When Boston librarian Iris Quinn turns 50, the reality of her safe, staid life suddenly becomes unbearable. She's never done anything spontaneous. Throwing all caution to the wind, she decides to make a long-held dream of hers come true. She drains her savings account to purchase a ticket for a luxury train ride from London to Istanbul aboard the famed Orient Express. Although Iris feels too plain and ordinary to be embarking on such a glamorous adventure, she's also utterly entranced. Feeling as if she's stepped inside an Agatha Christie novel, she vows to embrace the experience for all its worth. Just as she's starting to really enjoy herself, however, a passenger is killed—and a shrewd Swiss detective pegs Iris not only as a suspicious outsider but also as the prime suspect in the murder. Desperate to clear her name, she vows to use her keen observation skills to unmask the real killer. Can she solve the case before anyone else dies? Or will she become the murderer's next victim?

No One Sleeps on the Orient Express by Irene Hagan is the first installment in a promising new cozy mystery series. As a 50-year-old book lover myself, I found Iris to be a kindred spirit. She's down-to-earth, relatable, compassionate, and clever. Her habit of sorting everyone she meets into certain stereotypes from various literary genres made me laugh. I especially liked seeing how those people smashed through those tropes, teaching the shelted Iris that real people are much more complex than book characters. As for the other passengers on the Orient Express, there isn't time to get to know any of them very well. I would have liked to delve deeper into their backstories. In fact, No One Sleeps on the Orient Express may be the first cozy mystery I've ever read in which I wanted the book to be longer than it was. (It's only 249 pages.) The murderer's identity is a little too obvious; a more intricate plot with twists and red herrings (á la Ms. Christie) would have served the story well, I think. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed No One Sleeps on the Orient Express. The novel is atmospheric, funny, entertaining, and clean. I was thrilled to discover that the next installment, It Always Rains at Ashford Castle, comes out in September because I really can't wait to see what Iris gets up to next.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (naturally), Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, and With a Vengeance by Riley Sager)

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Cue the confetti cannons and fireworks! Bloggin' 'bout Books is TWENTY years old today. I can't believe I've been a part of the book blogging world for two whole decades. Astounding. In that time, I've read and reviewed hundreds of books, "met" lots of lovely blogger friends (some of whom I've been privileged to meet in person as well), made countless comments on other book blogs, participated in tons of blog tours, Book Blogger Hops, Top Ten Tuesdays, etc., and never taken a long blogging break. Participating in the book blogging world over these years has been a joy. Thank you for chilling here with me in my humble little corner of the Web. 

Stephen over at Reading Freely asked if I had any big plans to celebrate this milestone. I've been contemplating that, actually. I haven't been organized enough to come up with an amazing giveaway (Sorry!) and I've never been comfortable being on camera so I can't do a birthday candle blowout video like the cool Bookstagrammers do, but I have been thinking about my goals going forward. One result of being a long-time reader and book blogger is that I own mountains of books—some that have been sent to me by authors and publishers, some that I have purchased, some that just magically appear in the night while I'm sleeping. My bookshelves are literally bowing under the weight of my physical book collection. And we're not even going to talk about the 1000+ titles on my Kindle! While it's always good to have reading options, I feel like my hoarding book collecting is getting a little out of control. So, for my 20th blogiversary, I'm going to embark on a year-long book-buying ban so that I can concentrate on reading the books I already have and clearing off my poor overcrowded shelves, both physical and virtual. I'm a big library user; that won't change. I'll still read books I don't own, I just won't buy anymore. For a year. Think I can do it? I do, especially since I've been on a last meal-type book buying spree lately. Ha ha.

To show you what I'm dealing with, here are some unfiltered shelfies. (Instagram worthy, they are not!) I have two large bookshelves in my living room, which means that the first thing people usually say when they walk into my house is, "Whoa! That's a lot of books." And it is. My main bookshelf, which is about 9 feet tall and 12 feet long, houses both review books and those I've purchased. Next to it, my desk (which is probably 8 feet tall and 8 1/2 ish feet wide) holds review books as well as a few library books. The red cart on the left contains the rest of my library books as well as read titles waiting to be reviewed and books that will go into my Little Free Library when there is space. Under my desk, I have more donations for my LFL. 

There are other bookshelves in my home, but they house my husband's books. He may have just as many as I do! The struggle is real...

I needed a light, diverting read after buzzing through a series of intense books and You Had Me at Bigfoot by Nancy Campbell Allen provided the perfect pick-me-up. As you can tell from its cover and title, it's a fun novel, both a rom-com and a cozy mystery. It's being billed as Nancy Drew meets Scooby Doo, which is an apt description. With plenty of nods to both franchises, it's playful, campy, upbeat, and entertaining.

The story stars journalist Daphne Drew, a recent college graduate whose dreams of hosting a true crime podcast with a popular national syndicate, have just been cruelly dashed. When her aunt offers her a job writing for the sketchy tabloid magazine she's just purchased, Daphne takes it, not having a lot of other options. Her first assignment involves an awkward road trip to the Pacific Northwest with her gorgeous new co-worker, a former war photographer with PTSD. Along with their dogs, they head to Washington State to cover the society wedding of an octogenarian millionaire and his much younger fiancée. 

Naturally, nothing goes quite as planned. Not only are Daphne and Clark forced to share an outdated hotel room, but their accomodations appear to be haunted. Then, there are the Bigfoot sightings, the missing maid, and rumors about a treasure hidden somewhere in the hotel. Add in the usual wedding drama, along with what's sparking between Daphne and Clark, and you've got a very exciting weekend in the woods. If our dashing duo make it out alive, they might just have a career-making story to tell.

Like I said, You Had Me at Bigfoot is just as entertaining as it sounds. Is the plot predictable? It is. Is the romance a bit insta-lovey? Yes. Did I care? No. This book provides a quick, enjoyable story that made me smile. Bonus: in spite of the forced proximity trope, the tale is squeaky clean and very wholesome. If you're looking for an engaging read to lift your spirits, this is it. 

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

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First Ten Books I Reviewed on Bloggin' 'bout Books (Cover Edition) 

- titles link to my blog review -

1. The Peacegiver: How Christ Offers to Heal Our Hearts and Homes by James L. Ferrell—August 13, 2006

4. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards—September 1, 2006

5. Peace Like a River by Leif Enger—September 13, 2006

6. Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns—October 15, 2006

7. Two Little Girls in Blue by Mary Higgins Clark—November 2, 2006

8. The Ruins by Scott Smith—November 4, 2006

9. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean—November 30, 2006

10. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear—December 18, 2006

There you go, the first ten books I reviewed on this blog TWENTY years ago. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What was the first book you reviewed on your blog? I'd love to know! Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!