Although I like its lazy, daze-y vibe, summer is actually my least favorite season. I've lived in blistering hot Arizona for 25 years, but I'll always be a Pacific Northwest girl at heart. Give me cloudy skies, a brisk wind, and a fine drizzle, and I'm a happy camper. Sunscreen, sandy toes, and triple digit temperatures? Not so much! Still, when I think of summer, I do think immediately of beaches (even though my backyard swimming pool is much more my speed), which gave me a good idea for today's Top Ten Tuesday prompt: Summer Freebie. Since my favorite genre is mystery/thriller and I especially like ones with a water-y setting, I'm going to feature mysteries and thrillers on my TBR list that are set by the ocean.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney—It has taken FOREVER for me to climb to the top of the library's hold list for Feeney's newest, but I finally made it. Yay! The story revolves around an author who calls his wife to share some good news while she's driving home. He hears her brakes squeal, her door slam, and then...silence. When her car is later discovered on the edge of a cliff, Abby's possessions are there, but she's not. One year later, Grady has no answers about his wife's disappearance. Paralyzed with grief, he travels to a remote Scottish island to try to rebuild his life. He's stunned when he sees a woman there who looks just like his wife. Is it her? What really happened to Abby Green?

2. No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding by Catherine Mack—Set on California's Catalina Island, this is the second entry in a fun mystery series. Bestselling mystery author Eleanor Dash is attending her best friend's wedding. The joyous occasion is marred when Eleanor receives a note warning that someone is going to die at the event. Still reeling from her last amateur murder investigation, the writer reluctantly takes the case. 

3. Secrets at the Last House Before the Sea by Liz Eeles—When her mother dies, a grieving Rosie Merchant travels to the seaside hamlet of Heaven's Cove in Devon, England, to prepare her mom's cottage for rental. Liam, a handsome neighbor, volunteers to help her with the daunting task. Their developing relationship brings some needed sunshine into Rosie's life. Then, she finds a disturbing photograph in her mother's attic, a picture that speaks of the heartbreaking secret that first brought the woman to Heaven's Cove. Liam's reaction to the discovery is...odd. Does he already know the truth about her mother's past? Can she trust him or is he only helping her to protect his own interests? 

4. Such a Good Mom by Julia Spiro—From the outside, Brynn's life on Martha's Vineyard looks perfect. She has a healthy new baby, a loving husband, a profitable career, and a full life in a beautiful location. Secretly, though, she's struggling with postpartum depression, the distance she feels in her marriage, and a hectic lifestyle that's pulling her apart at the seams. When a family friend is found dead and suspicion turns her husband into the police's prime suspect, Brynn fears the stress may send her over the edge. No matter how crazy her life already is, though, she won't rest until she finds her friend's killer—even if it's her own husband.

5. Clammed Up by Barbara Ross—The first installment in a cozy mystery series set in Maine, this novel features a woman who returns to her hometown in order to save her family's clambake business. When a corpse is found at her family's home, however, she must channel her inner Nancy Drew and unmask a murderer.

6. You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego—Mila del Angél is thrilled when a famous author asks her to host a retreat for writers at his home on a private island in Maine. The guest list includes someone who has deeply wronged her; this is the perfect opportunity to make them disappear forever. When a different murder takes place during the event, Mila is stunned. And that's only the beginning. A storm is blowing in, the body count is rising, and it's up to Mila to save herself and everyone left on the island from a ruthless killer. 

7. The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey—This novel is set on a remote Scottish island inhabited by more sheep than humans. It's known for an unsolved mystery in which three lighthouse keepers disappeared without a trace in 1919. When a body is found washed up on shore near the infamous lighthouse, two Glasgow detectives are sent in to investigate. It soon becomes clear that the island is hiding its fair share of secrets and the locals are none too eager to spill them to a couple of big city policemen. 

8. A Death at Seascape House by Emma Jameson—In this cozy mystery series opener, librarian Jemima Jago is offered the opportunity of a lifetime to catalog a stunning collection of shipwreck records. The only problem? It requires returning to the Cornwall island she vowed she would never step foot on again. Unable to refuse the offer, she returns home. Before long, she finds herself the prime suspect in the murder of the town busybody. Jemima knows she didn't do it. Who did? If she wants to clear her name, she'll have to find out.

