Natalie Jenner invites you to join The Jane Austen Society this summer

It has become a truth universally acknowledged that readers will flock to a Jane Austen themed book,hoping to love it as much as they do her original six pack of novels.

In the case of Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society, that hope will be happily fulfilled. This debut novel takes a fictional look into the origins of the group of townsfolk in Chawton,England, who decided to band together and do what they could to honor the memory of their most famous literary resident.

We start with Adam Berwick, a young farmer whose family dealt with terrible losses during WWII, leaving him and his mother to manage what's left of their farm.

 Adam always felt out of place, unlike his late father and brothers, and yet was never really interested in Jane Austen or her work. Like most of the folks in town, he tolerates giving out directions to the cottage where Austen lived as well as the Knight family estate nearby to visitors from afar.

One such visitor from America inspired Adam to take up the books for himself ,resulting in his devotion to Austen's books and becoming the first in 1945 to suggest forming a society that would turn the Austen family cottage into a museum. Considered by all to be a quiet sort, much like his favorite Austen hero Mr. Darcy, Adam surprises everyone with his heartfelt commitment to the project at hand:

The American who started Adam off on his love of Jane Austen returns to Chawton, with a fiance in tow. Actress Mimi Harrison has a lifelong devotion to Jane, thanks to her late father sharing those books with her.

Despite her success in Hollywood, Mimi is hoping to embrace a more relaxed life in England with plans to star in an adaptation of Sense & Sensibility(even though her favorite book is Emma).

Her film producer beau Jack is eager to indulge Mimi in her Austen love, to the point of buying her some of the jewelry that Jane herself wore in a Sotheby's auction. Once she hears of the society's plans, Mimi is excited to join in and help anyway she can.

Since she hopes to make Chawton her new home, Mimi is anxious to be part of things, particularly with her Hollywood career slowly yet surely coming to an end. Part of that demise is due to the unwanted attentions of a major studio boss, whose power and influence is sadly more prominent than her own:

Aiding Adam in his mission is Benjamin Gray, the local doctor who everyone trusts with their health and their secrets.

It is hardly a secret that Dr. Gray has strong feelings for former school teacher Adeline Grove. As a widower, he well understands the pain of her losses, from her husband dying in the war and the miscarriage of her child.

As a way of encouraging her to get back into the world, he asks Adeline to join the society and despite her own misgivings about getting too attached to the good doctor, she is more than up for the challenge.

 With the addition of a former student of hers, Evie Stone, a maid in the Knight household who has been writing up a catalogue of all of the books in the vast family library, Adeline finds herself feeling better connected to life. However, both she and Dr. Gray are unsure of their own true feelings about one another. The only thing that he is certain about is the need to protect Adeline from any and all harm ,whether it be physical or emotional:

A key player in all of this is Frances Knight, one of the last direct descendants of the Austen family. While she has lived in Chawton all of her life, Frances withdrew from society due to a romance that was thwarted by her father and in some ways, has become a stranger in her own home town.

While she would like to help with the society's goals, the will of her late father takes away any control Frances has over the property in question. Worse, she must give up most of her meager inheritance to the schemes of a potential male heir,however distantly related.

This situation personally affronts Andrew Forrester, the local attorney who does his best to prevent any conflict of interest between the Knight estate that he works for and the Jane Austen Society, of which he is a member. He and Frances once shared a deep passion that lead to disapproval and disappointment for them both:

While the aim of this group is to pay respect to the literary greatness of Jane Austen, it's also a way for them to thank the author for the meaning she has given to their personal lives as well. In that regard, their mission statement is complete.

Jenner may be a new novelist yet her prose is expertly woven, creating a elegantly tantalizing portrait of a small group of people brought together by more than one type of love and friendship.

While the story could be a little bit longer for my taste, it is my only regret and not much of one at that. The characters are incredibly alive on the page, feeling so real that you are almost beside them during one of their meetings or on a walk through Chawton, a town that I was most fortunate enough to visit many years ago, bringing back some lovely memories for me here.

For any and all Jane Austen fans, this book is a must read for the summer and my thanks to Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose who invited me to take part in this blog tour(the JAS banner in the upper column of this blog has a link to Natalie Jenner's website, which should lead you to more stops along this bookish online tour).

Also the audio edition is narrated by actor Richard Armitage, best known for the miniseries North and South, which should be an extra bonus for many period drama viewers indeed! However you engage with The Jane Austen Society, this tribute to the legacy of Austen and her readers is a beautiful grace note to life, love and literature:

Spending my summer in the shade of a good book

We're starting our first big holiday weekend of the summer and while some might be considering an outdoor adventure in the midst of what still is a major health crisis, I know that I'm not alone in planning on enjoying this occasion safely inside.

Part of my fun will be with books, which are a major player in my summer games, and while I have one readathon on deck next month(Sci-Fi Summer), the rest of the season is wide open, so to speak.

Granted, my TBR cup is overflowing at this point but this list of summer reads is short and savvy, I hope. Let me just showcase the top three titles on my pile of fun away from the sun reads:

NEXT YEAR IN HAVANA: Chanel Cleeton's acclaimed novel has two leading ladies, one from the past and the other dealing with the present.

The former is Elisa, who along with her sisters, was seen as a "sugar queen" in their elite social circles in Cuba of 1958. Sheltered from the harsh realities of everyday life and the revolution rumbling to life all around her, Elisa meets Pablo, a young man who opens her eyes as well as her heart.

Decades later, her American born granddaughter Marisol is visiting Cuba with a special item on hand, determined to honor the memory of the most influential woman in her life.

There, she also discovers her grandmother's past while meeting Luis, the grandson of a family friend that could help her ignite a passion similar to the one Elisa shared with Pablo back in the day. Will learning about Elisa's past help Marisol figure out her own future?

I've heard so many wonderful things about this book(and yes, I do like Reese Witherspoon's book club picks) and this sounds like a riveting read for any time of year:

THE GREAT ALONE: Author Kristen Hannah introduces you to Leni, who at age thirteen knows all too well about impulsive and self destructive behavior, due to the turmoil in her own household.

When her father Ernt decides to take their family off to Alaska in 1974 to claim land left to him by a deceased Army buddy from his time in Vietnam, Leni hopes that this will lead to a better life for all of them.

