Search This Blog

2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


27 / 30 books. 90% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


39 / 50 books. 78% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona
- Arkansas (1)
- California (7)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (2)
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (2)
- England (21)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (2)
- Italy (1)
- Mexico (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (1)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)

My Progress:


34 / 51 states. 67% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 25 books. 96% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


29 / 50 books. 58% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


38 / 52 books. 73% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 52 books. 65% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


22 / 40 books. 55% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


24 / 51 books. 47% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


19 / 25 books. 76% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


44 / 52 books. 85% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

My Progress:


54 / 65 books. 83% done!

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

My Progress:


55 / 55 books. 100% done!

2026 Series Reading Challenge


23 / 36 books. 64% done!

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

My Progress:


70 / 125 books. 56% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

My Progress:


9 / 9 books. 100% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

My Progress:


36 / 60 books. 60% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

My Progress:


7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

My Progress:


67 / 125 books. 54% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

My Progress:


4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Showing posts with label Erika Swyler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Erika Swyler. Show all posts
Friday, October 02, 2015

Dark, Brooding Circus Tale Absorbing and Memorable

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Simon Watson spends his days trying to keep his job as a librarian while his family home slowly crumbles into the Long Island Sound.  Built in the 1700s, the house has been witness to plenty of history, including the drowning of Simon's mother and the subsequent grief that tormented his father until he, too, passed away.  All 29-year-old Simon has left is his younger sister, Enola.  Following in the footsteps of their mother, who once earned her living as a circus mermaid, Enola works as a fortune teller for a traveling carnival.  She hasn't been home in six years.  Until a series of disturbing tarot card readings send her back in a panic.  

The librarian is already unnerved by the surprise arrival of an old book on his doorstep.  Sent by a stranger who bought it on speculation, the tome is a log kept by Hermelius Peabody, troupe master of the once great Peabody's Portable Magic and Miracles Show.  Peabody's mention of a mysterious mermaid, who drowned on July 24 just like Simon's mother, convinces Simon that his family history is somehow tangled up in that of Peabody's strange circus.  Worried about the disturbing pattern of women in his family dying by intentional drowning, Simon can't help but fret for his unstable sister.  Has Enola come home only to throw herself in the sea?  Can Simon stop her before she does something terrible?  With his job gone, his house falling into the Sound, and his sister unraveling before his eyes, Simon becomes obsessed with the circus log.  Can he pull himself out of his own manic study long enough to save Enola?  Himself?  Or will the ruined house watch more Watsons die in the churning sea below?  

The Book of Speculation, a broody, atmospheric debut by Erika Swyler, tells an intricately woven story about the dark history of Simon's family.  Moving between the present and the past, it offers a compelling then and now tale that gets increasingly tense as July 24th approaches for Simon and Enola.  With vivid portrayals of circus life, the novel exudes a strange, potent magic.  The author's evocative illustrations only make it more intriguing.  While The Book of Speculation isn't exactly a page turner, it is utterly absorbing.  And memorable.  Overall, I found myself quite mesmerized by it.  If you enjoyed The Night Circus (which I did) or Water for Elephants (which I actually didn't care for that much), give this one a shot.  Chances are, it will bespell you just as thoroughly as it did me.  


Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language, violence, and sexual content

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find
Tuesday, July 28, 2015

TTT: Fictional Bookworms, Unite!


I love Top Ten Tuesday, especially when the ladies over at The Broke and the Bookish provide us with a really fun topic to ponder.  This week's certainly fits the bill:  Top Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds.  It was actually harder than I thought it would be to come up with ten, but I managed!

Before I get to my list, though, I want to be sure you all know about the giveaway I'm running right now.  Courtesy of the wonderful folks at Doubleday, I'm giving away a hardcover copy of Jennifer McMahon's spooky new thriller, The Night Sister.  It's a shivery, twisty novel that's so well crafted it will keep you reading and guessing 'til the very end.  Trust me, you want to win this book.  The giveaway ends on Saturday, August 8, so enter today.
Okay, on to the list.  I predict that my first five choices are going to be making lots of appearances today.  Maybe the last half will be more unique?  We'll see.  As always, I would love to take a look at your list.  Leave me a comment and I'll be more than happy to return the favor.

Top Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds: 


1.  Hermione Granger (Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling)—No surprise here!  Hermione is an unabashed bookworm, and thank goodness for that.  How many times does she save herself, her friends, and the world at large because of something she read in a book?



2.  Atticus Finch (To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee)—Lee's new book expands the character of Scout's dad quite a bit, which is causing a stir among Mockingbird fans.  Whatever your opinion of him now, one thing is for certain: Atticus loves to read.  He teaches his children the importance of reading, although his choice of bedtime story material concerns Scout's schoolteacher just a tad ...  


3,  Anne Shirley (Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery)—Anne's very active imagination is fueled, in part, by her love of the written word.  Not only does she love to read a good story, but she writes her own as well. 


4.  Jo March (Little Women series by Louisa May Alcott)—In the very first mention of Jo, she's pegged as a bookworm.  She also writes the plays she and her sisters act out.