9. Dreaming of Water by A.J. Banner—Astrid Johansen swore she would never return to the oceanside town in Washington State where her younger sister drowned under Astrid's care. When her aunt sends her an urgent plea to come home, Astrid can't say no. To her horror, she arrives to find that her aunt is in a coma after a possible attack. Why did the older woman call Astrid home so urgently? Was she about to reveal a long-held secret that threatened the wrong person? Astrid won't leave until she finds out.

10. The Resort by Sarah Ochs—Years ago, Cass escaped to Koh Sang Resort, a world-famous party place on a remote island in Thailand. Now, she's a dive instructor on the island, which is populated by The Permanents, a group of carefree expats who live in the now, having left their pasts in the past. When a dive student is found dead, their idyllic island life is shaken. And not for the first time. Someone on the island is a killer, and it's up to Cass to find out who.

There you go, ten seaside mystery/thriller novels I'm eager to read. Have you read any of them? Do you have any favorites that would fit this list's theme? I'd love any recs! Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. 

Happy TTT! 

I'm late with this post once again. Some months it's just impossible for me to get them done in time. I'm probably the only one who notices, but I still feel like a slacker. Sorry! 

Anyway, July was a great month for me as far as bookish books go. I read these five:

Homecoming by Kate Morton—Funny enough, I can't remember why I marked this novel as bookish. My aging memory makes it tough to remember things sometimes! Ha ha. 

The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson—When Lucy's caregiver dies, she is taken in by a kind family of lighthouse keepers who lives on a remote island in the middle of Lake Superior. The orphaned, grief-stricken child must adjust to a very different sort of life than she's known before. One of her saving graces is reading. She eagerly anticipates the arrival of a sort of floating library that delivers books to island inhabitants every month. So cool!

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish—The first in a middle-grade mystery series, this book features a young Arthur Conan Doyle. He's recruited to attend a secret school for extraordinary students. There, he meets a colorful group of children, has many adventures, and—at the very end—is introduced to the famous detective who will be his mentor, Sherlock Holmes.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney—Books aren't a huge theme in this mystery/thriller, but one of the main characters is a librarian in a women's prison. She talks about the power of reading in her life and in the lives of the inmates. 

Library Girl by Polly Horvath (available September 10, 2024)—This middle-grade story is about a girl who is left in a library as an infant and raised at the library in secret by a group of librarians. As much as I loved the premise, the book fell flat for me. It's far-fetched (naturally), but it's also dull and old-fashioned. It does make some lovely statements about books and reading, though. 

Recommended for You by Laura Silverman—This YA rom-com is about two teenagers who work at an Atlanta bookstore. When their boss announces a contest giving a large cash prize to the employee who sells the most books over the holidays, they become bitter rivals in an escalating game. Naturally, they fall for each other while competing for the big prize.

I'm a little late to the TTT party today, but I hate missing out on this fun weekly event, so here I am! Today's prompt—Top Ten New-to-Me Authors I Discovered in 2023—is an easy one, at least for me. I counted it up and of the 223 books I read last year, 146 of them were by authors I had never read before. Many of them were debut authors, although a few were by authors who have been around for awhile that I've just never tried out before. I love discovering great new writers to love, especially when they have a long backlist for me to explore. 

Before we get to my list, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our fabulous host, Jana, some love.

1. Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows—I realize this is three authors, but since I've only ever read the books they've written together, I'm going to count them as one. This creative trio pens a wholly entertaining YA series that I discovered last year with My Calamity Jane, an alternate history (with werewolves!) novel set in the Wild West. I enjoyed it so much, especially on audio, that I've since listened to My Plain Jane and am currently in the middle of My Imaginary Mary. The books mix history, sci-fi/fantasy, horror, humor, (a little bit of) romance, and lots of imagination to create funny, action-packed romps that are just all-over delightful. Bonus: they're PG rated, which is not always easy to find in YA.

2. Alice Feeney—Daisy Darker is, well, dark, but it's also engrossing and compelling. Even though I saw the Big Plot Twist coming, I still quite enjoyed the read (listen, actually). I'll definitely pick up more of Feeney's books.