The rough conditions of their new home,along with the total lack of preparations made, takes an even harsher toll on Leni and her mother Cora. With Ernt being unable to handle such isolation, both mother and daughter find solace and support among their new neighbors.

Despite Ernt getting some work along the new pipeline that's being built, that time away from Cora and Leni does little to ease the tensions. While she struggles to find new friends and perhaps love, Leni has no choice at one point but to think of her own emotional survival.

At the moment, I'm reading an earlier book from this author, Firefly Lane(which is being adapted for Netflix,) and that novel is so engagingly good that it's beyond awesome to have another one of Hannah's books on hand. This is the first time that I have read her work and clearly, I've found a great author to catch up on here:

THE MASTERPIECE: Writer Fiona Davis centers most of her historical fiction in and around New York City, with this story truly being at the heart of many points of the famed metropolis.

Grand Central Station is the connection between two women from different moments in time. Clara Darden is both an artist and a teacher at the Grand Central School of Art in 1928, gaining some attention for her work but not all of the extra notice is seen as respectable.

In 1974,  Virginia Clay,a new employee at Grand Central's information booth, discovers a painting in the now abandoned art institute that appears to have been one of Clara's, who vanished long ago.

With an auction at Sotheby's that has a similar work up for sale, Virginia is determined to find Clara and let her know how valued her art has become. This search brings her some clarity to the troubles in her own life, battling illness and then dealing with a painful divorce, as well as helping to solve more than one mystery regarding Clara's life and times.

I so enjoy Davis' skillful blend of well developed female characters and finely crafted pieces of historical interest. She has a new book coming out this summer(The Lions of Fifth Avenue) and until I get to it, this intriguing novel should do nicely. I also love the cover art of her novels, although I know good and well that you can't judge a book by it's cover(in this case,however, you can!):

I hope everyone has a good Memorial Day weekend and finds plenty of fun even at home during these times. Good books help a lot, not to mention a little binge watching and/or re-watching  of tried and true favorites.

Speaking of favorites, I'm taking a bit of a breather from catching up with the classics and doing a reread of Jane Austen's classic six novels. I'm starting with Emma(yes, due to the new movie) and hoping to tackle Sense & Sensibility before Labor Day is upon us.

While I do know these books fairly well, there is value in revisiting them and it's been some time since Austen's original works were on my reading radar. At the very least, I hope to feel like a truly accomplished woman by the turn of that last page:

Setting up a reader's beach towel for Sci-Fi Summer!

With Memorial Day weekend just around the corner, the summer season is about to officially begin. Granted, the usual holiday plans that are made this time of year have no choice but to be quite different (and indoors) due to the prevalent health crisis at hand.

However, that doesn't rule out having some fun and that's where a good readathon comes forth to offer just that. Seasons of Reading is now signing folks up for their annual Sci-Fi Summer event, which starts on June 1 and lasts until the end of the month.

The theme is science fiction, with fantasy also included.While I'm more comfortable with the latter than the former, there is one major sci-fi author that I haven't tackled and fully intend to here, for a start on my own TBR for this event:

THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS: This modern classic from Ursula K. LeGuin is set on the planet Gethen, where Genly Ai, a human envoy of the galactic alliance of planets known as Ekumen ,is hoping to encourage them to join this society of worlds.

His mission is fraught with peril, partly due to his discomfort with the formal set of manners that are not defined by gender practiced among the various people that Ai encounters. In fact, the Gethenians are ambisexual, only taking on a specific gender for procreation related purposes.

Ai's journey takes into several ruling realms, finding the social norms and politics to be daunting yet he makes an unexpected friend along the way who not only helps him but changes his perspectives on life and love as well.

This is a major novel in LeGuin's canon of groundbreaking works of fiction and there's no time like the present for me to give such an amazing book a serious try. Perhaps it might lead me to her other works, perhaps not. Nonetheless, this is an adventure well worth the taking:

THE BONE DOLL'S TWIN: In this first in a trilogy written by Lynn Flewelling, we are introduced to Tobin, a young boy hiding in plain sight from those who would destroy him due to the wrath of a usurper king.

Tobin was born into a set of twins, yet due to his uncle King Erius eliminating any females newly entering the royal bloodline, his parents called upon a sorcerer to use dark magic to protect their infant daughter. That spell had dangerous consequences, leaving Tobin with a ghostly sibling and a secret identity to be kept even from him.

While their country is constantly under siege from without and within, Tobin's father and a few carefully chosen allies are awaiting the day when the truth can be revealed and a warrior queen can rise again to save their realm.

I received this book from a mystery box brought during the recent Virtual Con held by Penguin Random House online(it was a fun event!) and since this story line reminds me of one of my favorite Game of Thrones characters-plus, the book cover has a positive blurb from G.R.R. Martin-I am most intrigued indeed:

SILVIA MORENO-GARCIA DOUBLE FEATURE: Not only does this fantastic writer have a great new book coming out this summer(Mexican Gothic) , her impressive body of work has at least two titles that I need to catch up with here.

In The Beautiful Ones, Antonina "Nina" Beaulieu is making her debut into high society, trying to keep her telekinetic abilities at bay in order to find a good martial match.

Her cousin Valerie is meant to be her guide yet when Nina attracts the attentions of Hector, who proudly flaunts his psychic powers , lines are drawn between the two women. It doesn't help that Valerie and Hector were once in love yet she had to give him up for what her family considered a more suitable connection.

At first, Hector is only interested in using Nina as payback against Valerie but over time, his affections start to change. However, Nina is not simply a pawn for either side to play in this emotional game and her own set of magical skills turn this love triangle into a source of true power for herself. This so sounds like if Edith Wharton wrote The Night Circus and I am all in for that!

Gods of Jade and Shadow has it's leading lady, Casiopea, finding herself bound to a Mayan death god and assisting him in his quest to fully regain his divinity. After opening a secret box belonging to her grandfather, she accidentally awakens the imprisoned Hun-Kame and finds out about her family's role in trapping him for decades.

She's less than thrilled to be caught up in this vengeance driven journey, as the deity in question plans to take on his betraying brother, yet along the way, Casiopea learns a few things about life from her new acquaintance and so does he, each gaining a new respect for the other.

