The Body in the Casket by Katherine Hall Page (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"For most of her adult life, resourceful caterer Faith Fairchild has called the sleepy Massachusetts village of Aleford home. While the native New Yorker has come to know the region well, she isn’t familiar with Havencrest, a privileged enclave, until the owner of Rowan House, a secluded sprawling Arts & Crafts mansion, calls her about catering a weekend house party.

Producer/director of a string of hit musicals, Max Dane—a Broadway legend—is throwing a lavish party to celebrate his seventieth birthday. At the house as they discuss the event, Faith’s client makes a startling confession. “I didn’t hire you for your cooking skills, fine as they may be; but for your sleuthing ability. You see, one of the guests wants to kill me.”

Faith’s only clue is an ominous birthday gift the man received the week before—an empty casket sent anonymously containing a 20-year-old Playbill from Max’s last, and only failed, production—Heaven Or Hell. Consequently, Max has drawn his guest list for the party from the cast and crew. As the guests begin to arrive one by one, and an ice storm brews overhead, Faith must keep one eye on the menu and the other on her host to prevent his birthday bash from becoming his final curtain.

Full of delectable recipes, brooding atmosphere, and Faith’s signature biting wit, The Body in The Casket is a delightful thriller that echoes the beloved mysteries of Agatha Christie and classic films such as Murder by Death and Deathtrap."

My Thoughts:

This series is a favorite of mine even though I'm reading the books completely out of order at this point.  It's funny because I started with the first book like most readers would do and then jumped ahead to the 23rd book in the series.  Here I am now having finished the 24th book and even though I've read them out of order, this series has still become a personal favorite of mine.  What I love about these books is just the normal, every day feel to them (besides the fact that there is usually a murder or mystery involved).  I get so caught up with these characters and their lives - I find it just so fun to read about!  This book was different than the other two books that I've read in this series because a murder hasn't actually happened.  Instead Faith is asked to investigate and basically help prevent a murder from happening.  This book was really fun to read!  It had the feel of the game Clue - was it going to be Ms. Scarlett in the study with the candlestick?  I loved playing this game when I was younger so I was delighted that this book had that same kind of feel at times.  I do feel at times that I'm missing out a bit from not having read the previous books in this series.  The author throws out references here and there from those earlier books and it makes me want to have read them all.  It doesn't affect my enjoyment of the book overall, I just know that I'm missing things that I wouldn't if I had read those books as well.  It sure gives me a reason to work on catching up on this series in 2018!  

Overall, I found this book to be another enjoyable addition to this mystery series!  I really enjoyed the set up for this book and thought that it added a different level of tension compared to other more typical mysteries that I have read.  I will say that there were a lot of other different storylines with this book that at first I had a hard time following along with.  Halfway through though, I was fully invested in each and eager to see how everything was going to turn out.  I would be remiss if I also didn't mention how much I enjoy the references to Faith's cooking in these books.  Mysteries that include food seem to be a favorite of mine that I can't get enough of!  I wish that I was half as good of a cook as Faith is!  I can easily recommend both this series and this book though!  I don't plan on waiting too long before I move on to book two in this series!

Bottom Line:  A solid mystery that added to my love of this series!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss. 

The Sunday Post #39 (Reading in the New Year)

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

Good morning!  It's that first Sunday post of the year which is always fun to write (when I'm still working hard on holding myself accountable).  I feel like it was a pretty solid week for me.  I went back to work after ten glorious days off.  It was hard to go back but the shortened week and no overtime needed made it much easier.  This week though I jump back in full force with business required overtime and a full week.  It's going to be busy to say the least!  I ran twice last week which I was pretty happy about.  I have a personal goal to lose weight and get healthier in 2018 which I really need to make happen.  Although I was hoping to run at least three times per week, I did get off the couch and actually run so I'm counting it as a win.  I'm planning on a run sometime this afternoon which will get this week started off right as well!

