It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 25 July 2022

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I had a decent reading week last week. I worked last Monday night so I had six solid hours of reading and was almost able to finish Surviving Savannah. I came home, slept, and then finished listening to the audiobook. That's what I love about nightshifts, usually I can spend 80% of my shift reading. 

What I Read Last Week: 

Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan

Mini Review:

This book was beautifully written, painstakingly researched, and so moving. When I first looked up this book, I had never heard of the Pulaski disaster but I put it on my TBR because I'm planning a trip to Savannah in the next year and love to get the feel for places I'm visiting through books. Now? Now I'm completely obsessed with the fascinating, horrific tale of the doomed steamship, Pulaski. Full Review here.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Currently Reading:

The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

I was able to make about 30 pages process in The City of Dusk last week. I'm thinking of getting the audiobook edition to see if I can move through it quicker. 

My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey

I started reading this one on Thursday and I'm almost finished with it. It's as spicy as I was expecting from reading It Happened One Summer and Hook, Line, and Sinker. I'm also really enjoying the mystery aspect of it. Did I mention the female main character is named Taylor? (like me!)

Next Read

Gallant by V.E. Schwab

I've been wanting to read this one since it came out. I'm a bit nervous when a book comps itself to Crimson Peak (my favorite movie) but I'm hoping to really enjoy this one. 

I have a few upcoming September ARCS to read but I'll focus on those next week.  

*** 

 What are you reading this week? Have you read any of my recent reads?

{Audiobook Review} FRESH BREWED MURDER by Emmeline Duncan

 

Fresh Brewed Murder

A Ground Rules Mystery Book 1

Emmeline Duncan

Cozy Mystery

240 Pages

Blurb:

Portland is famous for its rain, hipsters, craft beers . . . and coffee. Sage Caplin has high hopes for her coffee cart, Ground Rules, which she runs with her business partner, Harley—a genius at roasting beans and devising new blends. That’s essential in a city where locals have intensely strong opinions about cappuccino versus macchiato—especially in the case of one of Sage’s very first customers. . . .

Sage finds the man’s body in front of her cart, a fatal slash across his neck. There’s been plenty of anger in the air, from longtime vendors annoyed at Ground Rules taking a coveted spot in the food truck lot, to protesters demonstrating against a new high-rise. But who was mad enough to commit murder? Sage is already fending off trouble in the form of her estranged, con-artist mother, who’s trying to trickle back into her life. But when Sage’s very own box cutter is discovered to be the murder weapon, she needs to focus on finding the killer fast—before her business, and her life, come to a bitter end. . . .

My Review:

Usually I'm not a fan of cozy mysteries, but this didn't read like one. It was just a good mystery with a main character who was passionate about one of my favorite things - COFFEE! I love the complexity and difficulties of Sage's childhood and how she overcame her mother's reputation and history to become the fully-rounded person she is. 

Each of the cart owners had their own distinct three-dimensional personalities and I liked how each added to the story. I also loved Sage's coffee metaphors and learning the character's perspective/insight on making perfect coffee/lattes/espresso. 

There were a couple things I question, wondering if they'll come to light in future books but overall I really loved this book and I'm excited to see what Sage is going to get up to next!

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

Why Harper's Island Is The Best Mini-Series You've (Probably) Never Heard Of...

Allow me to let you in on an unusual New Year's Eve tradition of mine. For the past five or so years I've binge-watched all thirteen episodes of the horror/mystery mini-series Harper's Island. 

Never heard of it? That's okay, most people I mention it to can't remember its 2009 limited run on CBS. 

About Harper's Island:

Seven years after a series of murders claimed the lives of her mother and five others, Abby Mills returns to her hometown of Harper's Island to attend the wedding of her best friend, Henry Dunn, to heiress Trish Wellington. There's no happily ever after, though, as a serial killer begins picking off family members and friends one by one.

Bring yourself to this picturesque island if you dare... where secrets abound and the killer could be anyone... even the person laying right beside you. 

With a widely recognizable cast who blend together so well the viewer is hooked immediately onto the show as the guests wait on a yacht for all the stragglers to arrive before setting sail to Harper's Island, a fictional island off the coast of Seattle. But this is no quaint sitcom, which is abundantly clear when the first murder occurs in the first 10-15 minutes of the show. And we're off. 

