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Showing posts with label Anna Lee Huber. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anna Lee Huber. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Ships and Motorcycles)
I'm a little late to the party, but I didn't want to miss my favorite weekly meme. The prompt du jour is: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles/Books Featuring Travel. Other than a bunch of books about the Titanic, I don't have a lot of these types of reads on my TBR list, but I managed to scrounge up ten that have modes of transportation represented on the cover (even if the books aren't necessarily about traveling).
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Books on My TBR List With Modes of Transportation on the Cover
1. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin—This MG historical novel is about a puzzle-loving brother and sister duo who become code breakers in England during World War II.
2. Orphans of the Storm by Celia Imrie—Three passengers board the Titanic with different struggles and secrets. Their lives converge as the ship embarks on its doomed voyage, changing all of their fates.
3. Everyone On This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson—I loved the first book in this Australian mystery series, so I'm looking forward to #2. This time, our hero is traveling by train to Adelaide to attend a conference for mystery writers. When one of the passengers is killed en route, it's up to Ernest to figure out which of the authors on the train took their killing off the page and into real life.
4. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker—In this YA horror novel, Devon, a high school senior who's haunted by the recent murder of her sister, boards a plane that will whisk her and her classmates off on a class skiing trip. Their journey goes horribly awry when a terrifying supernatural creature appears, demanding the kids chose a passenger to sacrifice. When the being starts revealing everyone's darkest secrets, including that one of them murdered Devon's sister, the already devastating situation gets much, much worse.
5. The Other Passenger by Louise Candlish—Desperate to avoid the crowding and claustrophobia of commuting to his London job via the Tube, Jamie begins taking a riverboat to work. Pleased to find camaraderie and friendship among his fellow passengers, he's dismayed when one of them goes missing. He's even more troubled when the police question him about an argument he had with the vanished man. What happened to Kit? Did Jamie do more than just argue with him?
6. All the Lost Places by Amanda Dykes—Set in Venice, this historical novel is about a baby who is discovered floating down the canals in a basket. Decades later, a book translator starts investigating the mystery.
7. A Wealth of Deception by Trish Esden—This is the second installment in a cozy mystery series starring Edie Brown, an art and antiques dealer. When she comes across a disturbing collage created by a reclusive and mysterious artist, Edie finds herself embroiled in a mystery involving a dangerous art underground where some people would kill to protect themselves and their secrets.
8. Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber—Based on a real family, this novel features the three Fortune sisters—Alice, Flora, and Mabel—who are returning from their Grand Tour of Europe aboard the most famous ship ever built. Little do they know what awaits them aboard the ill-fated Titanic.
9. Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings—Violet's aunt is London's most popular advice columnist. When the older woman flits off with her newest lover, Violet is left holding her pen. The first letter she opens is from a lady who fears for her life. When Violet runs to her rescue, she discovers the woman is dead. Who killed her? It's up to Violet to find out.
10. A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks—Twenty-two years ago, Scarlet and Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. They lied to the police about what happened. Now, Pepper is also dead and her daughter, a budding investigative journalist, has come to Scarlet for answers. Scarlet's comfortable life will be shattered if the truth comes out. How can she stop her friend's daughter from destroying everything?
There you go, ten books on my TBR list with covers that feature modes of transportation. Have you read any of them? What are your favorite books featuring transportation/travel? 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!
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Shiny New Releases I Can't Wait to Read (Part Two)
I'm a little late to the party today, but I didn't want to miss my favorite weekly book blogger event. Today's prompt is an appropriate one for the start of a new year—Top Ten Bookish Goals for 2024—but I had so much fun with last week's topic—Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads Releasing in the First Half of 2024—that I decided to make a Part Two. (If you missed Part One, click here.) In addition to the up-and-comers on my TBR list that I didn't mention last week, I added a bunch more titles from your lists, and now I'm even more excited for 2024's exciting lineup of books.
Before we get to my list, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl and give our hostess, Jana, some love.