I also had a solid start to my reading in 2018.  I finished two books this week - go me!  My Goodread's goal for 2018 is to finish 75 books.  I really struggled with my reading numbers last year so I'm hoping to do so much better in the new year.  I'm participating in a month long read-a-thon and on top of that tomorrow begins the Bout of Books read-a-thon.  I feel like these will really motivate me to read more and stay off my phone less!  2018 is going to be an amazing year of reading!  The books that I finished reading last week were:

Swerve by Vicki Pettersson was my first read of 2018.  It was a review copy off of my shelves that has been sitting there for a ridiculous length of time.  This book was intense!  Like, this book is going to give me nightmares and I'm setting it down for now intense.  It was a dark and haunting read - and I'm really glad that I finally took the time to read it!  It doesn't look like this author has written any other thrillers since then which is a shame but I will be checking her other books out!  Review to come soon.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs was the absolute perfect choice to pick after finishing such a dark and twisted thriller!  I adore the Mercy Thompson series so much and this book was another great addition to that series.  It was also pulled off of my own shelves so bonus!  I gobbled this one up and cannot wait to continue on with the next book sometime soon!  I will be sharing my thoughts on this one soon as well.

I'm now currently reading the following:

A Map of the Dark by Karen Ellis is my first 2018 read on my kindle and a review copy.  I'm only about 10% into this one so far but I'm already hooked.  I'm hoping to spend sometime this afternoon curled up with this book.  I don't have a print read going yet as I can't seem to decide on which one to choose.  I also need to figure out my first nonfiction read for the new year.  So many choices though....it makes it so hard to settle on one!

New additions:

Both of these are thanks to NetGalley.  I'm really, really trying my hardest to not request so many books from there but we will see how long that lasts.  I obviously couldn't resist these two though - LOL!

Plans for today include laundry first and foremost.  My youngest has two basketball games this afternoon so we will be leaving my warm house for those (always fun to watch!).  I need to fit a run in for sure.  Other than all of that, I just hope to relax and work on writing up some reviews.  I already have the above two books that need reviews plus some remaining reviews from 2017 reads.  I'm going to be a busy girl!  In between all of that, I will be curling up with my book as much as possible!  I'm off to get my day started.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

Reading Plans 2018 (Bout of Books, 2018 Reading, and Winter's Respite)

The next Bout of Books read-a-thon is coming up and I'm super excited to join in on the fun.  I think that I've participated in this read-a-thon the last three years in a row at least.  It is always a good way to get my reading started off right in the new year!  If you haven't yet had the chance to participate in Bout of Books before now, here are the rules:

 "The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 8th and runs through Sunday, January 14th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 21 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team"

I would love to finish at least two books for this challenge.  Since I'm writing this post a bit earlier than usual, I'm not really for sure what I plan on reading yet.  These two are definite possibilities though as I'm hoping to read both of them this month:

It will all depend on what I actually finish reading this first week of the new year - I'll post updates on Litsy and Twitter of what books I actually end up reading during this read-a-thon.  I'm really looking forward to it though and cannot wait to begin!

I've previously talked about my TBR challenge that I'm doing in 2018 which is a personal challenge.  I'm also planning on a 2018 releases challenge (which will also be personal).  The plan is I have a list of 30 books being published in 2018 that I want to read.  For every book that I read off of this list, I'll add a new release in it's place.  Participating in both of these personal challenges will help to give my 2018 reading a variety of backlist reads along with new releases.  The best of both worlds if I do say so myself!  I will also be creating a page to list out all of my 2018 releases that I'm wanting to read if you are interested.