Can their quest be completed, however, without a true sacrifice that changes both of their families for good? I've been looking forward to reading this book for some time now and saving it for the summer feels just right. Moreno-Garcia's blend of reality and mythology is truly compelling with a spell binding beauty that engages awe and terror all at once:

There's plenty of time to sign up if you're interested(see link in the top portion of this post) and you can also follow the hashtag #SciFiJune on social media. My thanks as always to Michelle Miller for making these reading challenges easily available to all.

I do like the fact that science fiction and fantasy are both part of this, as fans of one over the other tend to draw battle lines around their preferred genre. In the end, we're all on the same side of the bookshelf here and getting together for some good bookish fun is what's most important, especially these days. A little mock trash talk is fine but agreeing to be reading buddies is even better:

Rounding up my April reading challenges

Last week, the Spring Into Horror readathon wrapped up and this time out, I must admit that I bit off more than I could chew, figuratively speaking.

While I did finish three of the books on my TBR, those Jessica Beck Donut Shop mysteries had to head back into the display case, along with Fiona Barton's The Suspect. However, after completing Egg Drop Dead by Vivien Chien, I'm taking my time with the third book in Diane Mott Davidson's Goldy Culinary series, The Cereal Murders.

To start, our catering heroine is working at the home of Elk Park Prep's headmaster Perkins , serving up a special meal for the current crop of graduating seniors and their parents. Since her own son Arch is attending Elk Park, getting the job wasn't too hard but dealing with the overly ambitious parents eager to get their kid into the best college along with the just as eager to get big donations headmaster most certainly is.

Goldy is fine with the job as along as she gets properly paid(something that rather well-to-do folk seem to be less interested in doing) but even with a smile on her face, her attitude about the cut throat competition of a school like this makes her stand out in a manner that's not the best for drumming up new business with this crowd:

What does rattle Goldy is the discovery of a dead body as she's packing up the dishes at the end of the event. The victim is Keith Andrews, who was chosen as class valedictorian and appears to be one of the least liked students among his peers.

Out of concern for her own son Arch(who is being harshly bullied in school-a dead rattlesnake in his locker!) as well as Julian, the potential culinary student that she's mentoring, Goldy finds herself on the case. Her police detective beau Tom Schulz is willing to get whatever insights she can get into the murder as the Elk Park Prep folk are being way too close mouthed for his official investigation to go anywhere.

I'm about two-thirds of the way in(math is not my strong suit!) but the story is pretty engaging and I do like the humorous moments with the private school parents,teachers and students. A really great scene has the headmaster's own son read aloud for a college prep class his "honest" essay about how he didn't do well at a college application trip, showcasing the intelligent ineptness that he has clearly majored in here:

My thanks as always to Michelle Miller at Seasons of Reading for such great readathons and I look forward to the next one in June, Sci-Fi Summer.

 With so much at home time these days, it feels as if you have nothing to do but read and yet that's not how it is at all. It's best to take things like a readathon as a guidepost rather than a mandatory test of page turning skills. Reading is fundamental and fun is a key element in that phrase! For my Sci-Fi Summer TBR, I'll keep it short but smartly sassy:

Meanwhile, the latest Second Act selection for my Series-ous Reading was a grand follow-up indeed.

In Princess Elizabeth's Spy, Susan Elia MacNeal reintroduces us to Maggie Hope, once a secretary for Winston Churchill, who is now in training to be a WWII spy for MI5. Her determination to be in the field is commendable but unfortunately, her fighting skills are not seen as suitable for an overseas assignment.

While she is less than thrilled to be given a position in Windsor Castle as math tutor to the young Princess Elizabeth, Maggie tries to make the best of things. It does help that Elizabeth aka "Lillibet" is a good student and quick to catch on to code making, something that Maggie thought would make the whole subject all the more interesting. As it turns out, this special area of study comes in handy sooner than either of them expected:

The sudden and shocking death of a royal lady-in-waiting causes Maggie to realize that more is at stake , especially when evidence slowly begins to surface of a German spy ring within the castle walls and a plot against the royal family.

As more and more intrigue piles on, Maggie is able to be on the spot when Lillibet herself is in danger but can she rescue the girl and save herself in the process? There's more than one level to the story and it makes the leading lady all the more relatable, with additional secrets about her own family's past coming forth, not to mention mourning the potential loss of  her boyfriend John, who was shot down in enemy territory and presumed dead.

All in all, Maggie Hope is a great heroine for any time period-a smart, capable woman who is just as human as anyone else caught in a dire situation. Persisting despite all odds is not an easy thing for anyone, fictional or otherwise, to do yet when it's done well, such efforts can be appreciated. I have a few more Maggie Hope books on hand and they ought to be of real comfort as time goes by:

As for this month's Series-ous Reading, it's back to Lake Eden with Hannah Swensen for a bout of Cream Puff Murder.

I thought this would be good for May as part of the plot has Hannah's mother Delores getting ready for the party to celebrate the release of her debut Regency romance novel. However, the title demise takes place at the local workout spa as Hannah needs to lose a few pounds in order to fit into the period themed dress for that occasion.

The exercise place happens to be run by Ronni Ward, a local flirt and rival for Hannah's potential love partner Mike. I haven't gotten to the murder scene yet but so far, so good. I do like that the gym is called Heavenly Bodies, which gives me some 1980s workout craze flashbacks there(the book is not set in that era but still...). Should be some flavorful fun!:

A very bookish birthday party indeed!

This past weekend, I celebrated my birthday at home and yes, it was a rather good time despite the current health crisis that we're all living through right now.

I did enjoy a sugar free chocolate cake, had a lovely home cooked meal with my family and finally got to watch the new adaptation of Emma(which I'll talk about at the end of this post). What more could I ask for? Being grateful for what I have is important and it's the best gift you can give to yourself, in my opinion.

So, when it came to presents, of course books were part of that equation! While I didn't get only books(a couple of DVDs and a Funko figure were also included), the ones that were given to me were like having special guests arrive to make this party a bit more entertaining , so please let me to introduce them properly here:

LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE: This celebrated novel from renowned author Celeste Ng is set in the suburban enclave of Shaker Heights, where artist Mia Warren and her teenage daughter Pearl
move into and find themselves caught up in the doings of their well off landlords,the Richardson family.

When matriarch  Elena Richardson decides to interfere with a local controversy involving an adoption, Mia finds herself not only on the opposite side of the issue but in danger of a secret from her own past being exposed by Elena. Knowing a few things about what goes on in the Richardson household gives Mia some leverage yet this is a fight that doesn't make anyone a winner in the end.

