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Showing posts from April, 2021

Monthly Summary; April 2021

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I figured out it was time to revive the monthly summary I'd done a few times in the past as I missed doing them. So in case you're curious about what I've read this month, as well as this month's book haul, feel free to check out these two lists. Books I've read in April 2021 Death in D Minor by Alexia Gordon Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake Sawkill Girls by Claire Legrand The Dead Don't Drink at Lafitte's by Seana Kelly Murder on the Moorland by Helen Cox Death Awaits in Durham by Helen Cox Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden Bookishness: Loving Books in a Digital Age by Jessica Pressman Harkworth Hall by L. S. Johnson Filipino Ghost Stories by Alex G. Paman April Book Haul Trenger deg død by Peter James (press copy) Nedtelling by Tina Frennstedt (press copy) Alle oss by A. F. Carter (press copy) Knokkelstøv by Anders Moe (press copy) Dette dreper oss by Tiger Garté (press copy) De valgte å sloss by Erik Thomassen (press copy) Uvigslet jord by Agnes

Book Tag; The Ultimate Recommendations Book Tag

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I came across The Ultimate Recommendations Book Tag created by  allonsythornraxx  and I decided to play along. The Rules Thank the person who nominated you Answer all the questions down below Pingback to the creator: Ellyn @ Allonsythornraxx Nominate 5+ bloggers to do this tag The Questions 1 Recommend a book from one of your favourite genres Slash by Hunter Shea 2 Recommend a short book Animal Farm by George Orwell 3 Recommend a book-to-screen adaptation Chocolat by Joanne Harris 4 Recommend a book out of your comfort zone Stoner by John Williams 5 Recommend a book series Georgia B&B Mystery by Anna Gerard 6 Recommend a standalone The Little Bookshop of Love Stories by Jaimie Admans 7 Recommend a book you don’t talk about enough The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova 8 Recommend your ‘staple’ book Dracula by Bram Stoker 9 Recommend the book/s that got you into reading I can't remember all the titles, but some of the authors are Astrid Lindgren, Roald Dahl, Anne Cath. Vestly and T

Top Five Wednesday; Underhyped Stars

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It's Wednesday and time for a new Top Five Wednesday post, courtesy of the Goodreads group with the same name . The theme of the week was underhyped books that you wish more people in the book community knew about. Here's my picks. Pharcel: Runaway Slave by Alick Lazare Description from Goodreads Pharcel stayed in the hut long after Coree Greg had left it. His mind was in turmoil as it swung around the rationality of Coree Greg's caution, the boldness of Bala's call for present action and Paulinaire's ideas about programmed unity among all colored people and an organized campaign against the white government. He trusted the wisdom of Coree Greg and he wanted to follow him; but he found the stirring challenge put forward by Bala irresistible. Pharcel, a runaway slave, is heavily sought by all the political forces on the small island of Dominica-the white English colonists, the revolutionary French, and the rebellious mulattos-for his role in the slave uprisings. To

Review; Goodnight Moo (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #2) by Mollie Cox Bryan

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Goodnight Moo (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #2) by Mollie Cox Bryan through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Welcome to Shenandoah Springs, Virginia, the bucolic small town where Brynn MacAlister keeps cows, churns cheeses--and is sharper than the ripest cheddar when it comes to solving mysteries . . . With a foster cow in her corral and a new calf on the way, Brynn MacAlister has a lot on her plate. Especially since her micro-dairy farm is hosting the first annual cheesemakers contest at this year's summer fair. A relative newcomer, Brynn's hoping the contest becomes a tradition, bonding her even more strongly to the community. But when a mysterious tractor accident looks suspiciously like murder, Brynn suspects someone is up to no-gouda . . . Some folks say the lead suspect was just defending his underage daughter from a suitor mo

Review; The Body Under the Bridge (DCI Craig Gillard Crime Thrillers Book 5) by Nick Louth

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the novel The Body Under the Bridge (DCI Craig Gillard Crime Thrillers Book 5) by Nick Louth through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads DCI Craig Gillard will be pushed to his limits… But will he break? It seems like a routine disappearance, a case of musician’s stage fright. As a senior detective, Craig Gillard isn’t sure why he’s even involved. Until it turns out the woman’s father is the German Minister of Justice, and the British Home Secretary is on the case too. But nothing about the case is simple. How does a woman on a train simply vanish? What do you do when a trail runs cold and the pressure is on? Before long the perpetrator has another target: DCI Gillard himself. What if the detective isn’t just running the case, but is part of it? The victim merely a lure for a bigger fish. The answer is under the bridge. The chilling setting for the bigges