The final change to my 2018 reading that I'm hoping to put into place is really stretching my reading limits.  I read a TON of mysteries and thrillers last year.  I would say that the majority of the books that I read were books that were part of a series.  I'm fine with both of those things alone but I also really want to stretch myself as a reader.  I want to expand my reading horizons and that means trying new things.  It means reading more nonfiction (in 2017 I finished 3 nonfiction reads which is a pretty low number; but also a really great number for me considering there were many years where I didn't read any nonfiction books).  It also means participating in read-alongs, focusing on reading books featuring diverse characters or written by diverse authors, and just picking up books that I normally might not.  Reading different genres is also something that I want to do more of!  In the spirit of all of this, I have signed up for a read-along of the following book on Litsy:

I know absolutely nothing about this book other than it was one of the choices for the Book of the Month club.  I went ahead and put it on hold at the library anyways because this is the year where I'm going to try something different.  And for me, this is definitely outside of what I would normally read.  I'll keep you updated with the different books that I read but I'm hoping to become a much more well-rounded reader in 2018!

Finally, I'm also signing up to participate in the Winter's Respite read-a-thon which goes through the entire month of January.  There are no rules to participating besides read, read, read.  I'm planning on using this read-a-thon to help me get some quality reading done in January while also making progress on the #COYER Winter Switch challenge that I'm participating in.  I'm really hoping that month long read-a-thon will start my 2018 reading year off on the right foot with tons of great books!

Enough rambling, I'm off to get some quality reading done but let me know what your reading plans/goals are for 2018!

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Cass is having a hard time since the night she saw the car in the woods, on the winding rural road, in the middle of a downpour, with the woman sitting inside—the woman who was killed. She’s been trying to put the crime out of her mind; what could she have done, really? It’s a dangerous road to be on in the middle of a storm. Her husband would be furious if he knew she’d broken her promise not to take that shortcut home. And she probably would only have been hurt herself if she’d stopped.

But since then, she’s been forgetting every little thing: where she left the car, if she took her pills, the alarm code, why she ordered a pram when she doesn’t have a baby.

The only thing she can’t forget is that woman, the woman she might have saved, and the terrible nagging guilt.

Or the silent calls she’s receiving, or the feeling that someone’s watching her…"

My Thoughts:

What a way to end my reading year in 2017!  I was literally sitting in bed last night thinking about what I wanted to say about this book in my review (yes, I'm crazy like that!).  It was such a wild reading experience and way more intense than I expected.  The book starts with Cass seeing a woman in a car on the side of the road.  The next day she wakes up to find that the woman has been brutally murdered.  Cass doesn't share with anyone that she saw the woman before she was killed which means that she is keeping this huge secret.  Add to that the fact that she also seems to be having memory issues - forgetting things more often then is normal and doing things that she doesn't remember having done later on.  She begins to think that the murderer is possibly after her which sets her even more on edge.  And from there everything really seems to spiral out of her control.  I was of two minds reading this book which is why it is almost so hard to share my thoughts on it.  For a good portion of the book, I was just so completely frustrated by Cass and her lack of control with everything.  I kept putting the book down and then picking it up five minutes later because I also didn't want to stop reading.  It was like a constant tug of war to see what was going to happen next along with the desire to kick the main character so she would do something already.  LOL!  The only book that I can possibly compare my reading experience to was The Girl on the Train but I liked this one more than I did the other.  I did have that same feeling though of just wanting to shake the main character in order to get her to wake up already!

I'm going to get slightly spoiler-ey here so just a word of warning if you haven't yet had the chance to read this book - you might want to stop reading.  Obviously this book made me feel all of the emotions which led to quite the reading experience!  What really made me love this book though was the last quarter of it when Cass started to really stand on her own two feet.  This had me cheering inside because this was really what I had been waiting for.  It's funny because I feel like I guessed early on a part of what was possibly going on, but I was still so invested in seeing how this book was going to play out.  It was a page turner and a reading experience that I won't be forgetting about any time soon!  I peeked to see other reader's reactions and it looks like people either loved it or hated it.  I can see both opinions because really my emotions were all over the place when reading this one.  Ultimately this book will end up being a four star read for me for those reasons alone.  Any book that can make me react and feel like this deserves those four stars!

