J. Klune

 T. J. Klune's writing is spellbinding. I borrowed Wolfsong from the library because the book he has that just came out on 4/25 was not yet available for me to put on hold.  Not only re TJ Klune's books great reads, they have great covers. Look at this vibrant cover, I can't wait to read it! Oh, It looks like it could very well be a retelling of Pinnochio! 

Not only does T. J. Klune have the incredible ability to create universes filled with beautiful characters, and so many variations on love.  The world-building is just fantastic. I've read werewolf stories before, and this one is unique and stands apart.  I could post sentences from the book that struck me and we'd be here all day, so instead of that I highly suggest adding this book to your TBR if you enjoy fantasy books. 

Wolfsong is a long sweeping story about Ox, a human who grows up not fitting in, who has a crummy father and is scraping by as he goes through High School. And then the Bennetts move into the house down the road, then things change, and Ox changes. This is a story of growing up, finding your people and your place in the world, and what a person will do to keep the people they love together. It's told in first-person which I really enjoyed. 

This book has such a different cover than The Lives of Puppets.  So interesting. The basic black and white with the title in Orange (the color that the werewolves eyes change). 

Have you read any T.J. Klune? What did you think?

Moist, Actually A Short Sexy Comedy

This delightfully funny,  romantic novella started from a photo of Chris Pine that author Ash Dylan tweeted about.  Above is a snippet from the book. If you read romance, do yourself a favor and 1-click order this ebook, you'll laugh so hard and also appreciate how Ash Dylan also gives you all the feels over the course of a night with Elena and Rhys. 

The idea for this book all started on Twitter where author Ash Dylan commented on a photo of Chris Pine:

this looks like the cover for a romance about a literary fiction author who agrees to read his neighbor's novel, and he returns it with a note that says she uses the word moist too much and if she doesn't fix it he'll have to spank her, and her next edit has twice as many moists

You can click here to see the photo and the original tweet: Chris Pine Inspiration for Moist, Actually 

There are so many funny moments and swoony scenes, if you like romance and you could use a good chuckle or twelve, read this book! 

 

 

Cozy Mystery Book Club April Live Stream- Tomorrow at 7PM EST!

 

Join me in the comments tomorrow at 7PM EST with lots of other readers of Cozy Mysteries! 

This month's selection is A Brush With Murder by Bailee Abbott.  I had an ARC of this book from Net Galley back in 2021 and reviewed it here on my blog.  Here is a link to that review: 

A Brush With Murder

Each month people who comment in the live stream are entered to win books, so it's not only fun to comment, you can win a new book in the process!

Now on to a little food talk. I enjoy cooking, and a really enjoy eating good food, so about once a month I treat myself to a box from Blue Apron. This month one of the meals I picked was Oven-Baked Korean-Style Eggs & Rice. It was a meal that all you do is put together the ingredients and bake.  It was delicious and easy enough for me to make it myself in the future.  It's a good anytime of day meal. What do you think? Does it look good to you?

The Sunday Post Last Full Week of April is Upon Us!

 

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 

HI! How are you?  I hope you had a nice week. I had an MRI of my foot which I hurt last month and found out that I need to wear a boot for another two weeks. The toe that has a stress fracture is not the toe the X-ray thought had a stress fracture. As you know I like to run, so being unable to run for over a month now, stinks!  I do tell myself, better to get this resolved so I can run again soon-ish than to wind up needing some kind of surgery. Sigh, still stinks though. 

The weather here this week is pretty blah, with highs in the 50s (10s in Celcius) and lows from 32 to about 38 (0 to 4 in Celcius) Below are books I'm working on for this week, and my poor foot.

I was thinking I'd have finished Wolfsong by now, but other stories got in the way, so I am working on finishing Wolfsong, which is very good, today. 

I have also downloaded the audio version of Flux by Jinwoo Chong, I am still determining where it will fall in my reading.  I attended a Zoom craft talk that Jinwoo Chong did and that was my inspiration to get Flux ASAP. 

Here is the back of the book blurb: 

A blazingly original and stylish debut novel about a young man whose reality unravels when he suspects his employers have inadvertently discovered time travel and are covering up a string of violent crimes.

Caged by Bella Matthews - Romance Sub Genres

 

I read this book for a book club.  This is the first book in the Defiant Kings series, but it's also the fourth book in Kingston Family books. Basically, I believe the way it works is Bella Matthews has three trilogies that are involving the siblings that make up the center family of the series. So this is and isn't the first book. If you read romance with any frequency you'll quickly understand that some of the brothers and sisters of Hudson (the male lead of this book) are living their best HEA lives so they must be the subjects of previous books. 

The family in this series are sporty billionaires.  Caged features Hudson who is an MMA fighter and Madison who is a very successful social media manager and yoga instructor.  There are also brothers who play pro football and hockey. If you are a fan of sports romance, this may be a big hit for you. If you prefer romance books where everyone is very well off, successful in their careers, and has great abs, this story checks those boxes. 

This story takes place in the 2020s and has all the trappings of the here and now but the story harkens back to the days of old.  (like 70s romance) Maddie is a virgin who doesn't like people to touch her and Hudson is a guy with a reputation.  But when Maddie is attacked Hudson stops the attack and then Maddie plays his nursemaid for a few days. Old school, friends to lovers. 

Here are a couple of lines from the book this is Maddie's brother talking to Hudson.  He-man- macho stuff, 

I think one of these characters had their book already 

A Fun Romance with a Clever Premise that Also Deals With Grief

 

I am here to recommend this audiobook, it's included with an audible membership and I loved the book's premise. In this story, Alice, a school teacher, has co-written and self-published a thriller that sold 73 copies.  One day a man comes to see her and he demands to know where she got the information disclosed in the story.  He looks and behaves just like her fictional secret agent main character!  

We quickly learn that Alice's book needs to be moved from the fiction section to the non-fiction section--and Alice has to figure out who to trust as she is taken on a wild adventure.  I wonder if Brynn Kelly wrote this in response to a "What if you met your book boyfriend?" prompt.  

The story is engaging, packed with action and romance, and a nice amount of humor--amusing references to writing. Important content warning: It has some heavy scenes that deal with the death of loved ones from cancer, and it is a fairly larger part of the book so take that into consideration.

4 stars.  Definitely worth a listen! 

An update on my lettuce container. At this time I don't know what are lettuce seeds beginning to sprout and what are weeds!  TBD!