Smakebit på Søndag; The Nidderdale Murders av J. R. Ellis

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Jeg fant ut det var på tide med en ny Smakebit på Søndag, som  Betraktninger  og  Flukten fra virkeligheten  har ansvaret for. Boka jeg vil ta for meg i dag er krimromanen The Nidderdale Murders av J. R. Ellis, som jeg leste for litt siden. Boka omhandler drapet på en tidligere dommer, som bosatte seg i Yorkshire Dales etter han pensjonerte seg. Politietterforskeren Oldroyd og teamet får saken, og etter hvert blir nok en person drept. Her kommer smakebiten; "It was a crisp, clear Friday morning in mid-September on the high moorland fells above Nidderdale, one of the Yorkshire dales. Early mist had cleared and the sky was blue. The lush fields were dotted with sheep and cows. The trees in the scattered areas of woodland were still in full leaf, but the bright green of summer was slowly fading to yellows and browns."

Review; Pulp Friction (A Cider Shop Mystery #2) by Julie Anne Lindsey

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Pulp Friction (A Cider Shop Mystery #2) by Julie Anne Lindsey through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Nothing's sweeter than a fruitful family business, and for Winona Mae Montgomery and her Granny Smythe, that means Smythe Orchards in Blossom Valley, Virginia. But this year's apple crop is especially juicy--with scandal . . . SEEDS OF DANGER Thanks to Winnie's new cider shop, Smythe Orchards is out of the red and folks can get their fix of the produce and other delectable products they love all year round. The locals are even booking the shop for events, including a June wedding! Winnie couldn't be happier to see the barn filled to the rafters for the big bash--until her doting ex, Hank, is caught in a heated argument with the groom. Winnie plans to scold Hank after the party, but spots him running off instead. And when t

Let's Talk Bookish; How Reading Affects Mental Health

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It's Friday and time for a new Let's Talk Bookish post, courtesy of  Eternity Books and Literary Lion . The theme of the week was how reading affects mental health. Personally, reading has for the most part a positive effect on my mental health as it gives me a "break" from reality and in general a lot of comfort. Reading books also allows me to see that I'm not alone, especially if I'm reading books with a mental health theme. That said, it may not the brightest idea to read books about suicide if one is suicidal, especially if the book "glorifies" suicide, but that's just my opinion (no offense against anyone, of course). Speaking of books and mental health, I do believe that in some cases,  bibliotherapy  would be a neat approach for some while in treatment for various mental health issues such as (mild) depression. I wish that Norway less conservative in the approach of new types of therapy, as there's no "one size fits all" in

Review; Evil by the Sea (A By the Sea Mystery #4) by Kathleen Bridge

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC for the cosy mystery Evil by the Sea (A By the Sea Mystery #4) by Kathleen Bridge through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Liz Holt is bewitched, bothered, and bewildered when a wicked killer objects to a wiccan wedding... Island life can get pretty weird. Wiccan weddings, psychic brides, mermaid parades, eccentric parrots...Novelist Liz Holt has gotten used to it since moving back to the barrier island of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and once again working in her family's hotel and emporium, the Indialantic by the Sea. But one thing she'll never get used to is murder. Groom-to-be and leader of the Sunshine Wiccan Society, white warlock Julian Rhodes is poisoned at his rehearsal dinner on the hotel's sightseeing cruiser. His psychic bride, Dorian Starwood, never saw it coming. An old friend of Liz's great-aunt Amelia, the celebrity psychic engage

Top Five Wednesday; Brighter Days

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It's Wednesday and time for a new Top Five Wednesday post, courtesy of the Goodreads group  with the same name. The theme of the week was "Brighter Days" and the description said "I think we can all agree that things aren’t quite perfect in the world right now, so to bring a little light to everyone’s day this week’s prompt is about books that brought a smile to your face!" So here's five books that brought a smile to my face. Where The Light Gets In by Lucy Dillon Description from Goodreads ‘You know those cracks in your heart, Lorna, where things didn’t work out, but you picked yourself up and carried on? That’s where the fear gets out. And where the light gets in.’ It was Betty, defiant to the end, who sent Lorna back to Longhampton. If Lorna’s learned one thing from Betty it’s that courage is something you paint on like red lipstick, even when you’re panicking inside. And right now, with the keys to the town’s gallery in her hand, Lorna feels about as co