Overall this book was a way more intense reading experience than I expected.  It was absolutely a great way to end my reading year because this isn't a book that I will be forgetting about any time soon.  I am so completely excited to read more by this author!  She has a new book coming this year that I'm going to have to get my hands on plus I haven't yet read her first book.  Eek!  I love when I find new authors with books to look forward to!  I can definitely recommend this one - be warned that you aren't going to want to put it down though!  I'm still feeling the after effects from finishing this one!

Bottom Line:  An absolutely thrilling read!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

Top Ten Reads of 2017

2017 seems to have flown by and here we are again with the best of lists coming out all over the place.  I absolutely adore seeing what books other bloggers loved in 2017.  My holds list at the library is a bit ridiculous thanks to all of these posts but I just can't seem to resist putting just one more book on hold.  It wasn't my best year of reading but quality wise it was a very strong year.  I ended up finishing 59 books in 2017.  This wasn't my lowest year numbers wise but it was pretty darn close to it.  I'm already looking towards ways of changing this in 2018 but that is for a different post.  I read a ton of really great books this year (actually the majority of the books I read were four star reads) so that makes me very happy.  My top reads for 2017 were the following:

The Doll's House by M.J. Arlidge is book three in this amazing series and also makes this the 3rd year in a row that this series has hit my top 10 reads list.  I am such a huge fan of this series and each book has been a five star read for me.  That should tell you all that you need to know - this is a must read series for me to catch up on in the new year!

Two Can Play by Kate Kessler is the second book in what is fast becoming another favorite mystery series of mine.  The cover quote says "Deliciously twisted" and I can't agree more!  While I think the first book was slightly better than this one, I still found this to be a five star read.  Audrey's character is a favorite of mine and I can't wait to continue on with this series in 2018 as well!

A Twist of the Knife by Becky Masterman was yet another amazing read by this author.  This is also the 3rd year in a row that this series has hit my top 10 reads list - I'm a lucky girl to have found so many great series that I love so much!  I haven't yet seen anything for the next book in the series but I sure do have my fingers crossed that it happens in 2018!

Dark Saturday by Nicci French was a dark, thrilling read that I couldn't get enough of!  This is my first time reading anything in this series (of which I read this one completely out of order).  It was just so good and now I plan to go back to the beginning and read the rest of the books in this series.  I loved this one and can't wait to read more!

Cause of Death by Patricia Cornwell wasn't the only book in this series that I read and adored in 2017.  I would actually have put both books on this list but I'm cheating and just including this one (the other was From Potter's Field).  Both were fast paced and intense five star reads for me.  This is a series that I can't read fast enough but am also trying to savor.  Highly recommended!

Asylum by Jeannette De Beauvoir was a mystery series were the dual storylines ended up blowing me away - especially after realizing that the author based this book off of true events.  It was a book that left me thinking about it long after I finished.  There looks to only be two books in this series so far but I won't be waiting long to read that 2nd book in 2018!

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant was everything that I had hoped it would be and even more.  I've loved Grant's Newflesh trilogy previously and after loving this book just as much....well, I basically feel like I will love everything that she writes!  I cannot say enough good things about this book or this author.  You'll just have to try her for yourself!

Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary was the beginning to a new to me mystery series that I just adored!  I am so thrilled that I have more books to look forward to after loving this book so much!  It was unexpected in the way that the author handled the mystery but I loved this book all the more because of it.  I will be continuing on with this series in 2018!

Final Girls by Riley Sager was everything that I enjoy in a good thriller - it was dark, intense, and one of those books that I just couldn't put down!  It had a horror movie vibe to it that I just couldn't get enough of.  I am so excited about this author and will be there for anything that he writes!  This was just that good and deserving of all of the attention that it got!

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter wins the award for the darkest and most thrilling book that I read this year (which says something after you've seen some of the other books that I've read in 2017).  This book was just so completely intense and full of twists and turns.  Slaughter's books are all now on my must read list after reading and loving two of her books this year.

