Boxonow

Pages: 384 Publisher: Berkley Released: October 22, 2019 Received: Finished copy from publisher, ARC via Netgalley Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads  *This is the sixth book in the Tradd Street series To say I love this series is an understatement (and not much else of this review will make sense if you haven't read the series, so stop reading this review now and instead read the one I liked above, and then start this series ASAP). That said, I was disappointed with the last book in the series, The Guests on South Battery . It felt forced. The mystery wasn't as engaging (and the first four books had awesome mysteries), the family connections felt stretched beyond reason, and there was contrived romance drama between Mellie and Jack that I did not appreciate. I was seriously getting worried for this series, even while still gobbling it up because it had tons of things that still make me happy. So that was my baggage when I started reading The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Stree...

Pages: 304 Publisher: Berkley Books Released: September 10, 2019 Received: e-ARC from NetGalley Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars Goodreads I hadn't even heard of this book an probably wouldn't have read it if it weren't for the publisher sending me a link to download the book through NetGalley. So, well done, it worked. Again. And, again, I'm very happy this happened because I really enjoyed The Vanished Bride . It's one of those books that maybe isn't perfect and has some room for criticism and improvement, but, for the most part, none of that mattered to me. I started reading the first chapter "just to see" and ended up getting completely sucked into the story. It moved at a nice swift but not breakneck pace, and shorty chapters definitely helped with this. The point of view changed between Charlotte and Emily and I ended up liking both of them a lot even though, objectively, both probably should have annoyed me. Ah, wait, Anne is in this book (she ...

Pages: 416 Publisher: Disney Released: June 4, 2019 Received: Finished copy from publisher Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Goodreads Freaky Friday body-swap stories aren't unique, but I do have a soft spot for them. Last year I read and enjoyed Preston Norton's Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe and while that book was a hot mess of every issue and 90s reference plus the kitchen sink, it was also compulsively readable and hilarious (there's a Sermon Showdown. I'm still in love with that). So, when I got this book, I was looking forward to it. It's big, yeah, but it's a super fast read. The over-the-top writing style and a zillion references were toned down here so now the writing was amusing without being eye-rolly. The gender-fluidity and romantic flexibility was a little too kumbaya and unbelievable, but in a book about magical body-swapping, I mostly gave it a shrug and a pass. I guess maybe that's Preston Norton's thing. These books are zany and u...

Pages: 592 Publisher: Harper Collins Released: March 7, 2019 Received: ARC from publisher Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Barbara Erskine is an author on my TBR list, but not one I had read yet. As a first foray, The Ghost Tree is not bad. I didn't love it, but I liked it enough to still want to read more of her books. I'd class this book in the same company as Susanna Kearsley or Mary Stewart's Thornyhold type of books: British, a touch of the supernatural, dreamy, historical, great houses, a slow background romance, and a main character who is likable but not particularly stand out. The Ghost Tree is probably more massive than it needed to be. It clocks in at 592 pages and it's not riveting or detailed enough to really warrant that. It felt like another editing pass through to clean things up would have tightened the story, shortened the pages, and made for a smoother book overall. As it was, the length wasn't much of a problem for me because the chapters a...

Pages:352 Publisher: Berkley Books Released: June 25, 2019 Received: Finished copy and e-galley from publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads I wasn't convinced I actually wanted to read this book when I received an invitation to the e-galley and tour. I find this time period interesting, but it's definitely not an era I read in much. So I added it to my e-reader with bland disinterest and opened it with the intention of reading a few sentences to try to hype myself into reading it, eventually. And I was hooked. Ravenously. I couldn't stop reading. I put aside the books I was already in the middle of reading and dove in. There was so much that just clicked with me about this book. The sense of time and place. The fabrics, smells, and tensions were thick in the air. I felt utterly immersed. We see Schiap and Chanel from the periphery and this made them both seem larger than life, known-but-mysterious. It was captivating. Their clothing collections, their political move...

Pages: 351 Publisher: Penguin Released: June 18, 2019 Received: ARC from publisher Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads Last year I read and enjoyed Laura Purcell's creeping Gothic horror The Silent Companions and, while I didn't love it, I did enjoy it and I've been looking forward to reading more from this author.   The Poison Thread follows a similar pattern of alternating perspectives, one character telling their story, another character learning the tragic and horrifying events of the past. The narrative device worked very well here, building tension, intrigue, and mystery. I felt for Ruth, the character telling her story as she waits in prison for her murder trial, and while I didn't love Dorothea (she's a little too naive self-righteous do-gooder for me) I was interested in the events of her life (though, I think, she picked the wrong man). Characters and place felt real and drew me into the story. I felt for them. I felt like I was there (early Victorian E...

Pages: 432 Released: 1994 Publisher: Pocket Books Received: Library Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Goodreads Well, it's no Knight in Shining Armor . I had to start with that, because that's what I wanted from this book. I wanted a book that gripped me in that way that makes everything in life come second to reading this book . Like, yeah, yeah, I know eating, sleeping, that's important sure, but reading this book comes first . That's what I wanted. I also wanted a swoony romance and a good historical setting. I wanted a plot that kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next and how the problem/mystery would get solved. That's what I wanted. And, I've learned that it's best to not put so many expectations on books and just accept and enjoy them for what they are. But, that's apparently a lesson I'm still learning. So, what did I get? Disappointed, that's what I got. I picked this up on a total spur of the moment whim, downloaded a copy,...

I made a really big list It's that time of year again! I started making these lists because I'm a list kind of person, but they've become so much more. I've found myself returning to them time and again almost like a scrapbook. It's been a nice way to reflect, remember, and reminisce. Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M. C. Beaton Agatha Raisin makes me think of my co-worker in one of the libraries I worked in years ago. She became my friend and felt like another grandmother to me and helped me grow in ways I don't think I was able to fully realize until I got older. Both realize in the sense of be aware of and realize in the sense of put into action. Some things you just need to be the right age for, and I think as I'm getting older those lessons are more applicable to my current life experiences. This friend liked the Agatha Raisin series and reading them now I feel like I'm reading them with her. Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M. ...

I made a really big list It's that time of year again! I started making these lists because I'm a list kind of person, but they've become so much more. I've found myself returning to them time and again almost like a scrapbook. It's been a nice way to reflect, remember, and reminisce. The Little Book of Pooh-isms A review book. Hardly a "book" in the reading challenge sense, this was a quick read filled with quotes from the Pooh books and movies. Sweet, charming, and somewhat silly, this book was nice because it reminded me of the other books and movies. My husband and I read through the quotes together while making dinner one night. Which, really does make this book a good way to spend some time. Emily Goes to Exeter by M. C. Beaton Belinda Goes to Bath by M. C. Beaton I wasn't ready to let go of this author yet, so I picked her her Traveling Matchmaker series. These books have the best covers yet, but not the best stories. Oh they're great, a...

I made a really big list It's that time of year again! I started making these lists because I'm a list kind of person, but they've become so much more. I've found myself returning to them time and again almost like a scrapbook. It's been a nice way to reflect, remember, and reminisce. My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley I started out the year with a review book and low expectations. See, I tend to loathe Victoria. Plus, my review book had a much uglier cover than the very pretty cover I've included here (and, yep, I'm totally influenced by covers). And yet, despite all that, I adored this book, which was made even more exciting because I was so not expecting to feel this way. Added bonus, this book introduced me to Lucy Worsley, which led to many delightful hours spent on Youtube watching Lucy Worsley historical documentaries. Which in turn led to even more happy hours spent watching Dan Jones, Suzannah Lipscomb, Helen Castor, and Thomas Penn historical doc...