Top Ten Most Anticipated Reads Releasing in the First Half of 2024 (Part Two)
- in order of release date -
1. Trapped in Yosemite by Dana Mentink (available February 1)—I'm not a big fan of romantic suspense, but this one sounds exciting. When Yosemite National Park is leveled by a massive earthquake, a K9 handler and his ex-fiancee are thrown together to save the life of her young daughter. With dangers both natural and human throwing roadblocks in their way, they are quickly running out of time to save the child and themselves.
2. Embers in the London Sky by Sarah Sundin (available February 6)—When a young widow escapes to London after the Nazis invade The Netherlands, she becomes separated from her 4-year-old son. While working to help a British agency evacuate children to safety, she enlists the help of a handsome journalist to help her locate her lost boy. With bombs and a series of murders causing chaos in London, it's becoming increasingly clear that they are running out of time and into more danger than either one of them bargained for.
3. Sisters of Fortune by Anna Lee Huber (available February 20)—You all know I can't resist a Titanic book! Based on a true story, this historical novel concerns the Fortune sisters, three siblings returning home to the U.S. from their Grand Tour in Europe. Their voyage on the grandest ocean liner ever built changes all of their lives in irrevocable ways.
4. The Hidden Life of Cecily Larson by Ellen Baker (available February 20)—Billed as Orphan Train meets Water For Elephants, this historical novel concerns a young orphan who finds unexpected acceptance and belonging when she is sold to a traveling circus at four years old. Almost 100 years later, she receives a DNA kit as a gift, the results of which open up old secrets and new questions about her family, her past, and herself.
5. Baby X by Kira Peikoff (available March 5)—In this futuristic thriller, DNA from anyone can be used to create babies. Celebrity DNA is especially desirable, creating a thriving black market for eager fans who are also prospective parents. In an effort to prevent the theft of his biological matter, singer Trace Thorne hires Ember Ryan, a bio-security guard, to protect his interests. Despite Ember's strict protection, a pregnant woman claims to be carrying Trace's child. Is it true? What are Trace and Ember going to do about it?
6. These Tangled Threads: A Novel of Biltmore by Sarah Loudin Thomas (available April 2)—Almost a decade ago, the friendship between Lorna Blankenship and two of her friends was torn apart by a betrayal. Now, Lorna, a master weaver, has been given the opportunity of a lifetime to design a gown for Cornelia Vanderbilt's society wedding. In order to do it, she will have to face past secrets and hurts in order to reunite the women and enlist their help in accomplishing her monumental, life-changing task.
7. The Widow Spy by Megan Campisi (available April 9)—Based on a true story, this historical novel tells the story of Kate Warne, the first female Pinkerton detective. Also a Union spy, she's tasked with befriending a Confederate socialite. With a working-class background and secrets of her own that must stay hidden, that may be more difficult than it seems. If she can succeed in her mission, it could mean the end to America's bloody Civil War.
8. That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk (available June 11)—On the eve of their college graduation, seven students sneak into their school's rare books library to perform a Greek-inspired ritual asking for wisdom from the Gods. Minutes after they start, the lights go out and one member of the group drops dead. As more students die, the others must root out the murderer before it's too late for them all.
9. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (available June 18)—Emlyn is happy with the simple life she lives as a hunting and fishing guide in the wilds of Idaho, far away from her past life. When an old flame seeks her out to enlist her help in finding a mutual friend, who seems to have disappeared, Emlyn is reluctantly pulled back into a world she's desperate to leave behind. She can't deny that her survival skills make her especially suited for the task, so she reluctantly agrees to follow the man she once loved into the woods to search for her former best friend in spite of the increasing danger.
10. Secrets of Rose Briar Hall by Kelsey James (available June 25)—In Gilded Age New York City, a beautiful young woman marries a wealthy stockbroker and moves into his luxurious mansion. Everything changes after the party she throws for her husband's powerful associates goes awry somehow. Millie can't recall what happened at the event, but it must have been horrible for her friends to have shunned her, leaving her alone and bewildered in her cold, empty house. What really happened on the night of the party?
There you go, ten more 2024 releases I'm looking forward to reading. Do any of them strike your fancy? What new releases are you excited to crack open? What are your bookish goals for 2024? 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 am a week behind at the moment).