While there are humorous moments in the first few episodes while the gruesome murders are taking place out of sight in the background the audience is well aware of the full picture... except for one thing. Who is the killer? The killer, never shown in full face until later could be anyone and as the audience guesses who and why - is it the original killer John Wakefield back from the dead? Or an insidious copy cat with an unclear motive - the characters soon begin to realize something is amiss as friends begin "disappearing" with weak explanations like heading back to the mainland for a hookup. Until all at once, it becomes clear that someone is targeting the wedding guests. Everyone is a suspect... trust no one... and watch your back.

As the cast begins to taper down viewers continue to try to figure out who the killer is. And bonus features reveal that even the cast didn't know who the killer was; only receiving each week's script a few days ahead of time and consuming it to see what would happen next. 

It's addictive, if gory, the first time you watch it yet it's the kind of show you could watch over and over again because the it never gets old (although I do try to limit myself to once a year - my New Year's Eve tradition. And the killer? Well I won't tell you who it is, but I can say that I didn't figure it out until the second to last episode - although I had a hunch. 

***

Do you remember this show? Wasn't it the best? 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - 8 June 2020

 

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

What I Read Last Week:

The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell

I love this author's first two books but her third, Stranger on the Beach wasn't one of my favorites. Still, she has the immense ability of throwing a killer twist in at the end of her books. Unfortunately, even though I had high hopes for this one, it reminded me a lot of Stranger On the Beach. I think it was the Hamptons setting, but I couldn't connect with Nina and though I liked Tabitha the plot just seemed a little expected and repetitive.  
Rating:

3 of 5 Stars!

Currently Reading:

 Home Before Dark by Riley Sager 

I chose this book as my June BOTM pick. I was going to start reading over the weekend but I'm currently packing to move on July 1st so I'm hoping I have some down time to read today. It sounds really good and I've been meaning to read this author's other books. 

Next Read:
The House Guest by Mark Edwards

I won an eBook copy of this book through Goodreads and it sounds so good so I'll probably read it next so I don't have to keep packing and unpacking my physical books.  

***

What have you been reading lately?

Book Review: BROKEN THINGS by Lauren Oliver

Broken Things by Lauren Oliver

Blurb:

It’s been five years since Summer Marks was brutally murdered in the woods.
Everyone thinks Mia and Brynn killed their best friend. That driven by their obsession with a novel called The Way into Lovelorn the three girls had imagined themselves into the magical world where their fantasies became twisted, even deadly.

The only thing is: they didn’t do it.

On the anniversary of Summer’s death, a seemingly insignificant discovery resurrects the mystery and pulls Mia and Brynn back together once again. But as the lines begin to blur between past and present and fiction and reality, the girls must confront what really happened in the woods all those years ago—no matter how monstrous.

My Review:

What first drew me to this book, even before I knew what it was about was the awesome cover. Then, as a Wisconsinite, the blurb immediately drew parallels to the Waukesha Slender Man Case so I knew I had to read it. 

This book is not a play on that case, there are of course similarities whether the author planned on that or not but this book is an engrossing mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out: Who really killed Summer Marks? 

It's a gorgeously written tale of a small town that persecutes three teenagers with little proof, misconceptions, how the scars of the past have shaped the lives of those left behind after a grisly crime, and learning to heal from it all. 

This is my first Lauren Oliver book and after finishing I kind of (completely want to) want to go out and auto-buy all of her other books. The big reveal in this one blew me away, I never would have suspected it and the ending left me satisfied.

Overall, this is a perfect October read, or an anytime read when you're looking for a pulse-racing thriller.

My Rating:

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 of 5 Stars!

#BookMail Thursday #35

This week's #BookMail includes an impulse purchase, a successful ARC trade, a signed preorder I've been waiting on, and a prize I won from the #BerserkerStreetTeam. Let's open my mailbox and see what's inside...

Ally by Anna Banks

I know, I know - I could have just bought the finished copy but I really wanted an ARC (because I collect them) and when a friend of mine showed interest in an ARC I was done with we set up a trade and I was really happy to take this ARC of Ally off her hands! 

Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

As you probably know, I had an ARC of Hunting Prince Dracula, but I'm a sucker for signed copies so I had to order one from Books of Wonder! The Finished Copy is even prettier than the ARC!

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Bitten was my most recent Netflix binge-watching obsession and when I realized it was a book I ordered a copy immediately! I can't wait to read it as soon as I finish my current read!

Berserker Street Team Swag

I was lucky enough to be one of the winners from the first #BerserkerStreetTeam challenge so I received my signed bookplate signed and personalized by the author of Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, and this really cool mini journal.

Book Review: Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco

Blurb:

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

My Review

I dove into this book blind after seeing the cover and having instant cover love and reading an excerpt from the first chapter on Entertainment Weekly. I hadn't read the first book, although I have since rectified that, but I found this book easy to get into. 