There are so many amazing books on this list!  I plan on reading books by ALL of these authors in 2018!  There were so many other books that I read in 2017 that I really could have included on this list as well.  The following are honorable mentions (*by authors not included above):

• All The Secret Places by Anna Carlisle 
• The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal
• A Season to Lie by Emily Littlejohn
• The Breakdown by B.A. Shapiro

I better stop there or I will end up listing the majority of the books that I read and enjoyed in 2017.  I am hoping for a better year quantity wise in 2018 but I would love to have just as great of a year quality wise.  I plan on stretching myself in 2018 with my reading so here is to a wonderful year in books in 2018!  May you and your family have an amazing and wonderful year in 2018!

Happy Reading!

The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Ellery Hathaway knows a thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training. She's an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. The only victim who lived.

When three people disappear from her town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a killer’s closet all those years ago.

Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he's washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them...with a killer who can't let go."

My Thoughts:
  
The Vanishing Season was a thrilling read that left me really excited to read more by this author.  It was also a much darker mystery than I expected which I enjoyed.  I don't know why that I thought it was going to be closer to a cozy mystery but that definitely wasn't the case!  Instead, this book was filled with suspense and had me reading late into the night.  In this book, Ellery is investigating the disappearances of three different individuals who she believes are now dead and possibly the victims of a serial killer.  She has no proof though and no one will listen which is why she then turns to Reed Markham, the agent that saved her when she was younger from a serial killer.  That's enough right there to get things started, and to get me as the reader turning the pages.  I loved that I was instantly caught up within the pages of this mystery.  What happened to Ellery when she was a young girl was horrifying but she has basically hidden her past from everyone that is in her life now.  Those secrets though are about to brought into the open as someone else is about to go missing.  I felt like this added such a different layer of tension to the book because as the reader you are just waiting to see when her past will be revealed.  

I also really enjoyed the fact that because Ellery kept her past hidden from others that there is a layer of mistrust of her intentions present.  I'm trying not to say too much but you are led to wonder on if she is right that there is a serial killer at work or if there are other reasons behind her pushing for these investigations.  I won't say more than that though!  I really enjoyed both Ellery and Reed as main characters - I would love if this was just the beginning of a new mystery series focusing on them!  They are both so damaged but in different ways.  I just couldn't get enough of either of them.  The ending was intense and unexpected - I didn't figure out who the killer was until I was supposed to.  At that point I found myself unable to stop reading as I just needed to see how it would all end.  I was left wanting more from these characters, more from this story.....but all in a good way as I just wasn't ready to see the book end.  I can easily say that this is an author that I will be watching and reading more of!

Overall I really, really enjoyed my reading experience with this book!  It was dark, creepy, and thrilling - everything that I enjoy in a great mystery read!  I really couldn't get enough of it which should be apparent in my review.  Ha!  I would say that I flew through the pages but I read it on my e-reader so should I say I swiped through the pages as past as I could?  LOL!  Honestly it was a really great mystery and I'm so glad that I had the chance to read it.  I will be reading whatever this author writes next since I enjoyed this one so much!  I would recommend this one to fans of mysteries and thrillers alike.  Highly recommended!

Bottom Line:  A really great mystery that I couldn't put down!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

The Vanishing Season just released on December 5th if you want to check it out now!

  

Bloodstains With Bronte by Katherine Bolger Hyde (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"It’s a dark and stormy autumn on the Oregon coast. Windy Corner, the Victorian mansion Emily Cavanaugh inherited in Arsenic with Austen, is being remodeled into a writers' retreat. Two of the young workers, Jake and Roman, are showing too much of the wrong kind of interest in Katie, Emily's young single-mother housekeeper. Their boss, Jeremiah, is a disturbing presence in a different way with his obsessive, tormented piety. Soon the passions in the house grow as dark and stormy as the weather, and Emily begins to feel as if she’s living in a Brontë novel.

Meanwhile, to raise money for the local clinic, Emily and Katie host a murder mystery dinner on Halloween night. All goes well until the supposed corpse turns up actually dead—with Katie standing over him, a bloody knife in her hand.