Top Ten Tuesday; Colourful Book Covers

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It's Tuesday and time for a new Top Ten Tuesday post, courtesy of That Artsy Reader Girl . The theme of the week was colourful book covers. Here's my picks. Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Tropical Fish: Tales from Entebbe by Doreen Baingana Black Mamba Boy by Nadifa Mohamed The Almond by Nedjma The Story of a Goat by Perumal Murugan The Marriage Bureau for Rich People by Farahad Zama Evening is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan Beijing Doll by Chun Sue

Omtale; Tre små løgner av Laura Marshall

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I fjor var jeg såpass heldig at jeg fikk tilsendt et leseeksemplar av krimromanen Tre små løgner av Laura Marshall fra forlaget. Nå har jeg lest den og i dag kommer omtalen av boka. Beskrivelse fra forlaget Ny bok fra forfatteren av den britiske storselgeren Venneforespørsel. Hvis han ikke er den skyldige ... Hvem er det da? Sasha North er forsvunnet. Alle sier at hun har stukket av, men jeg vet bedre. Vi har vært bestevenner siden tenårene - helt siden den dagen Sasha flyttet inn i nabolaget, fascinerte alle og fargela hele tilværelsen min. Inntil et brutalt overfall endret livene våre for alltid. Jeg vet hva som skjedde den kvelden. Jeg vet hvem som ønsker å hevne seg. Og hvis Sasha er forsvunnet, betyr det at jeg er den neste på listen? Mine tanker om boka Tre små løgner er en sånn bok som gjør at en lurer på hva som egentlig er sannheten, hvem som er dine venner og om eller hva de skjuler. Det er en spennende bok som foregår både i nåtid og med tilbakeblikk, som gjør at

Smakebit på Søndag; Goodnight Moo (A Buttermilk Creek Mystery #2) av Mollie Cox Bryan

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Det er søndag og på tide med en ny Smakebit på Søndag, som  Betraktninger  og  Flukten fra virkeligheten  har ansvaret for. I dag vil jeg ta for meg en cosy mystery som omhandler blant annet kyr, småskala gårdsysteri og mystiske dødsfall. Smakebiten er fra begynnelsen av boka. "Spring wildflowers hung on throughout much of the season and Brynn and her cows enjoyed the honeysuckle, bluebells, and pink lady’s slipper in the fields. Brynn didn’t appreciate the humidity and heat, but she cherished the way the community gathered its resources for one of its biggest events of the year—the Shenandoah Springs annual fair. This year, Buttermilk Creek Farm was sponsoring for the first time a local cheesemakers’ shed and contest."

Review; Murder at the Natural History Museum (Museum Mysteries #5) by Jim Eldridge

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Last year I recieved an ARC of the historical mystery novel Murder at the Natural History Museum (Museum Mysteries #5) by Jim Eldridge through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads 1895. When the newly dubbed 'Museum Detectives' are asked to investigate deliberate damage to a dinosaur skeleton at the Natural History Museum, there is evidence that the fossil-hunting mania of the notorious Bone Wars in America may have reached their shores. But for Daniel Wilson, famed for his involvement in the Jack the Ripper case, and renowned archaeologist Abigail Fenton, events soon take a sinister turn... A museum attendant is found dead in an anteroom by none other than the infamous theatre manager Bram Stoker, who it seems may have had a personal connection with the deceased. Facing pressure both from an overseas business and local celebrity, Wilson and Fenton must rely on their talents and instincts to solve their most

Let's Talk Bookish; What Makes You Pick Up a Book?

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It's Friday and time for a new Let's Talk Bookish post, courtesy of  Eternity Books and Literary Lion . The theme of the week was "What makes you pick up a book?". There's various reasons why I pick up a book. I can't deny I love a pretty cover (don't even get me started on all the various editions I have of Bram Stoker's Dracula), but it takes more than just a pretty cover to win me over. No matter what, the synopsis/plot needs to sound interesting enough for me to bother picking it up, unless it is for my  World Literature Project , just so I can cross of yet another country. I'm also always in search of diverse reads and #ownvoices in general, especially LGBT+ books as I'm bi myself. That said, I do have some authors I'm autobuying, such as the historian James Holland.