3. Meg Shaffer—Shaffer's debut, The Wishing Game, got a lot of buzz when it came out and deservedly so. While it may not be the most unique or pulse-pounding read, it's wholesome and uplifting, a happy book that made me smile. I need more of those in my reading life, so hopefully Shaffer's next novel will have a similar vibe. (I just looked it up and The Lost Story, a "wondrous" novel about two boys' mysterious disappearance in a mysterious land, is coming out on July 4. Yay!)

4. Erin Bow—I loved Bow's latest, a contemporary middle-grade novel called Simon Sort of Says. Bow mostly writes fantasy, which isn't really my thing, but I'm definitely up for more realistic fiction by her.

5. Katherine Marsh—Speaking of realistic middle-grade fiction, I also really liked Marsh's moving historical novel, The Lost Year. As with Bow, I'm looking forward to reading more of her realistic fiction.

6. Nicole Deese—Christian fiction can be hit or miss for me. Before I Called You Mine was the former. You better believe I'll be checking out Deese's backlist and watching what she does going forward.

7. Peng Shepherd—The Cartographers is an imaginative adult portal fantasy that doesn't really feel like fantasy (if that makes sense). I enjoyed it, though, and plan to look for more books by Shepherd. Ooh, I just checked out her website and her forthcoming book, All This & More (available July 9, 2024), sounds super intriguing!

8. Carlene O'Connor—I enjoyed the first book in O'Connor's new County Kerry mystery series and am looking forward to the next one. The author also pens a couple of cozy mystery series set in Ireland that I want to check out.

9. Emily Inouye Henry—Henry's debut, a YA historical novel about discrimination against Japanese Americans during World War II, was inspired by her own family history. It's a beautiful, touching book that I loved. Henry's sophomore effort is a picture book biography about a Japanese American NBA star. I'm not really interested in that, but I'll be keeping an eye out for whatever Henry does next.

10. John David Anderson—Anderson's latest middle-grade novel, The Greatest Kid in the World, made me laugh out loud, but it also has a tender poignancy that touched me. I had never heard of the author before; obviously, I've been missing out!

There you go, ten new-to-me authors that I found last year. Have you read any of them? Which of their books are your favorites? Which awesome writers did you discover in 2023? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here (although I'm a little behind currently).

Happy Halloween! I'm actually not a big fan of this holiday. Never really have been, even as a kid. However, I do enjoy a shivery tale (as long as it's not TOO scary because I'm also a wimp) this time of year. We'll get to that in a minute.

First, some exciting news:

My Little Free Library is finally open for business! Other than some clean up from the landscape company (hence the fences in the background) and a few plants that need to go in, our big front yard remodel is done. After almost a year of sitting in boxes in my hallway, my LFL is finally set up. Isn't it cute? We live right by a community mailbox, so I'm hoping it will get lots of traffic. 

Okay, on to our Top Ten Tuesday prompt for today. (As always, TTT is hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) I was going to compile a list of my favorite "spooky" book authors for today's Halloween freebie, but as I started doing it, it seemed awfully...familiar. Looking back at previous years confirmed that I had already created such a list for TTT a couple years ago. Since the lists were pretty much identical, I bagged that idea. (If you want to see my list of My Top Ten Favorite Go-To Authors for Haunting Halloween-ish Reads from 2021, click here.) Since I can't think of anything more creative, today I'm going to talk about ten spooky books on my TBR list. I'm a bit of a wuss, so "spooky" for me is probably not nearly as scary as it is for you!

1. The Only One Left by Riley Sager—Sager is one of my favorite writers of creepy, atmospheric books. His newest features a reclusive elderly woman, notorious for allegedly murdering her family as a teenager, who decides to finally tell the real story behind the killings. Is the crone an innocent woman whose life was ruined by false accusations? Or is she a cold-blooded murderer who's not done with her dark work?