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Historical Mysteries I Want to Read (and Adore)
Self-help. Poetry. Celebrity tell-alls. Historical fiction. Mysteries and thrillers. Sci-fi/fantasy. Romance. Horror. We all have our favorite genres. Some of us stick to our tried-and-true ones, others of us read widely across a bunch of different genres. I tend to be the former, consuming mostly mysteries/thrillers and historical fiction, with occasional forays into ghost tales, dystopian stories, and narrative non-fiction. I feel like I've talked all of my go-to genres to death here on BBB, so I struggled to come up with something new and different for today's TTT prompt: Genre Freebie. (Top Ten Tuesday is, as always, hosted by Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.) Since nothing unique came to mind, I'm going to be boring and just riff on a genre I already talk about a lot. Sorry/not sorry. It's a great genre after all...
I've always loved historical fiction and mysteries, but I'm actually a bit new-ish to historical mysteries. As you will soon see, I particularly enjoy a juicy Victorian England/Scotland whodunit. I'm looking to expand my horizons, though, so hopefully you can help me out. I'm on the hunt for historical mystery series set between about 1800 and 1950 anywhere in the world. I prefer female sleuths, but I'm open to male ones as well. Mostly, I just want series with memorable characters, twisty mysteries, engaging writing, and without anything too graphic (think PG to PG-13). That's not too much to ask, is it? To give you a taste of what I like, here's a quick rundown of my current favorites:
A Rip Through Time series by Kelley Armstrong (Victorian Scotland)
Below Stairs Mysteries by Jennifer Ashley (Victorian England)
Myrtle Hardcastle series by Elizabeth C. Bunce (Victorian England.)
Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber (Victorian Scotland)
The Agency series by Y.S. Lee (Victorian England)
The Gilded Newport series by Alyssa Maxwell (Rhode Island, USA, 1890s)
Kinship series by Jess Montgomery (Ohio, USA, 1920s)
Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters (Victorian England/Egypt)
The Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn (Victorian England)
Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer (Victorian England)
So, what recs do you have for me? Which historical mystery series do you love? Here are ten I have my eye on (images are of the first installment):
Top Ten Historical Mystery Series I Want to Read
1. Rachel Savernake series by Martin Edwards—Set in 1930s London, this series stars the intrepid daughter of a well-known hanging judge who has an uncanny knack for solving the murders that stump Scotland Yard. Convinced Rachel is more than she seems, journalist Jacob Flint follows the amateur sleuth hoping to discover the secrets behind her sleuthing success.
2. Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn—When the titular heroine and private inquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane are brought together by the murder of Julia's husband, it becomes apparent that they make a good investigating team. Mysteries ensue. I believe this series is set in Victorian England.
3. Maggie Hope series by Susan Ella MacNeal—When Winston Churchill becomes prime minister in 1940, Maggie Hope is hired to be his secretary. Brilliant but overlooked because of her gender, Maggie's new position opens her up to an exciting array of unimaginable opportunities, including tantalizing mysteries begging to be solved.
4. Baskerville Hall series by Ali Standish—The first installment of this brand-new middle-grade series won't be available for a few more weeks, but I've got an ARC I'm excited to read. It imagines what might have happened if a young Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was recognized for his deductive brilliance and invited to attend a special school for gifted children. Spoiler alert: he and his schoolmates (including a boy named Jimmie Moriarty) find all kinds of mysteries to explore.
5. Louise Falk series by Liz Freeland—It's 1913 and 20-year-old Louise Falk has traded her Pennsylvania upbringing for the bright lights of New York City. Solving a murder that happened in her Greenwich Village apartment proves she has an aptitude for investigation. Soon, she's moving all over the city to sniff out criminals.
6. Verity Kent series by Anna Lee Huber—In post-World War I England, grieving widow Verity Kent is pulled into a mystery surrounding the death of her husband. Solving that one leads her to reluctantly take on more cases to help family and friends.