Luke Richards, local sheriff and Emily’s true love, is forced to regard Katie as a suspect, but Emily refuses to accept the situation. Her loyalty to Katie crashes against her duty to Luke and to the truth as she fights to save Katie from a murder charge."

My Thoughts:

Bloodstains with Bronte was a fun follow-up and second book in this cozy mystery series.  Also, how great are these titles?  I was really looking forward to jumping back into this series as I enjoyed the first book so much.  In this book, Emily is working on converting her house into a writer's retreat. As I absolutely love her house and the descriptions of it, I couldn't get enough of this part of the story.  I find it so fun to imagine inheriting a big rambling house like this filled with secret passageways and other fun stuff.  It is just one of those things that makes these books such a pleasure to read!  Then she is talked into hosting a murder mystery dinner at her house and that is when the real trouble begins.  I've got to be honest and say that the premise is what made want to read this book (and ultimately got my reading this series) in the first place.  Such a fun idea!  This book had my attention from the very beginning thanks to all of this.  I just couldn't stop reading and really didn't want to.  That's really what I am loving about this series - how easily I fall into the books and the fact that I just can't seem to stop reading.  It makes for a really great reading experience.

All of those positives being said, I did not care for Emily's choices in this book and found her to be quite frustrating at times.  She basically punished Luke for doing his job and I just couldn't get behind that.  I did appreciate though that the story wasn't told just from her viewpoint or I don't think that I would have enjoyed this one as much.  Instead we also got to see Luke's point of view and even Katie's at times.  I adore her as a character so much so that was really a delightful surprise!  I really appreciated that we got to see more of her history in this book even if it wasn't always easy to read about.  I've been curious as to who her daughter's father was and now we know (although I won't spoil anything by saying who).  The mystery portion of this book was fun although I was able to pick out the killer myself.  I definitely didn't figure out the why's behind it all until the very end which helped to make this still a suspenseful read.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and thought that it was a solid follow-up to book one.  I'm really looking forward to continuing on with this series whenever the next book is released.  I have added this series to my must read cozy series list because I have enjoyed the books so much.  This book was a fun read and a great change of pace from some of the darker reads that I have finished lately.  And while I had a few complaints with it, I still really enjoyed my time with this book.  That should tell you everything that you need to know!  I don't think that you necessarily "have" to read this series in order but with only two books, why wouldn't you?  Recommended to fans of cozy mystery series and also those who enjoy classics.  The author does a great job of really including pieces here and there from books by the authors that she includes in her titles (and I've actually read Wuthering Heights so that's a win for me).

Bottom Line:  An enjoyable read!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

*This book is released on December 12th if you want to check it out!

Library Loot (December Edition)

I've been to two different libraries in two days - this is the result of those two visits.  I'm calling it my December library loot but let's be honest here:  there is a good chance I'll visit the library a couple of more times before the month ends.  I made out with some really great books though that I cannot wait to read!  If I'm being honest I didn't manage to read any of the library books from my last post before they had to go back unread.  Sigh!  I'm 100% sure that I'll check them back out at some point though so no worries.  Here are the books that I couldn't not bring home with me:

• The Vanishing Year by Kate Moretti - This book has been on my radar since it first released.  I couldn't put it down though once I saw a comparison to Rebecca on the back cover.  Yes please!  It sounds great and I basically want to read it right now.
• Bannerless by Carrie Vaughn - It has been way too long since I last read anything by Vaughn.  Add to that a dystopian setting and a mystery...I just cannot resist.  Plus this book has a gorgeous and unique cover - it is calling my name right now!
• The Dark Room by Minette Walters - I found this book while browsing the new book shelves.  I hadn't heard of it but it sounds creepy and thrilling - that's basically all I needed to know before I brought it home with me.
• The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood - I've got all three of this author's books on my TBR list.  I tried one of her other books and just didn't quite get into it (although I do plan on going back to it at some point).  I really like the sound of this one so I'm planning on reading it instead.
• Dark River Rising by Roger Johns - Yes another find courtesy of the new book shelves.  It has such a gorgeous cover and then I realized it was set in Louisiana and had to bring it home with me to check out.  This may be my next print read!
• Beloved Poison by E.S. Thomson - I was browsing and found the 2nd book in this series which was sent in an asylum (if I'm remembering correctly now).  That is basically catnip to me but then I realized it was part of a series and went searching for the first book which is this one.  It sounds really great so I'm eager to try it!
• Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter - This is the only book that I actually went to the library specifically for.  It will be my first read off of my TBR list challenge.  I've got really high hopes and a lot of readers that I trust have sung this book's praises so I'm pretty excited to read it!