2. Murder Road by Simone St. James (available March 4, 2024)—I've got an e-ARC of St. James' latest, which tells the story of a young couple who take a wrong turn while looking for the resort where they're planning to spend their honeymoon. They pick up a hitchhiker, who they realize only belatedly is bleeding profusely. When the girl later dies, the newlyweds become suspects in her murder. A string of unsolved killings has been happening along that same deserted highway. As the couple investigates, desperate to clear their names, they find that something otherworldly is at work. 

3. The Last One by Will Dean—This chilling novel is about a new couple who decide to take a trip on a luxury cruise ship together. On the morning of their second day at sea, Caz wakes up to find her boyfriend gone. When she steps outside her room, she discovers that he's not the only one. All the passengers and crew members have disappeared, leaving Caz in the middle of the ocean by herself. What happened? How will she save herself from whatever menace made an entire cruise ship of people vanish?

4. My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon—McMahon's books never fail to thrill (and terrify) me! Her newest effort is about a woman who is persuaded to take in her dying mother for one last Christmas together. After living with her mom's verbal abuse and alcoholism for too long, the two have been estranged for years. One final bid for quality time together turns into a nightmare when strange things begin happening and the daughter starts to wonder if her parent has been possessed by a demon.

5. The Girl in White by Lindsay Currie—This MG novel is set in a small town that's proud as punch of its reputation as one of the region's most haunted places to visit. New to Eastport, Mallory definitely feels unsettled by the place. She's having nightmares, missing chunks of time, and feels like she's being watched. When Mallory encounters the same terrifying old woman she's been dreaming about, things start to get really weird...

6. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney—Feeney's latest features an elderly woman living in a nursing home and the enigmatic woman who cares for her. Both of them have secrets concerning a kidnapped baby and the murder of an old lady. How do the cases connect? The two women will find out when they filter through each other's lies to discover the truth. 

7. The Dark by Emma Haughton—Emergency room doctor Kate North has been upended by a personal tragedy. Eager to start over somewhere else, she takes the opportunity to be the emergency replacement for a doctor at a UN research center in Antarctica. Her predecessor died in an accident on the ice. As the winter darkness descends, Kate begins to suspect there's more to his death than meets the eye. Completely cut off from civilization and fumbling around in almost total darkness, it's up to her to figure out what really happened. 

8. Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas—It seems like everyone's read this dark academia novel but me. It's set at an exclusive college, famous for nurturing the world's most promising minds. Students are required to spend three years at the isolated institution, leaving music, media, friends, family, even their clothes behind. First-year student Ines is ready to soak in the intoxicating environment, but when a tragedy occurs, she starts to realize just how trapped she really is in a place that is much darker and more dangerous than she ever could have imagined.

9. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker—This YA horror novel concerns a group of teenagers who board a plane flight, headed for a school ski trip. A terrifying supernatural creature takes over the flight, demanding that one of the passengers be sacrificed or all of them will die. As the kids scramble to save themselves, each person's deepest, darkest secrets are revealed, including the truth behind the death of one teen's sister.

10. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong—In post-World War I England, Ruby Vaughn runs a rare bookstore in Exeter. When a customer in Cornwall requests a box of books, she's forced to deliver them, even though she swore she would never return to the area. Imposing Penryth Hall is the home of a former friend and her husband. After an unnerving night spent in their presence, Ruby is anxious to leave. Then, the husband turns up dead, launching a murder investigation and frantic talk of an old curse returning to haunt the present. 

There you go, ten spooky books that are haunting my TBR list. Have you read any of them? What did you think? What did you do for today's Halloween freebie? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. I also reply to comments left here (although I am a week behind at the moment).

It's August already. Huh. How did that happen? July was a busy month for me and my family, but I still managed to read two bookish books:

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney centers around an eccentric old woman who is also a well-known author of children's books. She invites all the members of her dysfunctional family to her private island to celebrate her 80th birthday. Tension is already high, even before the birthday girl is found dead in her kitchen. Her death is just the beginning of a violent, deadly game reminiscent of And Then There Were None. Who is killing off the Darkers? And why?

This thriller is exactly what it says it is—dark—and yet, I found it irresistibly compelling and clever. I listened to the book on audio and the narrator, Stephanie Racine, gives a pitch-perfect performance that matched the story to a T. 