Book Tag; Five Reasons I Love Reading Tag

I came across the Five Reasons I Love Reading Tag created by  A Bookish Chick  and I decided to play along. The Rules Tag the who created the tag ( A Bookish Chick ) Write the five reasons you love reading Tag five people or however many you want The Reasons It gives me a break from reality It's possible to learn something by reading It's entertaining It's possible to discuss books/literature with friends Books makes good gifts

Review; Dough or Die (A Bread Shop Mystery #5) by Winnie Archer

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery Dough or Die (A Bread Shop Mystery #5) by Winnie Archer through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Known for its mouthwatering traditional breads, the Yeast of Eden bakery has gained fame across Northern California's coast. Now the shop is bound for Reality TV--but a murder may kill its reputation . . . People come to the beach town of Santa Sofia as much for the healing properties of Yeast of Eden's breads as for a vacation getaway. And now a cable food channel has selected the bakery as a featured culinary delight for a new show. Baking apprentice Ivy Culpepper is excited as the crew arrives, ready to capture all the ins and outs of the renowned bread shop. But instead they capture something much harder to stomach: the attempted murdered of the show's cameraman just outside Yeast of Eden . . . With no motive and no clues, and the t

Review; Under the Guise of Death by Vivian Conroy

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Ages ago I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the crime novel Under the Guise of Death by Vivian Conroy through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Netgalley In the City of Masks, deadly secrets are about to be revealed… While attending a lavish masked ball in Venice, retired Scotland Yard detective Jasper has a shock when, at the midnight demasqué, he spots a woman whose accidental death he investigated in England three years ago. Even more stunned than Jasper is the woman's husband, Lord Bantham, who has since remarried, not to mention his new wife who sees her acquired position and wealth slip away. Then there are her old friends who all seem to have known more about the 'accident' than they ever let on. When the resurrected lady is found dead the next morning on one of Venice's many bridges, the question is: who wanted Lady Bantham to die, again? The third book in the Murder Will Follow seri

Review; On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J Duncan

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery On Deadly Tides: A Penny Brannigan Mystery by Elizabeth J Duncan through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Netgalley With a picturesque black and white lighthouse, pebble beaches and stunning views of sea and mountains, the island of Anglesey off the coast of North Wales is the perfect place for an idyllic mid-summer painting holiday. And watercolour artist, businesswoman, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan is enjoying the retreat enormously - until she discovers the body of a New Zealand journalist on a secluded beach just as the tide is going out, threatening to take the body with it. The post mortem reveals the victim died from injuries "consistent with a fall from a great height," and the death is ruled accidental. But Penny thinks there's more to the story. Curious how the victim came to such an untimely end at this most inhospitable spot,

#SixForSunday; Magical Books

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I came across the weekly meme called #SixForSunday, hosted by  A Little But A Lot and I decided to participate this week as the prompt of the week, magical books, looked fun. Here's my six picks; Swords, Sorcery & Self-Rescuing Damsels edited by Lee French and Sarah Craft Maiden, Mother, Crone: Fantastical Frens Femmes edited by Gwen Benaway The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend The Laird of Duncairn by Craig Comer Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Review; A Deadly Chapter: A Castle Bookshop Mystery (Castle Bookshop Mystery #3) by Essie Lang

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Last year I was fortunate enough to recieve an ARC of the cosy mystery A Deadly Chapter: A Castle Bookshop Mystery (Castle Bookshop Mystery #3) by Essie Lang through Netgalley. I read it shortly afterwards and today I'll post my review. Description from Goodreads Thousand Islands bookseller Shelby Cox is caught between a lethal rock and a hardheaded newcomer in Essie Lang's third Castle Bookshop mystery, a must-read for fans of Lorna Barrett and Vicki Delany. Wake up on a houseboat, moored in scenic Alexandria Bay, New York. Ride the gentle waves to work at quaint Bayside Books, where you spend your days supplying literature and conversation to the charming locals and seasonal tourists. Sounds pleasant, doesn't it? Except bookseller Shelby Cox has already sleuthed two murders from Bayside Books's home base on Blye Island, one of New York State's famed Thousand Islands. And this time, mayhem knocks right on Shelby's waterside door when she finds a body lodged be