This is one of those books that I've been meaning to get to for sometime and now is the right moment for such a great read to be on hand. Since it'll be awhile before I can check out the limited series Hulu adaptation(which sounds excellent), it'll be great to have this first impression made on paper:

GODS OF JADE AND SHADOW: Silvia Moreno-Garcia sets her spell binding story in Mexico during the 1920s where small town girl Cassiopea goes off to the big city not as an adventure of her own accord but as the bound companion of a death god.

She has accidentally released Hun-Kame',aka the Supreme Lord of Xibaba, due to a minor act of rebellion against her controlling grandfather, and now has no choice but to aid him in his quest to retake his seat of power in the underworld.

The mystical bond between them leaves them both vulnerable to death, an advantage that the twin brother of Hun-Kame' wishes to exploit, using Cassiopea's obnoxious cousin Martin as his unwilling servant. Can this blend of magic and family ties let those among the living to take back their freedom from their immortal manipulators or will all involved be doomed to perish?

Moreno-Garcia has a wonderful knack for making literary magic with both human and enchanted characters, bringing each to vivid life on every page. She also has a new novel entitled Mexican Gothic coming out this June(which I've been reading via Netgalley) and if you haven't tried any of her books yet, what are you waiting for, seriously?:

THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE: If there ever was a time for a fresh new tales of dragons and intrigue, this is surely it and Samantha Shannon is certainly stepping up to the plate here!

Her massive saga begins in a world where dragons are either revered or feared depending on where you live. The priory of the title is run by women mages who do not believe that the line of sacred queens in the realm of Berethnet is the only source of protection from the threat they all dread called The Nameless One.

Instead, they seek one who can draw from a different fount of elemental power and that may be Tane, a young dragon rider who lives in a country that bans sea travelers to enter it's waters.

Nonetheless, she takes a risk that unexpectedly connects her to Queen Sabran IX, who has the throne of Berethnet and yet needs to be protected from the truth about her position in the royal bloodline of power. I don't know if this book is intended to start a new series or simply be a solid tale in it's own right but regardless, this certainly sounds like a amazing ride worth taking:

CHOSEN: I thoroughly enjoyed Kiersten White's revival of the Buffyverse(aka Buffy the Vampire Slayer) last year with Slayer and it was hard to wait for the next installment!

To recap, this series is set in a post-Buffy reality where Nina, the daughter of Watchers, has been tapped as the last of the Slayer line. Her twin sister Artemis was expected to be given the mantle but fate had something else in mind.

Now, with Artemis out on her own, Nina is doing her best to keep what's left of the demons no longer connected to magic and humanity from tearing each other apart. It's a struggle for both sisters yet things would be easier if the remaining forces of darkness weren't determined to make their claim on what little magical power is left on the table. so to speak.

White is a real Buffy fan who knows how to write this story in a way that blends the previous mythos with original content , plus a sense of fun. I not only look forward to reading this book , there is news that her take on a Mary Shelley classic(The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein) may soon become a TV series,yes! That should be engagingly awesome to say the least!:

To make this bookish birthday complete, I watched the latest version of Emma, starring Anya Taylor-Joy as the formidable Miss Woodhouse.  All in all, I would say that this is a good take on the story, with Taylor-Joy being well cast here.

Visually, this is a gorgeous film and I did enjoy Mr. Woodhouse's increasing use of fireplace screens(a lot like a pillow fort!) and found that bit to be a smartly conceived running joke. Bill Nighy made for a solid Mr. Woodhouse while  Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightley did well there although he felt more like Emma's contemporary rather than much older than Emma as originally written.

I also adore Tanya Reynolds as the awful Mrs. Elton(who we didn't get enough of, if you ask me!) and Mia Goth was a very credible Harriet Smith. My only off note was a pivotal scene between Emma and Mr. Knightley(slight spoiler) where she gets a nosebleed after he tells her his true feelings. Apparently, the directer Autumn de Wilde went with this because she's prone to nosebleeds during stressful moments but it just really pull me out of the whole scene there.

Regardless, I did like the movie and hopefully when the world situation gets a whole lot better, we can have more new takes on Jane Austen. In the meanwhile, this one was a charmer and Taylor-Joy was definitely born to be an Austen heroine. Her performance was a wonderful delight to behold that added some extra pleasure to my birthday party indeed:

Checking in on my Spring Into Horror page turning progress

While my Easter reading holiday went well enough, I am glad to get back to the Spring Into Horror readathon, especially now that I have some progress to report.

The first book that I completed was a last minute add-on that really paid off, thanks to a prize from the First Look Book Club. Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel is an unusual mother-daughter story to say the least.

The title heroine was a victim of her mother's twisted need for attention and control via doses of ipecac syrup for nearly eighteen years. Mother Patty was ultimately found out and sent to prison , leaving Rose Gold on her own for the first time in years.

Five years later, Patty is released from jail and is thrilled to be staying with Rose Gold, who she has reconnected with. While she's not happy that her daughter testified against her in court, Patty is willing to forgive her in order to get back in the emotional driver's seat here. Especially since Rose now has a newborn son named Adam.

That may be harder than she thinks as Rose has sharpened her own claws and is ready to take on her mother in more ways than one. To start, she brought her mother's childhood home for them to live in, a place that holds dark memories for Patty. Also, Rose keeps her bedroom door locked at all times, which drives Patty to distraction.

That mixed reception from her daughter is compounded by the town wide rejection of Patty's return as she also manipulated so many people by using her daughter's "illness" to gain money, sympathy and friendship over the years. This slow yet steady stand-off between the two blood bound women is bound to lead to a most bitter end but will there truly be a winner?

Wrobel is a debut author who writes with a solid surety and the pacing of this book is excitingly electric. You can pitch this as "Sharp Objects teams up with Gone Girl" but that only scratches the surface of this scarily slow burn of a page turner:

On the less intense side, I was able to finish Ellery Adams' The Book of Candlelight , the third entry in her The Secret,Book and Scone Society series.
All of the stories take place in the North Carolina town of Miracle Springs where a quartet of women gather together in friendship and some mystery solving.