I also enjoyed The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer. This gentle novel is also about a famous author who lives on his own private island. In this case, he's a recluse who hasn't penned a new book in years. When Jack Masterson announces he's finally written another novel and he's offering it as a prize to the winner of an exclusive competition he's hosting, everyone is shocked. The hand-picked contestants have to solve puzzles in a race against time—and each other—to earn the life-changing prize. 

Unlike Daisy Darker, this book is uplifting, optimistic, and magical. I really liked it. 

As for bookish books to read in August, I'm hopefully going to pick up some of the ones I've mentioned already in these monthly posts. I'm not going to add anymore to the list at this point. However, I did just learn some exciting news. Jennifer Ryan—one of my favorite authors of World War II fiction—has a novel coming out in 2024 titled The Underground Library. It's about three very different women who come together to save the library that means everything to them amidst the chaos of war. I can't wait!

What bookish books did you read in July? Which are you planning to pick up in August?

Even though I try to keep my Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl) posts positive, I'm going to start this one by complaining about the heat because, WOW! Here in the Phoenix area, we're heading into the twelfth day in a row of temperatures above 115 degrees. Yes, really. It's awful. The air conditioning in my house is having trouble keeping up and the water in my backyard swimming pool is as warm as a bath. Ugh. With all the extreme heat warnings being sounded, it's clearly safest for me to stay home ( with a/c blasting and ceiling fans whirling) and read. Fine by me! I hope your local weather is less extreme than mine and that you're staying safe and cool this summer.

Like I mentioned, I'm going to give today's TTT prompt a wide berth since it feels too negative to me. (It even comes with a warning not to book bash!) The official topic is: Top Ten Most Recent Books I Did Not Finish (Feel free to tell us why if you want, but if you do, please be nice to the authors and don't tag them when you mention your post on social media!) Not every book is going to work for every reader, obviously, and that's okay. When I DNF one, it's usually because it has one or more of the following issues: a boring plot, characters I don't care about, clunky writing, or content that is too graphic/crude for me. 

In searching for an alternate list topic today, I decided to go with one I've seen lots of other book bloggers doing in recent weeks: The Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag. I'm not sure with whom this meme originated (Anyone know?), but it's a fun way to look back at what you've read so far this year and what you still hope to accomplish before the year ends. 

Out of the 103 books I've read this year, here are...

1. The Best Book You've Read So Far in 2023:

I'd say it's a toss-up between these two. 

2. The Best Sequel of 2023 So Far?

I've binged a bunch of Kelley Armstrong's books this year (six and counting), but The Poisoner's Ring is the one that stands out in this category. Armstrong's Rip Through Time series is just incredibly fun so far.

3. The New Release You Haven't Read Yet But Want To:

4. The Most Anticipated Release for the Second Half of 2023:

I'm reading this one right now and really enjoying it. It comes out on November 7.

5. Biggest Disappointment?

I usually really enjoy Megan Miranda's thrillers, but this one was a slog and peopled with characters I didn't care about to boot.

6. Biggest Surprise?

I don't read a lot of contemporary general fiction, but someone suggested this one for book club. I thought it might be a little silly, but it was actually quite charming. Also, funny, uplifting, and insightful. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would.

7. Favorite New Author (Debut or New to You):

I really enjoyed Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, so I'll definitely be checking out her other books.

8. Newest Fictional Crush?

Book boyfriends are not my thing, but my favorite fictional couple these days is Detective Casey Duncan and her common law husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton. They're the stars of the Rockton series by Kelley Armstrong. I started the books a few years ago, but I finished the series this year so I'm counting it here.

9. Newest Favorite Character(s):

Enola Holmes, Sherlock's crime-solving younger sister, is pretty delightful!

10. Book That Made You Cry?

What Stands in a Storm by Kim Cross is about a series of vicious tornadoes that wreaked havoc on Alabama and Mississippi in 2011. While the book describes a lot of horrifying situations, it also focuses on how people came together in the aftermath to help one another search for missing loved ones, mourn the dead, clean up devastated communities, and heal from trauma the storms wrought. Those stories definitely had me choking up.

That's it for my mid-year reading assessment. How would you answer these questions? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy TTT!