That's a lot of great books all in one pile.  I've also got a few books on hold that I'm patiently (or not so patiently waiting for).  I'm planning on ending my reading year with some really great books and this pile will help that happen.  Has anyone read any of these?  Are they any that I should read before all of the rest?  And just out of curiosity: does anyone else go their library non-stop like I do?

Happy Reading!

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant (thoughts)

Summary from Goodreads:

"Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price."

My Thoughts:

Yes!  This book was just as good as I had hoped that it would be - actually I would say it was even better.  I'm going to start off by stating for the record that I love, love, love Grant's Newsflesh trilogy (of which I've read each book multiple times minus Feedback which I haven't read yet).  Because I love those three books so much, I've been very hesitant to pick up anything else by her.  Not because I don't expect to love everything that she writes.  At this point I actually do expect to love all of her books.  But more because I remember clearly the first time that I read Feed and how it managed to rip my heart out after I had come to care about the characters so much.  That might sound slightly like a spoiler so I won't say more than that.  I just knew that there was a good chance that anything else I read by her would either not live up to my very high expectations or would also rip my heart out.  I told myself though that I wasn't waiting to read this one and I'm so glad that I didn't.  It was absolutely fantastic!  Yet again I found myself completely immersed in this world that Grant has created.  This time though there was a creepy horror movie vibe to the book that I just couldn't get enough of.  Killer mermaids folks.....that should tell you everything that you need to know.  

One of the things that I really loved about this book was the characters.  Grant has a knack for creating characters that I really come to care about.  These characters were no different and I grew to care for them at my own peril.  As soon as you start reading this book, you basically know that things may not turn out well for everyone.  In fact, just from reading the summary you can see that they are heading straight into the danger zone in the attempt to determine what actually happened to the Atargatis so long ago.  Cue the creepy horror music from here on out.  The author starts dropping hints from the very beginning that things may not go as planned.  It adds this layer of tension to the story that made for quite the reading experience.  I won't say too much more but the comparisons to horror movies should tell you all you need to know.  And yet again I say, killer mermaids folks.  This book was everything I wanted to read and didn't even know it!  I basically couldn't stop reading this book.  I ended up finishing it late in the night because I just needed to know how it was all going to end.  I was thrilled when after finishing I realized that it looked like this is going to be part of a series.  I can't wait to read more!  Also, there is a prequel that I need to check out as soon as possible because I just can't get enough of this world that Grant has created!

Overall, I can tell you that this book will easily be on my best reads of 2017 list!  It was such a great reading experience and just writing up my thoughts has me so excited to read everything else that Grant has written.  I've always wished that they would have made a movie (or movies) based off of the Newsflesh trilogy.  I have to say that this book would make an amazing horror movie as well!  I will always sing Grant's praises because her books are just that good!  The worlds that she creates are just so unique and complex - I just can't say enough good things about her or her books.  This book was dark, tense, and so flipping good that I can't even talk coherently about it.  I'm going to need a copy of this one for my own shelves for sure!  Highly, highly recommended!  Readers of horror, science fiction, everyone really....check this one out!

Bottom Line:  One of the best books that I have read in 2017!  I don't need to say more than that!

Disclosure:  I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.       