The center of this group is Nora, owner of Miracle Books where she practices some "bibliotherapy" for those who need it. During a terrible weeks long bout of rain, her business is booming, so much so that Nora has no choice but to replace the unique shelf items that she sells along with the books at the local flea market.

A beautifully made bowl catches her eye during that visit, made by Danny, a Cherokee potter who along with his wife Marie, love their handcrafted work as much as each other. While Nora is pleased to meet him and buy that bowl, their second encounter is sadly tragic as she is the one who discovers Danny's body floating in the overflowing river a few days later.

Determined to do right by Danny and his grief stricken wife, Nora decides to look into the matter even though it's being written up as an accidental death. With the help of her friends June, Hester and Estella(along with a new buddy, Sheldon Vega), it turns out that Danny's demise was no accident indeed.

Oddly enough, a new inn in town may hold some of the answers that Nora and company are seeking yet when another person is found dead, can those secrets of the past be revealed in time to protect the ones who are in dire need of it in the present?

I really enjoy the positive energy of this series, which radiates great charm and solid character development among the regular and new players in this story.

The friendship between the four female mainstays is the spine of each story but it's also nice to see personal changes for the ladies such as a growing romance for beauty salon maven Estella, heartfelt baker Hester overcoming some fears to bond better with the man in her life and an unexpected reunion for spa attendant/sock knitter June.

Naturally, Nora is front and center but you just know that she'd gladly share that spotlight with her gal pals(and new employee Sheldon is a marvelous addition here!). Also, the backstory of this mystery brought in a charming romance from long ago, which was anchored by an Elizabeth Barret Browning poem, that would make for a lovely tale on it's own merits. I love how literature always manages to pop up just right in this series:

At the moment, I'm in the middle of Egg Drop Dead, the fifth book in Vivien Chien's Noodle Shop Mysteries. As manage of her family's restaurant, Lana Lee decides to expand their business by taking on catering jobs, the first of which being for Donna Feng, the silent yet prevalent partner in the Asian Village mall.

When Donna lashes out at Alice, the new nanny for her rambunctious teenage daughters, during the event, Lana hopes that will be the worst of things to happen. Unfortunately, that incident is only an awful appetizer as Alice is later found dead in the family pool.

Given her past experience with sleuthing, it's not surprising that Donna wants Lana to look into the case. However, as more and more clues are leading down a path that's deadly than even Lana has walked before, it may be time to let the experts handle things. Yet, can Lana really leave Donna in the lurch, so to speak, without a true ally to step in and help save the day?

I'm happy to report that not only is there another Noodle Shop Mystery due out this year(entitled Killer Kung Pao), Chien has been given a contract for three more books! We already have the titles and there's so pun-tastic: Fatal Fried Rice, Hot and Sour Suspects and possibly my favorite one of all, Misfortune Cookie. With everything so off kilter these days, it's wonderful to see such a good writer get the appreciation she deserves and then some:

Meanwhile, I've started Fiona Barton's The Suspect for my next new Spring Into Horror read and as for my Easter reads, both of the Lyssa Kay Adams Bromance Book Club books were completed(and yes, I look forward to reading book three, Crazy, Stupid Bromance this fall). The Kiss Quotient, I decided to add to my current reading rotation as a necessary break from the tension in my fictional and all too real world that we see daily apart and yet together there.

One thing that I am so glad to have right now is a good book to read and whether or not you're doing a reading challenge or just sick of binge watching stuff(Tiger King was truly engaging and godawful at the same time), grabbing a book is your best option in times like these. Stay safe and keep working through those TBR piles, folks!:

Planning some romcom reading for Easter weekend

While I am currently enjoying my page turning time with the Spring Into Horror readathon( already finished one book and in the middle of two more as of this writing!), I must take a bit of a mini-break next weekend.

Since we're all indoors due to the current health crisis, my Easter weekend plans involve watching a good movie with my family and reading a trio of romantic comedy type of books. Since one of them also has a sequel, this is almost a truly cinematic inspiration here!

First up is The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams, where baseball star Gavin Scott is in need of good advice to fix his ailing marriage. His wife Thea is not only sick of playing the role of happy baseball wife and deferring her own dreams in life, she also informs him about the lack of satisfying game play on his behalf when it comes to their love life.

With his family on the verge of divorce, Gavin is willing to do just about anything to make things right. Turns out that some of his fellow athletes have the perfect solution for him; reading romance novels. The literary group of the title uses the relationship plot lines in such books as Courting The Countess to become better mates to the women in their lives and they insist that this fictional fountain of emotional knowledge can work for him as well.

Gavin does give the book and it's points about romance a try with the results being more successful than he ever imagined. However, the time comes when he has to follow his own playbook and make all the right moves without a safety net at hand. Can Gavin be the romantic hero that his new found friends say he can be?

I do like the concept of appreciating the merits of an often misunderstood genre and even though I haven't read Adams' previous works, I get the feeling that there's some smartly written sitcom story telling that is worth tuning into here:

To that end, I've already bought the second book in this series(book three is due out in the fall), Undercover Bromance.  The unofficial leader of the Bromance Book Club is Braden Mack, whose charms don't quite match his ego when the opportunity to be of real help to a new lady in his life.

Pastry chef Liv(the sister of Gavin's wife Thea) decides to blow the whistle on Royce, the sleazy celebrity chef at her current job, which earns her a firing but no actual consequences towards the culinary creep.

Braden, inspired by the romantic suspense novel that is the new TBBC selection, insists that he can get the goods on the guy with the aid of his bookish crew. While Liv is suspicious of Braden's interest in her, she reluctantly agrees to let him and his buddies pull off this caper in order to take down Royce once and for all.

Yet not everything goes as planned and Braden's notion that he has all the answers is put to the test. Can he save the day or better still, realize that when it comes to life and love, he still has much to learn. I'm sensing a bit of an Ocean's Eleven vibe with this one, which should be fun indeed:

To round things off, I have Helen Hoang's The Kiss Quotient. Stella Lane is excellent with numbers at her job but not at dealing with people, which makes her mother's demand that it's time for her to start looking for a husband and producing grandchildren a problem hard to figure out.

Based on a casually callow suggestion from a co-worker, Stella decides to get some "practice" by hiring a male escort. Michael Phan answers the call but her nervousness about the whole thing leads her to asking him to take things slow.