The world-building in Hunting Prince Dracula is fantastic and the story-telling was enchanting. I felt as if I stepped right into the pages and was living the story. Audrey Rose is the definition of a strong female lead, a term I find to be overused lately but the term definitely describes Audrey. She's brave, fearless, unafraid to get her hands dirty, and easily proves that girls can do all of the things that guys can do. I find sometimes that some characters take some time to like, but I liked Audrey instantly. 

Audrey and Thomas reminded me of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Their investigative skills blew me away and I loved all of the details of late-nineteenth-century autopsies and forensic studies, the author definitely did her research. 

I loved both the setting (having read other books set roughly in the same region and time period and loving those it felt like I was returning to something familiar) and the secondary characters that brought the story together perfectly. I never saw the ending coming! 

Overall, I was hooked on Hunting Prince Dracula from the first page. I didn't want to put it down and I'm already eager to read the next book! 

My Rating:

5 of 5 Stars!

#BookMail Thursday #27

This week the book mail I'm sharing with you really isn't my own (although I plan to read this book myself!). You see, my grandmother has trouble seeing small print in books due to her neuropathy and some other health issues so she discovered Doubleday Home Library where she can get Large Print copies of books. She ordered a Large Print edition of Come Sundown by Nora Roberts but she also ordered...

You Will Pay by Lisa Jackson

About "You Will Pay":

In a fast-paced, brilliantly twisted novel of suspense from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jackson, the deadly secrets of a long-ago summer stir to life once more.

It starts as a prank—a way to blow off steam after a long summer at Camp Horseshoe. Among the teen counselors, tensions and hormones are running high. No wonder the others agree when Jo-Beth Chancellor suggests they scare Monica O’Neal a little . . . or a lot. Monica has it coming, and no one will really get hurt. What could go wrong?

Everything.

Twenty years later, Lucas Dalton, a senior detective with the sheriff’s department, is investigating the discovery of human remains in a cavern at what used to be Camp Horseshoe. Lucas knows the spot well. His father, a preacher, ran the camp, and Lucas worked there that infamous summer when two girls went missing. No one knows what happened to either of them, though with a dangerous convict on the loose, gossip was rife that they may have been kidnapped, or worse.

For Lucas, the case is personal—perhaps too much so. But it’s time to uncover the whole truth at last. That’s why seven former female counselors are coming back to the small Oregon town—among them, Bernadette Alsace, the woman Lucas has never forgotten. Each one knows something about that terrible night. Each promised not to tell. And as they reunite, a new horror unfolds. First come texts containing a personal memento and a simple, terrifying message: YOU WILL PAY. Then, the murders begin.

It started years ago. But it will end here—as a web of lust, greed, and betrayal is untangled to reveal a killer waiting to enact the perfect revenge.

***

Prime Day is Coming Up!

Since Amazon Prime Day is on Tuesday (July 11) I'm thinking of breaking my book ban and seeing if I can score some deals on books I've had on my Amazon Wishlist for a while. Do you plan on shopping Amazon for Prime Day?

"What I'm Reading" Wednesday #81

I can't tell you how addicted I am to the book I'm reading this "WIR"-Wednesday! It's the sequel to a book I haven't yet read but I was able to jump right in with no problem! I'm reading...

Hunting Prince Dracula (Stalking Jack the Ripper #2) by Kerri Maniscalco

Blurb:

In this hotly anticipated sequel to the haunting #1 bestseller Stalking Jack the Ripper, bizarre murders are discovered in the castle of Prince Vlad the Impaler, otherwise known as Dracula. Could it be a copycat killer...or has the depraved prince been brought back to life?

Following the grief and horror of her discovery of Jack the Ripper's true identity, Audrey Rose Wadsworth has no choice but to flee London and its memories. Together with the arrogant yet charming Thomas Cresswell, she journeys to the dark heart of Romania, home to one of Europe's best schools of forensic medicine...and to another notorious killer, Vlad the Impaler, whose thirst for blood became legend.

But her life's dream is soon tainted by blood-soaked discoveries in the halls of the school's forbidding castle, and Audrey Rose is compelled to investigate the strangely familiar murders. What she finds brings all her terrifying fears to life once again.

Why I Chose This Book | What I Think So Far:

I've been dying to read this book since I first saw the cover and when I read an excerpt online I was even more eager. I was lucky enough to win an ARC in a giveaway and I started it almost as soon as I received it! It's such an easy book to read and I love the story.