The Sunday Post #38 (2018 Reading Plans)

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

Good morning everyone!  I'm actually writing this post ahead of time which means it won't get posted in the late afternoon like it usually does.  Success on my part - LOL!  As the title of this post probably already shows, I've been really thinking about my reading plans for 2018 already.  I've said this before but 2017 has not been my best year of reading.  In fact, I'm on track to read the fewest number of books this year since I began blogging back in 2008.  I'm sitting at 50 books read for the year - if I finish 4 more books I will tie with my reading year in 2012.  I know I shouldn't worry about the numbers so much but it is quite the difference when in the last two years I have finished eighty books both years.  My TBR keeps growing but my reading pace has slowed down and I'm not really sure why.

I'm not going to sit and moan about it though, instead I'm trying to figure out what I can do to make 2018's reading better.  Signing up for #COYER was a great way to begin but I'm not going to stop there.  One of my new plans to jump start my reading with really great reads is I have come up with a list of fifty books that I'm calling my TBR list (not very original - I know).  This is a mixture of fiction and nonfiction reads that have all been on my TBR list for some time- no new 2018 releases involved.  Every month (or more than once a month if I like) I'm going to use the random number generator to pick one of these books to read.  I'm going to knock some of these books off of my TBR list once and for all!  I have a tendency to "save" books to read that I think I'm going to really like but I don't want to read right away because then I won't have them to look forward to read.  This makes no sense but there you have it.  I put a bunch of books like this on my list to finally give myself the push to read them.  I made a tab on my blog if you are interested in seeing the fifty books that I chose (I might make a separate post but it is doubtful because that is a lot of books covers to share).  The plan is to keep my list at fifty constantly - for every book that I finish I will add a new one to the list.  And at the end of the year I'm going to look back at all of the books I finish for this personal challenge.  It should be fun! I've got other reading plans for 2018 but I'll post about them at a later date.  I've already got my first book picked out for this because I can't wait until the new year to begin.  I will be reading this gem very soon:

It has been a few weeks since my last reading update which means I have a lot to catch up with you on.  I've actually finished three books since my last post which is pretty awesome considering.  These are the books that I've recently read:

Into The Drowning Deep by Mira Grant was just as amazing as I had hoped that it would be.  I loved every minute of reading it so I'm absolutely thrilled that it looks like it is part of a series.  I need more killer mermaids in my life!  I'm going to post my thoughts on this one soon but expect a lot of gushing to be involved.

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie was delightful read.  I've actually already written up my thoughts on this one which I'm calling a success.  This book was such a great read!  It has me wanting to read more of her books soon, and I heard on another Read or Dead podcast episode that there is another movie coming in the future based off of one of her books.  I'm pumped!

Bloodstains with Bronte by Katherine Bolger Hyde was a fun follow-up to the first book in the series (Arsenic With Austen) that I recently read.  While I definitely liked the first book more, it was great to get back to this cast of characters and cozy series once again.  I will be working on writing up my thoughts on this one very soon as well.

I'm now currently reading the following two books:

 

Final Girls by Riley Sager is so completely intense!  I can't stop reading yet find myself unsure if I want to keep going.  I'm loving every minute of it!  I'm also reading Troublemaker by Leah Remini as my nonfiction read.  I'm a huge fan of her show exposing Scientology so I couldn't resist picking up the book.  I'm enjoying it although I have to say that most of my attention is currently focused on Final Girls at the moment.  These are both print books and I don't have an ebook on the go currently which is rare.  I'll be picking up one of my choices from my #COYER reading pool soon to start on my kindle.

Plans for the day are the usual.  My youngest has basketball pictures before his game so we have that in the afternoon.  My laundry piles are sky high so I'm going to be working on getting those down to a more manageable level.  Reading and blogging as much as possible.  And then football, family time, and The Walking Dead of course.  It sounds like the recipe for a great Sunday and perfect start to my week.  I'm off to work on said laundry piles but do share if you are also already thinking about your reading in 2018.  I would love to hear what your plans are!

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!