Michael agrees, despite having a bad experience with a former client who got too attached to him. As they get to know one another, it becomes easier to reveal their inner insecurities and find themselves being accepted for who they truly are. How this unexpected relationship will last in the outer world among their family and friends is the real challenge that Michael and Stella face.

Having read The Bride Test(which is somewhat connected to this book) last year, I already know that I'm in for a good solid entertainment filled with heartfelt writing and an engaging couple to root for:

This may not seem like Easter themed reading, I know, but this holiday in my household is mainly an excuse to indulge in chocolate(sugar free, in my case) and besides, spring in and of itself is meant to be a romantic season.

So, with that in mind, I look forward to a happy Easter weekend of good reading with some fun romcom antics to keep me amused during this less than cheerful time in our lives. A little lightness is necessary to keep your spirits going and romantic comedy is picture as well as page turning perfect for such occasions:

My Series-ous Reading takes a taste of Carrot Cake Murder

Welcome back, folks, to more of my Series-ous Reading challenge , where I tackle several titles within a book series. One of my constant reads here has been Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries-which I inadvertently got my mother interested in and now she's surpassed me!-and now it was time for a piece of Carrot Cake Murder.

As always, the action is set in the small Minnesota town of Lake Eden where Hannah is helping out with a family reunion. Her partner in the Cookie Jar bakery, Lisa, is having her new husband Herb's relatives join in for the fun with her own family and everyone loves that title baked treat that Hannah makes and is more than happy to contribute.

A real surprise occurs when a long gone family member shows up-Lisa's Uncle Gus, who simply took off one day and no one has heard from him since. The reception he gets is a mixed batch as many are pleased to see him yet others still remember the trouble he caused back in the day:

Uncle Gus and his flashy ways don't exactly thrill Hannah but he does at least like her carrot cake so much that he insists upon another platter for himself!

She's happy to oblige in that department although it is disconcerting the next day when Hannah discovers that sweet treat was his last meal. Fortunately it wasn't her baking that did him in.

She finds Gus(who was nowhere to be found for a group photo) stabbed with an ice pick straight in the heart in the lake side pavilion that the families were using for the reunion.  For once, police detective Mike Kingston is not against Hannah taking part in the investigation-in fact, he openly asks for her help(more on that in a moment)!

 While it's uncertain who did him in, the possibility is raised that perhaps Lisa's Alzheimer affected father Jack might have been settling an old score with Gus that fateful evening.

 Since the family wants Hannah to look into this matter before that suspicion surfaced(and Jack is such a good natured soul to begin with), she's doubly determined to solve the case and keep the reunion on track.

It does help that Gus is a rather unlikable fellow(and as it turns out, a bit of a sleaze) when reading this story as a couple of good humorous moments pop up along the way.

 One chapter has a great sitcom style gag where just about every woman of a certain age pulls Hannah aside to let her know that Gus had a baseball themed tattoo(doubts about him actually being Gus crop up among the relatives there) on a nether region that would positively identify him. Even Hannah's ladylike at all times mother Delores chimes in on that subject!

Also, an interesting debate for an East Coast gal like me is introduced as some question Gus saying "casserole" instead of "hot dish" when referring to a certain warm offering at one of the many large meals at the reunion. I'm not sure of the difference myself but it's a nice side dish of a discussion to have:

Now for the Mike vs. Norman talk-to be fair, Mike does ask for Hannah to do some inside digging on the case, given that the families involved know her well.

 And yes, he gives Hannah a few insights into the investigation but she catches on quick that he's getting more than he's giving here.

While that can be understandable to a point, Mike also happens to be making the same mistake of entertaining a flirty female co-worker in public while thinking that it's completely innocent on both sides. Seriously, how is Mike supposed to be such a savvy detective yet can't pick up on rather obvious clues from the women around him?

Meanwhile, Team Norman scores a lot of points in this outing, with Norman not only going above and beyond to help Hannah with the case(he even flies to Atlantic City at one point to follow up a lead!), when her cat Moishe is acting bored and restless, Norman picks up a Kitty Kondo and sets it up in her home. While he did tell Hannah that it was part of a two-for-one sale(yep, Norman also has a cat, which gets him a gold star in my book), more likely than not, he paid full price for it.

Granted, I do know that Hannah makes a third choice in romance later on down the road but come on, honey-Norman is a keeper in more ways than one!

Anyway, this tale ends well and despite carrot cake being the title theme, other edibles take the spotlight here such as Red Velvet cookies, which help to boost Jack's memories about his long ago bout with Gus. They do sound tasty and perhaps they'll get a delicious entry of their own in this sweet series someday:

For the next Series-ous Reading selection, I pick up my mini challenge known as Second Acts to take up the second Maggie Hope WWII adventure from Susan Elia MacNeal.

In Princess Elizabeth's Spy, Maggie has just finished her training with MI5 but instead of being sent out into the war zone, she's assigned to tutor the title princess in math at Windsor Castle. While it's not the duty she wanted to have, it becomes clear that this new post is not merely a royal babysitting job.

When a murder happens on the castle grounds, Maggie finds her new skills put to the test and her newly formed bond with young Princess Elizabeth making this situation all the more personally compelling.

One of the things that I enjoy about this series is how much of it reminds me of Agent Carter, a show that was canceled far too soon, if you ask me. I really should have a rewatch of that series(there are only two seasons of it, alas!) at some point,especially during this necessary time period of indoor activities. A good book and a great show sound like perfect distractions for this troubling moment in history and I hope all of you have a pop culture pairing like that on hand right now:

Seeking cozy comfort from Spring Into Horror reading

Well, it appears as if we're going to be spending a lot more time at home, folks, which makes for some great opportunities to read.

Whether you're catching up on that one about to topple over TBR or just need an excuse to buy more books, readathons are your best bet for the spring/summer season.

My reading list for Seasons of Reading's Spring Into Horror upcoming readathon(which starts April 1st) is more on the cozy side due to the truly terrifying headlines that are broadcast daily at this point. However, I do have one actual out and out thriller for some page turning thrills to enjoy:

THE SUSPECT: The third book in Fiona Barton's series that features reporter Kate Waters  takes us to Thailand, where a pair of missing girls unexpectedly take her out of the official lines of inquiry.

Seems that Kate's son Jake happened to be in Thailand at the time and actually stayed at the hotel where eighteen year old Alexandra O'Connor and her girlfriend were last seen by anyone.