5.  Matilda Wormwood (Matilda by Roald Dahl)—Is there any fictional young lady who loves to read more than Matilda?  Probably not.  


6.  A.J. Fikry (The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin)—This bookstore owner loves books, even though they fail to give him as much comfort as they did before the death of his wife.  I love his philosophy that "You know everything you need to know about a person from the answer to this question, What is your favorite book?"


7.  Madeline Whittier (Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon)—Madeline is allergic to just about everything, so she spends all her time inside her sterile home.  She has to order books to be delivered there in special, germ-free packaging.  Since she can't be around other people, the stories keep her company.  Madeline also gets extra coolness points for being a book blogger :)


8.  Simon Watson (The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler)—Simon Watson is a young librarian living on the Long Island Sound in a house that is slowly crumbling into the sea.  He adores books, of course.  It's the unexpected arrival of a very special one that changes everything he thought he know about his family, his world, and himself.


9.  Jess Brightwell (Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine)—Jess lives in a world where it is illegal for a person to own an original copy of a book.  Although he spends his childhood "running" volumes to wealthy buyers for his father's black market business, books mean more than just money to Jess.  So great is his reverence for the written word that Jess's father accuses him of having ink for blood.



10.  Brick Heck (The Middle t.v. series, played to perfection by Atticus Shaffer)—Okay, this one is a cheat since it's from tv, not literature, but I think my favorite fictional bookworm of all time is probably Brick.  With no social skills at all, he has no reservations whatsoever about keeping his nose pressed into a book 24/7.

So, there you have it, ten fictional bookworms.  Who did you choose for your list?  Do we have any in common?  I can't wait to hop around and find out.

Happy Top Ten Tuesday!

P.S.  If you haven't entered me fabulous giveaway, do it now.       
Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Top Ten Tuesday: Summer Readin'

Even though I live in a place where it's pretty much summer all year round, I'm not much for warm weather.  I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, on the shores of the Columbia River—my natural habitat involves cloudy skies, blustery winds, and a constant drizzle.  I'm a fish out of water in this hot, dry desert.  Needless to say, I don't look forward to Arizona summers.  The scorching temperatures keep me inside, air conditioning and ceiling fans on full blast.  I'm lucky to have a sparkling swimming pool in my backyard for quick dips, so I guess you don't have to feel too sorry for me :)

Anyway, while summer is not my favorite, it does inspire some fun reading material.  I'm not one of those people who only reads light, fluffy beach novels during these warmest of months, but I do think my summer reading choices tend to be a little frothier.  Maybe?  I'll let you be the judge, as this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is the ten books on my summer TBR list.  I'd love to see your list as well, so why don't you join in the fun?  All you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish and follow the instructions.  Easy, peasy.

Alright, here we go with the Top Ten Books on my TBR Pile for Summer 2015:


1.  The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler—I've never read anything by Ockler, but this contemporary retelling of The Little Mermaid looks fun.  I especially love that its heroine is a young woman of color.


2.  Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge—Forget light and fluffy, this thriller about a deadly game orchestrated by a sadistic fiend is described as dark and twisted.  Perfect summer reading?


3.  Remember Mia by Alexandra Burt—I'm in the middle of this thriller about a mother with severe post-partum depression who wakes up one morning to find her baby missing.  Suffering from traumatic memory loss, she has no idea what's happened to the infant; she can't help but wonder if the police are correct in naming her as the prime suspect ...


4.  The Tide Watchers by Lisa Chaplin—I just received an ARC of this historical adventure/espionage novel, which looks excellent.


5.  Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee—I know I'm not the only one looking forward to the July 14th release date of this novel about a grown-up Jean Louise Finch.


6.  The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi—Although Ship Breaker is one of my favorite watery dystopian novels, I've yet to read anything else by Bacigalupi.  His newest, The Water Knife, looks promising.  Set in the American Southwest, it highlights a very real and timely threat to man's survival—severe drought.  


7.  The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler—This quirky family saga about a mysterious book and a drowned circus mermaid looks intriguing.


8.  The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark—I've loved Clark since I first read her as a teenager.  Although the quality of her writing has declined, I still enjoy her quick, clean mysteries.


9.  The Leveller by Julia Durango—I love the premise of this YA novel.  The MC is a bounty hunter who is hired by parents to go into the virtual reality gaming world and retrieve their missing children.  Sounds like a fun sci fi thriller.


10.  The Lost Daughter by Lucretia Grindle—This mystery about an American high school student who goes missing in Italy sounds like a good summer read.

So, what do you think?  Have you read any of these?  What great stories will you be digging into this summer?  I'd love to know.  Leave a comment/link to your list and I'll be sure to stop by.

Happy summer reading!
Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Readin'

<i>Readin'</i>
Beach Thriller by Jamie Day

Listenin'

<i>Listenin'</i>
Hidden Rooms by Kate Michaelson



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2026 Reading Challenge

2026 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 200 books.
hide

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction