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Showing posts with label Eve Chase. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eve Chase. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 04, 2024
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: December Book Ideas and Link-Up for Reviews
So apparently, it's December. Somehow. Even though you wouldn't know it from the weather—it was 85 degrees here in the Phoenix area yesterday—Christmas is only three weeks away! I'm already way behind on holiday preparation. My tree is up but undecorated, half of my tchotchkes are on display while the other half is still in boxes, we don't have any outside lights up, and the only gifts I've purchased so far have been for myself (ha ha). Add in upcoming holiday parties and a-few-days-before-Christmas travel, and phew! I'm already exhausted.
One thing I'm not behind in is meeting my goals for the 2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge. I vowed to read 30+ bookish books and I'm currently at 42. Huzzah! How are you doing with your challenge goals?
November was an especially bookish books-y month for me. I managed to read ten of them. My favorites were the Benjamin Stevenson ones. His books are clever and funny. They make me laugh every time.
Here are my bookish November reads in the order I read them:
Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore—This middle-grade novel is about two kids, one with narcolepsy and one with Type 1 diabetes. It's not really about books, but the diabetic main character loves to read. She's especially fond of fairy tales and fantasy novels.
The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole—Another MG story, this one takes place in a future where paper is a scarce and very valuable commodity. When Juni, who scavenges for any kind of scraps that will earn her money to help pay for her grandfather's medical care, discovers a real book—the first one she's ever seen—she can't wait to sell it for profit. That is until she realizes the priceless secret it contains...
The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander—In this series debut, Annie Murray cooks up the idea of hosting a mystery-themed book festival to bring in funds to save the struggling bookshop where she works. She's stunned when a group of her college classmates randomly shows up for the event and shocked when one of them winds up dead. Using all the know-how she's gained from reading mystery novels, she sets out to solve the murder.
The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion by Ann Bausum—This picture book, aimed at MG readers, is about exactly what it says it's about. Ha! Imagine that.
A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander—The second installment in the Annie Murray series, this one has the bookseller co-hosting a film festival complete with a movie premiere. With a host of dramatic, egotistical Hollywood types in town, it's not really that much of a surprise when a murder occurs. Once again, Annie is on the case.
The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase—This mystery is about two kids who are never quite the same after their mother leaves home one day and never returns. As they deal with the fallout of their only parent's secret life, they find themselves in even more trouble. Decades later, when a new owner buys their childhood home and starts digging up the basement, one of the kids—now a romance novelist—panics, knowing that their shocking family secrets are about to be unearthed...
Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson—After Ernest Cunningham unmasked a serial killer and wrote a popular book about it (titled Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, naturally), he is invited to attend a mystery writers' retreat aboard a luxury train. With a variety of personalities aboard, it's not long before tempers start to simmer and boil over. When an author is found dead, it's up to Ernie to investigate. Well, technically, it's the police's job, but Ernie can't resist using his vast wisdom and experience to assist the authorities, whether they want his aid or not. (They don't.)
Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson—Ernie Cunningham doesn't go seeking murders to write about, but they somehow keep finding him. In this short novel (long novella?), his ex-wife calls him after she's accused of murdering her wealthy, famous boyfriend. As Ernie pokes around in the dead man's business, he discovers that (thankfully) his ex wasn't the only one with motive, means, and opportunity.
Booked For Murder by P.J. Nelson—When her beloved aunt passes away, actress Madeline Brimley finds herself the new owner of The Old Juniper Bookstore. Although she, herself, isn't sure what to think about her inheritance, it becomes obvious that someone in town isn't happy about it. First, someone sets fire to her gazebo. Then, there are threatening phone calls. Now, there's been a murder. To clear her name, Madeline must find out whodunit.
As for December, the only bookish book I plan to read is A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd. It's a murder mystery featuring one of Romeo and Juliet's daughters as an amateur detective. It sounds like a super fun read.
I hope you've had a good time with the Bookish Books Reading Challenge this year. I sure have! I will be hosting it again next year and I certainly hope you'll sign up to participate again. I'll make an official sign-up post soon.
If you are participating in the 2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge, please use the widget below to link-up your December reviews.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Reading for Wimps (Me)
Here in the U.S., we're gearing up for Halloween, which kicks off our much-anticipated holiday season. Personally, I'm not a fan of Fright Night. Although I'm always happy to take a fun-size Reese's Peanut Butter Cup for the team, I've never been much for dressing up or braving haunted houses or even watching scary movies. Creepy books, though? I was a big Stephen King and John Saul fan as a teen and young adult. Old age has made a big wimp out of me, so these days, my Fall/Halloween reading is more about eerie, atmospheric books. I still dig a good Gothic chiller or a shivery ghost story, but I mostly prefer realistic mystery/thrillers with tense, heart-pounding plots and close, claustrophobic settings. When I saw that today's TTT topic is a Halloween Freebie, I started thinking about my favorite authors who capture the vibes I described above. I made a list of ten, but it felt so familiar that I checked and...yep, I crafted the exact same list for a Halloween freebie back in 2021! Some things never change. I almost just copied and pasted the old list since I'm lazy and I'm always looking for readalike recs based on my favorite authors, but I did come up with something else for this year. If you have a minute, though, check out my 2021 list. If you have any ideas for creepy(ish) books/authors I might like, I'd love to hear them. For now, here's my list of mysteries, thrillers, and a few supernatural spine-tinglers on my TBR that feel perfect for Halloween reading:
(As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.)
Top Ten Halloween-ish Reads on My TBR List
1. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (available March 5, 2025)—Carpenter is one of the authors on my 2021 list. She's written a handful of books, all of which I've enjoyed. It's been a few years since she's published one, so I was excited to see that she has a new one coming out. It's about a woman living in a cramped apartment with her husband and daughter in post-pandemic New York City. Eager to embrace life again, she jumps at the chance to accept an unbelievable opportunity—for just $100, she and her family can buy a spacious home in a quaint Georgia town that's desperately trying to boost their economy. After one quick visit, the family makes the move. It's not long, though, before they realize something isn't quite right with their new town. There's a sinister presence that lurks under all the Southern hospitality, something that has them all in its clutches and doesn't want to let go...
2. The Haunting of Moscow House by Oleysa Salnikova Gilmore—When a group of Bolsheviks take over the Golitevas' ancestral Moscow home in 1921, the family is forced to move into the mansion's cramped attic. Sisters Irina and Lili find escape in volunteering with the American Relief Administration to help ease some of their comrades' desperate needs. In the middle of it all, the house starts whispering to the young women, hinting at its traumatic past. Then, one of the officials living in their house dies, leading them to wonder what exactly caused his demise. Was it natural causes or something...otherworldly?
3. The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro—When her brother leaves her cryptic clues to a double murder, nurse Gemma Tate is roped into investigating the deaths. She's not any keener on working with police inspector Sebastian Bell than he is with her, but it will take both of them to stop a dangerous killer.
4. The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower—Julia White is getting nowhere with her writing career, her romantic relationship is on the rocks, and she's losing the battle against the mountain of medical bills she needs to pay somehow. When a famous photographer makes her a tantalizing proposition to research a mysterious death, she's both curious enough and broke enough not to refuse. Soon, Julia is embroiled in a shocking mystery that she's determined to solve.
5. Under the Surface by Diana Urban—A party in the Paris catacombs goes horribly awry in this YA thriller/survival story. While a group of trapped teens tries desperate to escape their underground prison, their friend aboveground races to save them. Will the kids make it out of the catacombs alive? Or will their bones join all the others lying beneath the City of Light?
6. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce—Mina is struggling to get her foot in the door in her new career as a child psychologist. A journalist in her grief counseling group makes her an offer she can't afford to refuse. He wants her to live in the home of a 13-year-old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch and treat her on-site. Curious and confident, Mina takes the job. It's not long before she's wrapped up in the affairs of a strange town that's obsessed with superstition and witchcraft. The more she learns, the more terrified she grows. How can she help her distressed patient to feel safe when she can't even help herself?
7. Bitter House by Kiersten Modglin—When Bridget's parents died, she was taken in by her grandmother, Vera Bitter. The cold-hearted old woman did her duty, but kicked her granddaughter to the curb as soon as she graduated from high school, and never contacted her again. Bridget is stunned, then, when Vera dies and leaves her home to Bridget. Not surprisingly, the oppressive house is filled with secrets, mysteries, and danger. As Bridget starts to unravel them, she realizes that nothing at Bitter House is as it seems...
8. The Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood—As a female solicitor in Victorian England, it's nearly impossible for Vaughan Springthorpe to be taken seriously. So, when she's hired sight unseen by a mysterious employer who offers her a suspiciously large amount of money to ready his Yorkshire estate for sale, she can't afford to say no. Not only does Vaughan find the village surrounding the estate strange, but odd things begin happening to her inside of the building. Is the old abbey haunted? Or is Vaughan going mad? What secrets does the crumbling pile keep?
9. The House by the Cemetery by Lisa Childs—As the daughter of the town undertaker, River Gold was constantly teased about being a ghoul. The town gossip hinted that she wasn't even a true Gold. When she fled at 17, River had no intention of ever returning to her insular hometown. Then, her father dies, her mother is accused of his murder, and she is unwittingly trapped once again in a hostile place overrun with secrets and lies. Can River clear her mother's name? Figure out who really killed her father? Find her way out again?
10. The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase—Twenty years ago, a recently widowed mother of two walked out the door of her home, blew a kiss to her children, and vanished without a trace. Two decades later, the home's new owner starts digging out the basement. What will they find and what will it tell them about what really happened to Dee Delancey all those years ago?
There you go, ten mystery/thriller novels that wimpy me wants to read sometime soon. Have you read any of them? What will you be reading during spooky season? 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.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Happy Haunting!
If you can't tell, I'm a bit of a party pooper/stick-in-the-mud (I rock at Never Have I Ever). And I've always been that way! Case in point: I really don't like Halloween. It's not for any religious or moral reasons—I've just never been much for dressing up. Even as a little kid. As a mom, I've dreaded the expense and stress of Halloween costumes, the over-consumption of candy (rest assured, though, that I've always been stoic about doing my mom duty by picking the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Twix bars out of my kids' buckets after they go to sleep), and the whole tromping through the neighborhood to take kids trick-or-treating thing. It's just not me, you know?
All that being said, I do still enjoy a spooky story now and again. The older I get, the wimpier I get, so I've set aside the Stephen King books I consumed as a teen in favor of tales that are more Gothic and subtly scary—the kind that send a delicious tingle down my spine but don't give me nightmares. I much prefer ghosts haunting creepy old houses to brain-slurping zombies, blood-sucking vampires, soul-stealing demons, and other freak-me-out ghouls. Haunting is the vibe I usually veer toward instead of scary. So, which authors are my go-to for shivery stories? I thought you'd never ask! I've listed ten of my favorites below for today's Halloween Freebie Top Ten Tuesday list.
Do you want to join the spooky TTT party? Of course you do! Flit on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details. Bonus: Jana's list today is super fun.
My Top Ten Favorite Go-To Authors for Haunting Halloween-ish Reads
-in no particular order-
1. Kate Morton
Favorite of hers: The Secret Keeper
2. Riley Sager
Favorite of his: Lock Every Door
Favorite of hers: The Sun-Down Motel
Favorite of hers: The Widow's House
Favorite of hers: The Invited
Favorite of hers: What She Knew
Favorite of hers: Until the Day I Die
8. Blake Crouch
Favorite of his: Dark Matter
9. Eve Chase
Favorite of hers: The Daughters of Fox Cote Manor
10. Maureen Johnson
Favorite of hers: The Shades of London series
There you have it, ten of of my favorite writers of haunting stories. What about you? Are you into scary stories? Who are your go-to authors for haunting/creepy books? Are you a Halloween lover, hater, or something in between? 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!
Thursday, September 16, 2021
Gothic-y Mystery a Compelling Read
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
I'm perpetually behind on reviews and this one is a good example. I read The Daughters of Foxcote Manor (also called The Glass House) by Eve Chase way back in April. While I enjoyed it, I really can't remember much about it. So, I'm going to cheat and use the official blurb:
Outside a remote manor house in an idyllic wood, a baby girl is found.
But within days a body will lie dead in the grounds. And their dreams of a perfect family will shatter like glass.
Years later, the truth will need to be put back together again, piece by piece . . .
From the author of Black Rabbit Hall, The Glass House is a emotional, thrilling book about family secrets and belonging - and how we find ourselves when we are most lost.
Thank goodness for GoodReads, where I faithfully record my impressions of a book right after I read it. Here's what I said about this one:
The Daughters of Foxcote Manor ticks all my favorite reading boxes: Gothic vibes, family secrets, atmospheric setting, interesting characters, etc. It's an engrossing novel with a strong sense of place, well-developed characters, and a plot that kept me turning pages. I loved Rita, although I wasn't as enamored of Sylvie. Still, they're both relatable, sympathetic characters whose voices kept me engaged in the story. While I guessed some of the book's plot twists, there were others that surprised me. Overall, then, I found this novel to be a compelling, satisfying read.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of other novels by Eve Chase, including Black Rabbit Hall and The Wilding Sisters)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (1 F-bomb—I think—plus milder expletives), violence, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, May 04, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Reads
Some Top Ten Tuesday topics are complete head-scratchers for me. Others are no-brainers. This week's is the latter and, honestly, I'm glad for a prompt that doesn't require a lot of thinking on my part. Coming up with a list of My Ten Most Recent Reads was a cinch. If you want to jump in on this easiest of TTT topics, use a past one, or even come up with your own, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl to get started. It's tons of fun!
My Ten Most Recent Reads
1. The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton—This swashbuckling adventure/mystery story is all kinds of entertaining. Grade: B
2. Until I Find You by Rea Frey—Although the denouement of this one is far-fetched and dissatisfying, I liked the novel otherwise. It's a mystery/thriller about a grieving widow with a degenerative eye disease that has rendered her nearly blind who is convinced someone has replaced her newborn with someone else's baby. Grade: B-
3. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein—Narrated by Enzo, a pooch with a soul that is "very human," this book tells the story of a race car driver who must deal with some paralyzing life situations. His faithful dog witnesses it all and does his best to provide his owner with comfort and joy, in spite of their trials. I listened to this novel on audio. While the tale kept my interest, I didn't end up loving it for a variety of reasons. Grade: C+
4. The Boy From the Woods by Harlan Coben—This missing persons mystery stars Wilde, a man with few memories of his life as a feral child living alone in the forest. Although he still prefers trees to people, he agrees to help search for a teenage girl who has vanished. There are elements of this novel that I liked, but overall, it was just an average read for me. Grade: C
5. The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore (available July 27, 2021)—In this historical novel which begins in 1926, a Hollywood socialite receives a shocking diagnosis of leprosy. Sent to a Louisiana sanitorium for treatment, she must come to terms with a life she never could have imagined living. I found this one interesting and engrossing, although I didn't end up absolutely loving it. Grade: B-
6. The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman—Lark gave this book, about the astonishing number of people who go missing in America's national parks, a rave review on her blog. Like her, I found it fascinating. Grade: B
7. All the Children Are Home by Patry Francis—Another historical novel, this one revolves around an agoraphobic woman who retreats to her home after a horrific assault. Becoming a foster mother, especially to a young Native American girl who has been severely abused, changes everything for her and her family. Grade: B-
8. The Daughters of Foxcote Manor by Eve Chase—I love me an atmospheric family secrets story and this one certainly qualifies. It's about a nanny who's caring for the young children of a grieving, mentally unstable woman. When a mysterious newborn arrives on their doorstep, it throws the whole household for an unexpected loop, one that ends in unthinkable tragedy. Grade: B
9. We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia Heaberlin—Odette Tucker's backwater Texas hometown is rife with secrets, number one being what happened to True Branson and her abusive father, both of whom disappeared without a trace ten years ago. Everyone in town thinks True's younger brother, Wyatt, murdered them both, even though nothing about the case has ever been proven. Odette refuses to believe her old boyfriend is capable of anything nefarious, but when a young girl is seen with Wyatt, she has to rethink everything she knows about him. Grade: B
10. Dial A For Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (available May 6, 2021)—I've been really excited about this much-hyped novel, which looked like a fun rom-com/cozy mystery. It's about a woman who accidentally kills her blind date and enlists her overbearing Indo-Chinese aunties to help her hide the body. It's funny, yes, but it also got so over-the-top absurd that it just annoyed me. Bummer. Grade: C
There you go, the last ten books I've read, from the pretty good to the not-so-great. Have you read any of these? What did you think? What are the last ten books you've read? 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!
Saturday, June 04, 2016
Black Rabbit Hall An Atmospheric Family Saga Perfect for Kate Morton Fans
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
"But here, of course, it's a different story. It's always a different story at Black Rabbit Hall. It unspools everything" (104).
Time moves differently at Black Rabbit Hall, the Alton family's country estate in Cornwall. None of the clocks in the home tell the same time and no one cares. It's what makes the summers there so timeless, so ideal. Amber, a 14-year-old bookworm, adores the place. She loves roaming its grounds with her twin brother, Toby, and their two younger siblings. Languishing in the salty air makes London feel a million miles away, which is just how Amber likes it.
Then, on a stormy night in 1968, the idyllic peace of Black Rabbit Hall is shattered forever. The events of that night change everything, ripping apart the seams that bind the Alton family together. Never will they return to their country home. Never will things be the same for Amber and her kin.
Thirty-odd years later, Lorna Dunaway and her fiancé are scouring the Cornwall countryside for a half-remembered estate Lorna visited as a child. The house has always spoken to her soul; she can't imagine a better setting for her upcoming wedding. Even when Lorna sees what a crumbling ruin the place has become, she won't back down. Black Rabbit Hall is the only place she wants to be married. When the home's caretaker invites Lorna for an extended stay, she can't resist. As she breathes in the estate's musty, enchanted air, she becomes more and more obsessed with the history of Black Rabbit Hall and the happy family that once made it their summer home. What happened to the Altons? Why did they abandon their beloved estate? And why does Lorna feel so connected to a home she never lived in and family she never knew? Black Rabbit Hall hides secrets—secrets Lorna is determined to discover ...
You probably know by now that I'm a sucker for novels which feature mysterious old houses, tantalizing secrets, and family drama. Black Rabbit Hall, a debut novel by Eve Chase, fits the bill on all three accounts. It's a compelling saga that oscillates between the past and the present, offering a suspenseful tale that has enough twists to keep readers guessing. At least a little. While I saw some of the "surprises" coming, that didn't damper my enjoyment of the story. I found myself absorbed in the mystery, intrigued by the characters, and entranced by Black Rabbit Hall's peculiar magic. If you enjoy a good, atmospheric family saga, definitely give this one a go.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Kate Morton's books, especially The Lake House)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (1 F-bomb plus milder expletives), violence, and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
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