7. The Brontë Sisters series by Bella Ellis—Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë are smart, creative, and plucky women who are eager to use their talents for endeavors beyond keeping house. When a neighbor's disappearance leads them to launch their own amateur investigation, they realize that they make a fine team of detectors—even society frowns on them doing something so unladlylike.
8. Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens—This middle-grade series is set in an English boarding school in the 1930s. It stars Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong, who set up a secret detective agency to investigate crimes among their friends and classmates.
9. Mrs. Jefferies series by Emily Brightwell—Another series set in Victorian England (I just can't resist!), this one just sounds delightful. Mrs. Jefferies is the eagle-eyed housekeeper of a prominent Scotland Yard inspector. Her insights are the real key to his success as an investigator.
10. Victorian Book Club series by Callie Hutton—Set in Bath, England, in the 1890s, this series stars a female mystery author who solves real-life mysteries along with the members of her book club.
Phew! There you go, ten historical mystery series I already adore and ten I want to read (and adore). Which others would you recommend? What did you do for your genre freebie list today? 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 the comments you leave here.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, June 07, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Isn't It About Time?
Rainbow Stevie over at The Idealistic Daydream is one of my favorite book bloggers. Her posts are always fun, as are her thoughtful comments here on BBB. Not surprisingly, her prompt idea—Top Ten Books With a Unit of Time in the Title (seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, eternity, etc.)—which was chosen for today's TTT, is one that sounded enjoyable to complete, although it ended up being a little tougher than I thought it would be. I used Goodreads to find units-of-time books that are on my TBR pile mountain mountain chain. I've included a few of them on lists before, but most of these should be new mentions.
If this topic sounds like a fun one to you, hop on the TTT party train. It's a good time, I promise! Just click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Books On My TBR List With Units of Time in the Title
- in no particular order -
1. The Deadly Hours by Susanna Kearsley, C.S. Harris, Anna Lee Huber, and Christine Trent—This appropriately-titled novel, which consists of four linked stories, follows the path of a gold watch that is both priceless and cursed as it makes its way from owner to owner wreaking havoc along the way.
2. Ten Years in the Tub: A Decade Soaking in Great Books by Nick Hornby—What could be better than a book about books by an acclaimed, well-loved author?
3. The Disaster Days by Rebecca Behrens—Hannah Steele is babysitting her neighbor's kids when a violent earthquake rocks the tiny island they live on. With the bridge connecting the island to the mainland blocked, help is not on the way. A terrified Hannah is now in charge of keeping two little kids safe in a chaotic situation—without electricity, a cell phone connection, or her inhaler. What is she going to do?
4. 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher—This is the third book in a cozy mystery series starring a Nantucket candlemaker. I haven't read the first one yet, but hopefully it will be enaging enough that I want to read the next installments.
5. These Days by Lucy Caldwell—Set in 1941 Ireland, this novel focuses on the relationship between two sisters as they fight to survive the Belfast Blitz.
6. When Time Stopped by Ariana Neumann—Also set in 1941, this Holocaust memoir is about a daughter's search for answers in her family's experience in Nazi Berlin and Prague. This one is a little bit of a cheat since it has "time" in the title instead of a unit of time, but oh well...the book sounds fascinating.
7. The Second Mother by Jenny Milchman—Needing a new start in a place where no one knows her secrets, Julie Weathers accepts a position as a teacher in a one-room schoolhouse on a remote island in Maine. It's not long before Julie realizes she's made a grave mistake...
8. Six Months Later by Natalie D. Richards—I found a copy of this time-slip novel while packing up my bookshelves. It's about a high schooler who falls asleep in study hall and wakes up six months later, with her whole world changed. What in the world happened while she was sleeping?
9. Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: An Introvert's Year of Living Dangerously by Jessica Pan—This book sounds entertaining and oh-so-relatable.
10. The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati—Another book I rediscovered while cleaning off my bookshelves, this historical is about two female cousins who spend their days helping New York City's most desperate people during its glitziest era.
There you go, ten books I want to read that have units of time in their titles. What do you think? Have you read any of these? Which books did you choose to highlight? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will happily return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: The Mystery of the Catch-Up Reader
What do you want to accomplish in 2021? Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do you keep them? Are you a person who chooses a focus word/idea to guide your choices throughout the year? I've always been a great goal maker, but not a very good goal achiever! Because of my son's wedding in early January, my usual New Year's tasks were postponed, so I haven't made any resolutions yet. It feels very liberating, let me tell you! I may use February 1st as my January 1st or I may not make any resolutions at all. We'll see. I am curious what you all do and how well your methods work, though, so please share. I need some motivation (obviously).
Today's Top Ten Tuesday is all about our hopes and goals for the new year. Book/blog-wise, my only real aims are to read 200 books in 2021 and to complete the reading challenges I've taken on. If I fail completely? No biggie. These are just-for-fun goals. Since I'm not really sure about what else I want to accomplish this year, on the blog and off, I'm not going to do today's topic of Top Ten Goals and Hopes for 2021. Instead, I'm going to steal a topic that Katherine over at I Wish I Lived in a Library did last week: Top Ten Series I Want to Finish/Catch Up On By the End of the Year (check out her list here). I love series, especially mystery ones, but I get stuck in the middle of them all the time. 2021 seems like a good time to catch up!
Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun. This is an awesome weekly meme that encourages bloggers to spread the love throughout our wonderful book blogosphere. It's a great way to get involved in the community, find new blogs, revisit old favorites, and, of course, add more books to your TBR pile mountain mountain chain. What's not to love? Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the TTT deets.
Top Ten Mystery Series I Want to Finish/Catch Up On Before the End of the Year (in no particular order)
1. Name: The Noodle Shop Mystery series
Author: Vivien Chien
Description: Cozy culinary mysteries revolving around a Asian-American family that runs a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland
Books in series so far: 8 (two of which come out in 2021)
Books I've read: 5
Next up for me: Killer Kung Pao
2. Name: The Gilded Newport Mystery series
Author: Alyssa Maxwell
Description: Cozy historical mysteries starring a poor Vanderbilt relation who gets caught up in upstairs/downstairs tangles of all sorts
Books in series so far: 9 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 2
Next up for me: Murder at Beechwood
3. Name: Lady Darby Mystery series
Author: Anna Lee Huber
Description: Set in 1830's Scotland, this mystery series features a widow whose former occupation as an anatomist's assistant makes her especially suited to help solve confounding murder mysteries.
Books in series so far: 9 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 2
Next up for me: A Grave Matter
4. Name: The Bakeshop Mystery series
Author: Ellie Alexander
Description: Cozy culinary mystery series set in a family-owned bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon
Books in series so far: 13 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 1
Next up for me: A Batter of Life and Death
5. Name: The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series
Author: Amanda Flower
Description: Cozy mystery series set in a family-owned candy shop in the heart of Ohio's Amish country
Books in series so far: 7 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 3
Next up for me: Toxic Toffee
6. Name: The Ruth Galloway Mystery series
Author: Elly Griffiths
Description: An English archeologist helps solve mysteries involving bones and secrets
Books in series so far: 13 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 4
Next up for me: A Dying Fall
7. Name: Below Stairs Mystery series
Author: Jennifer Ashley
Description: London's best cook is also a keen observer and amateur detective
Books in series so far: 5 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 3
Next up for me: Murder in the East End
8. Name: Inspector Armand Gamache Mystery series
Author: Louise Penny
Description: Canada's best detective solves puzzling mysteries, with a special interest in those originating from the small town of Three Pines
Books in series so far: 17 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)
Books I've read: 11
Next up for me: A Great Reckoning
9. Name: Shetland Mystery series
Author: Ann Cleeves
Description: Crime series set in the Shetland Islands
Books in series so far: 8
Books I've read: 3
Next up for me: Blue Lightning
10. Name: Lucy Campion Mystery series
Author: Susanna Calkins
Description: A chamber maid solves mysteries in plague-ridden 17th Century England
Books in series so far: 5
Books I've read: 0
Next up for me: A Murder at Rosamund's Gate
There you go, ten mystery series I want to catch up on in 2021. Are you a fellow fan of these series? Which mystery series are your favorites? Which series in other genres do you enjoy? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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