Feeling as concerned for the parents of the missing young women as well as her own son, Kate finds that her best option is to head to Thailand(with a frenemy in tow) to get at the truth, despite how painful it could be to her personally.

Barton has a real knack for making uncomfortable subjects the most compelling to read and this book promises to be more of the same, with the kind of tense moments and startling scenes that make for  the type of rollercoaster ride sensation you'd get from watching a similarly themed film:

EGG DROP DEAD: The latest in the Noodle Shop Mysteries from Vivien Chien has Lana Lee taking her family's restaurant to the next level with a major league catering gig at a high end pool party.

The pool party in question is being hosted by Donna Feng, owner of the Asia Village mall where the Ho-Lee Noodle Shop has resided from the start. So when one of the staff members hired for the occasion winds up dead, Lana has enough to worry about without Donna insisting that she take a special thumb drive into her keeping before the cops show up!

Lana not only has a murder to solve but another mystery that could dive deep into Donna's past, which could affect her family's future in the food business. Can she spin all of these potential plates of disaster  in the air without any of them crashing down on her loved ones?

 I do love this series as it's quite the hidden gem among the numerous cozy mystery stories out. Fortunately, you don't have to be a foodie detective to find these books but your search for savory suspense will be well rewarded:

THE CEREAL MURDERS: I do have a number of Diana Mott Davidson's Goldy Bear mysteries on hand and the last one I read for Series-ous Reading was fun, so it only made sense to add this third entry to my reading pile here.

Goldy's latest murder case involves a student named Keith Andrews, who attends the same prep school as her son Arch. Keith, who happens to be the class valedictorian, meets his untimely end at the senior class dinner that our culinary heroine is catering and given the dubious honoring of finding the body.

With the help of her police detective beau Tom Schulz, Goldy discovers that Keith made quite a few enemies playing the blackmail game among his social circle of anxiously ambitious college bound classmates and their equally determined parents. Considering the college bribery scandals that made the news over the past few months, this story may prove to be rather timely indeed:

THE DONUT SHOP MYSTERIES:  After all, what goes on a breakfast menu right next to cereal? Donuts, of course!

I picked up the first two books in Jessica Beck's sinister sweet series, starting with Glazed Murder as Suzanne Hart gets a jolt early in her working day at  her Donut Hearts shop and not from a good cup of coffee.

When the body of a good customer, Patrick Blaine, is dropped off on her shop's doorstep, Suzanne is both outraged and motivated to track down the killer.

While both her overly cautious mother and rather handsome cop Jake Bishop would prefer that she stick to selling baked goods, Suzanne can't embrace that sweet serenity without knowing who dared to deliver death to her brand new start in life like that.

That delectable debut is followed up by Fatally Frosted, where Suzanne again faces a demise far too close for comfort. This time, a neighborhood gossip is found dead after eating a signature sweet from Donut Hearts, causing a forensic team to mess up her kitchen right before a big culinary event in town.

The last person in the world that she wants to rely on for help is Max, her former husband and professional flake. However, Max proves to be useful for once and with Jake also on the case, Suzanne is willing to deal with the men in her life for the benefit of all concerned.

This does sound fun and this series has the bonus of being recommended by Diane Mott Davidson(along with other cozy mystery authors such as Leslie Meier and Rhys Bowen). Yes, there are recipes for donuts and other edibles included, which are nice to check out even if you're not much of a baker(that includes me!).  Donuts are the one food that feels homemade even if it's not and combining them with crime fighting is almost picture perfect:

Last yet far from least on this TBR is The Book of Candlelight by Ellery Adams, which I've been saving for this very occasion. It's the third book in her The Secret,Book and Scone Society series and I'm just realizing that I have a large number of titles here, by my standards anyway.

I tend to stick to at least four books for readathons like this but considering the current situation, six might not be enough. No worries on that score as there are plenty more on hand in other TBR piles(oh,yes, I have a good many there!).

If you'd like to sign up for Spring Into Horror, there is a link in the second paragraph of this post and you don't need a blog to join in on the literary party here.While it would be nice if some of the problems we're dealing with at the moment could be capably handled by a plucky heroine from a mystery series(cozy or otherwise), the next best thing is to join them on a good literary adventure.

 What better way to relieve some of the stress and tension that the news is bringing us right now than to deal with some fictional fears?  Plus, it might be nice to imagine a smart and sassy lady coming to the rescue there:

Seeking relief from reality with a Library Haul

I know that a lot of folks are busy stocking up on supplies right now(which is understandable) but my priorities happen to include a true life giving essential; new books to read.

With that in mind, I made my regular trip to the library this past weekend and hopefully, it won't too long before another visit there can happen. First on my list was Brewed Awakening, the latest Coffee House Mystery from Cleo Coyle.

 Coffee house owner Clare Cosi seems to be living her best life as her beloved police detective Mike Quinn has finally asked for her hand in marriage. About two months later,however, she wakes up on a bench near Washington Square Park with no idea of how she got there or how much time has passed.

Clare is suffering from a trauma induced form of amnesia, which has wiped out the past fifteen years of her life. She still thinks that her grown daughter Joy is only a preteen and that's she recently left her ex-husband Matteo, not to mention having no idea who Mike even is!

That memory loss is particularly troubling at the moment, due to the fact that Clare was the last person seen with Annette Brewster, an heiress that has gone missing for several days. Since there is a strong possibility that Clare is being set up to take the fall , it's up to her family and friends to save the day in her stead.

I've read the first couple of chapters and clearly Cleo Coyle has done her homework when it comes to amnesia, a well worn plot device, giving Clare's confusion some strong emotional resonance. Also, this allows the other supporting players a chance to step forward into the spotlight, such as her former mother-in-law and mentor Madame Blanche(a woman not to be easily gainsayed!), which makes the main mystery all the more interesting.

 Plus, I love how Clare may not know who she is at this point in time but one thing that's firmly embedded in her memory is the need for a good cup of coffee:

This next book practically leapt off the shelf at me and my only regret is that it's the fourth book in the series when I haven't read the third one yet.

Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit by Amy Stewart takes the title heroine into truly choppy waters and I don't mean the waves she's battling in the cover art. This time, she and her mentor Sheriff Heath have to deal with politics as the latter is running for a seat in Congress with his record being constantly attacked by a ruthless rival who loves to bring up Constance Kopp's past crime fighting capers as proof of Heath's failings in law enforcement.

Meanwhile, Constance is working on a case where a woman is being sent repeatedly to a mental asylum more for her cheating husband's convenience than out of real concern for her well being. Can she keep this poor lady safe while not making things worse for Sheriff Heath as well?

With the current status quo so precarious right now, I decided to order the third book online(Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions-what a great title!) but hope to catch up with the rest of the series at the library in the near future. It's times like these when solidly smart leading ladies are most wanted and author Amy Stewart really delivers the goods on that fictional front:

Finally, I promised myself a few posts back that I would try to get one of the novels that the writers' team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White have published. Well, there was one on the shelf and it's on my library loan list now.

The Glass Ocean follows three different women, two within the same time line, as their stories are connected by the ill fated voyage of the luxury liner known as the Lusitania in 1915.

Modern day writer Sarah finds her great grandfather's possessions from when he was a steward onboard the ship and seeks to learn more about what happened back then with the help of another descendant who may have information about a possible spy mission that lead to that fatal catastrophe at sea.

Two women are passengers on the ship, Caroline, whose husband is acting more secretive than usual and Tess, traveling in the steerage section with the chance to make some easy money by aiding her sister Ginny in a risky forgery scheme. How all of these worlds collide when an act of sabotage changes history like this certainly makes for a compelling tale of heartbreak and adventure indeed.

Granted, cruise ships are making headlines these days for very different reasons yet I think a book like this will be fine as it could help put some much needed perspective on how to handle a crisis in situations where you have no control over the outcome.  Not to mention that checking out the creative collective at play in these pages promises to be a true bonus feature here:

As I said earlier, I do hope that my next library visit will be sooner rather than later but I have to accept the possibility that it might be awhile before things have settled down enough for that. It's a wait and see deal at best, due to more important issues at hand now.

Let's face it, people-we're in a bad spot with a certain illness going around and not much reliable information and/or guidance from those charged with the public good here. What we all should do is follow the sensible advice that is available(pick your favorite hand washing song,please!) and be more on the alert when it comes to our family, friends and neighbors who may need some extra assistance during this situation. Perhaps it will get better soon but we really will have to rely on the kindness of others to get through this, which I sincerely hope is not in short supply.

In the meanwhile, if you have to spend more time at home due to what's going on, use this as a chance to catch up on some good reading . Self care is just as important as physical is, so treat yourself to a nice binge read to get that page turning relaxation mode to kick in:

Making up a tasting menu for some savory and sweet food flavored mysteries

As much I am enjoying the culinary mystery titles that I'm reading right now, it never hurts to be on the look out for a new taste sensation that will having me turning pages hungrily.

To that end, I'm considering a trio of mouth watering mysteries that should whet my appetite for more to read. Due to a blurb for Vivien Chien's latest Noodle Shop Mysteries(Egg Drop Dead, which I'm saving for a readathon this spring!), I learned of a savory series known as Pizza Lovers Mysteries.

Written by Chris Cavender, the first book is entitled A Slice of Murder, where A Slice of Delight pizzeria owner Eleanor Swift finds herself being accused of delivering more than one of her massively topped pies to a customer.

It doesn't help that the local police chief, Kevin Hurley, is a former high school classmate of Eleanor's who still feels that she rejected him back then. Eleanor's business begins to decline as suspicions mount against her, especially since she did have a public argument with the deceased(who received a well deserved slap for his rude moves!). However, with the aid of her married sister Maddy, Eleanor is out to solve this case before the next lethal slice is literally on her.

This does sound like delicious reading and with the stories set in North Carolina, it'll be interesting to check out the food scene in that part of the country. When it comes to pizza, that is one dish that does travel well yet thankfully the same can't be said of murder:

 After pizza, one does tend to think about cheese and yes, there is a Cheese Shop Mystery series. Avery Aames starts things off with The Long Quiche Goodbye, where Charlotte Bessette is thrilled to be taking over the French style cheese shop that her grandparents first set up when they first settled into the town of Providence, Ohio.

With her cousin Matthew running a wine business along side her cheese mongering in the store, Charlotte is sure of success. Yet, when a dead man is actually found on the shop's doorstep and her grandmother is the prime suspect, Charlotte has no choice but to take her food focused skills and aim them in the direction of the real killer.

One of my favorite things about cozy mysteries,especially the food flavored ones, are the punny titles that do crop up and this series has some great snackables in that department. Titles like Lost and Fondue, Clobbered by Camembert, To Brie or not to Brie and my favorite so far; For Cheddar or Worse!

 Plus, while I am all about All American cheese, the French do have a nice flair when it comes to that dairy delight and this series could offer some edible education as well as entertainment there:

Of course, the key ingredient for making any pizza is dough but in this instance, I came across the next best thing, donuts. Jessica Beck's Donut Shop mysteries begin with Glazed Murder, as recently divorced Suzanne Hart decides to use her settlement money to open up Donut Hearts in her home town of April Springs in North Carolina.

Being free of her less than gainfully employed actor husband Max, Suzanne feels as if her life is truly about to start. Unfortunately, a dead body being dropped off at the door of her shop in the dead of night puts that dream on pause for the moment.

Speaking of punny titles, this series offers up a nice plateful with the likes of Sinister Sprinkles, Fatally Frosted, Powdered Peril and Illegally Iced. Now, you might be thinking "How did you go from pizza to cheese to donuts here?"  Well, as it turns out, Jessica Beck and Chris Cavender have something in common other than setting their books in small North Carolina towns.

Jessica Beck and Chris Cavender(along with a few others) are pen names for writer Tim Myers, who has several cozy mystery series in print. His other tales include lighthouse keeping and candle making but I think that his food related series(he also has a Classic Diner set of mysteries!) sound more like my style of cozy culinary reading.

Not to mention that donuts do have the reputation for pleasing police officers and that along with a cup of coffee sounds like the perfect pairing for some crime solving fun:

I'll be seeking these series out at either my nearest library or book seller soon, especially since the current headlines these days seem to be encouraging folks to stay inside and read for a little while longer this season. Hopefully, things will get better soon and we can all engage in some culinary mystery capers with lighter hearts and full fictional stomachs: