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Showing posts with label Kristy Cambron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristy Cambron. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: We Are Family
Today's TTT prompt is: Relationship Freebie (Pick a relationship type and choose characters who fit that relationship as it relates to you. So, characters you'd like to date, be friends with, be enemies with, etc. Bookish families you'd like to be a part of, characters you'd want as your siblings, pets you'd like to take for yourself, etc.) I'm going to take a different, simpler tack and look at books on my TBR list that include a family relationship as part of their title. I like stories about families, so this should be easy peasy. I may even be able to get away with not repeating any. We'll see how I do...
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Books On My TBR List With Family Relationships in Their Title
- in no particular order -
1. When We Were Sisters by Emilie Richards—Raised in the same foster home, Cecilia and Robin became sisters, forming an unbreakable bond. Now a famous musician, Cecilia asks Robin, a photojournalist, to help her make a documentary about foster care. Knowing its time to tell the truth about the sisters' experiences, whatever the cost, Robin agrees. As the filming proceeds, the two find new meaning in their sisterhood and familial bonds.
2. The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek by Howard Markel—This non-fiction book tells the fascinating story of the bitter rivalry between brothers John Harvey and Will Kellogg. The former was a beloved physician who championed good health. The latter founded a famous breakfast cereal company. How did their varying pursuits affect their relationship? How did it change health and eating practices in the United States?
3. The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron—As the daughter of an English earl, Rosamund Easling knows what is expected of her, even if it's not the life she wants for herself. When her family loses its fortune, however, and her father sells her beloved horse to an American circus owner named John Ringling, Rosamund follows. When she agrees to become a bareback rider/performer, she believes she's finally found her real purpose in life.
4. Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo—Helen recently reviewed this non-fiction title on her blog, piquing my interest in a book I'd never previously heard of. It tells the incredible true story of an enslaved married couple who escaped bondage by posing as master and slave. Their intrepid journey and incredible bravery made them celebrities, but it didn't free them from being hunted again when the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 was passed...
5. The Naturalist's Daughter by Tea Cooper—This dual-timeline novel concerns a young Australian woman who loves to work at the side of her famous naturalist father. When he is unable to travel to England to present his incredible findings to the Royal Society, she goes in his stead. There, she makes a discovery that will change the lives of future generations. A century later, another woman is sent to retrieve an old sketchbook from a recluse. The odd assignment unearths a mystery that more than one person is keen to solve.
6. Our Auntie Rosa: The Family of Rosa Parks Remembers Her Life and Lessons by Sheila McCauley Keys and Eddie B. Allen, Jr.—Sadly, I don't know much about Parks' life. I'd love to learn more and this sounds like an intimate, inspiring biography of a remarkable woman.
7. My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman—I've loved the two books I've read by this author, so I'm definitely in for reading more! This novel is about 7-year-old Elsa and her grandmother, who is her best and only friend. Both of them are odd ducks who find understanding with each other. When Elsa's grandma dies, leaving behind a collection of letters apologizing to a wide range of people that need to be delivered, it propels Elsa on a life-changing journey.
8. The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth—Lucy has never had a close relationship with her husband's mother, Diane, and not for lack of trying. Diane obviously feels that Lucy is not good enough for her son. When the older woman is found dead, with a letter nearby saying she couldn't bear to die from the cancer in her body, it's assumed to be a suicide. Until it's discovered that she did not have cancer. In fact, she was murdered. Who—besides Lucy—had a reason to kill this pillar of her community?
9. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman—So many people have recommended the Maus series to me that it's amazing I haven't read it yet. It's a series of graphic novels about the experience of the author's father during the Holocaust.
10. The Cousins by Karen M. McManus—This YA mystery is about a group of cousins who are invited by the rich and reclusive grandmother they've never met to work on her island resort for the summer. Everyone wants her money, so the teens are not allowed to decline. When they arrive, they discover there are more secrets in their family than any of them could have imagined—and all is about to be revealed.
There you are, ten "relationship" books that I want to read. Have you read any of them? What did you think? How did you choose to fulfill today's prompt? 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.
Happy TTT!
Friday, April 03, 2020
Jazz Age Murder Mystery Clean, Exciting, and Enjoyable
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
After almost a decade as an apprentice to the late Harry Houdini, 26-year-old Wren Lockhart knows all about creating the perfect illusion. She does it both onstage and off, concealing her true self behind a confident vaudeville act and a wardrobe of gentleman's clothing designed to both draw attention and deflect it. Given her guarded life of wealth and privilege, no one would guess at Wren's humble beginning as the daughter of a drunken theater owner. She'd like to keep it that way.
When a daring illusionist act by a man Houdini denounced as a fraud goes horribly awry, leaving a man dead, Wren is unwittingly drawn into the ensuing police investigation. Although she desires only to be left alone, she understands the gentle threat issued by FBI agent Elliot Matthews—if she doesn't cooperate, he will reveal to the public what he knows about her past. Desperate to keep her secrets hidden, Wren agrees to help. It soon becomes apparent, however, that she's not the only one willing to risk everything to keep the truth under wraps. With her reputation, her secrets, and even her heart on the line, Wren must make sure Elliot's case gets solved. And quickly. Before everything she's worked so hard to build crumbles before her very eyes.
I discovered Kristy Cambron last year and have since been eager to read everything she's ever written. The Illusionist's Apprentice proved a good place to start. With plenty of rich detail, its Jazz Age/vaudeville setting comes to vivid, vibrant life. The characters are warm, likable, and interesting. Plotwise, the novel moves along at a brisk enough pace, making for an exciting story. I especially appreciate Cambron's ability to create a compelling mystery but keep it PG-rated. Although she's considered a writer of Christian fiction, God/religion is touched on only lightly in this novel. However, Cambron does make sure to emphasize the continual triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. The Illusionist's Apprentice does touch on some dark subjects, but its overall tone is positive and uplifting. For all these reasons and more, I very much enjoyed this intriguing historical mystery.
(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and mild innuendo
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Top Ten Tuesday: Showin' a Little Readerly Love
First, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, read a few instructions, make your own TTT list, then hope around the blogosphere showing some love to the participating blogs. It's fun and a great way to revisit favorite sites, find new ones, and add some fabulous-sounding reads to your always-growing TBR
Top Ten Books That Have Earned Some of My Readerly Love So Far This Year (in no particular order):
1. Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon (available April 28, 2020)—Maybe it's the Mormon pioneer ancestry that flows through my veins, but I love me a good wagon trail story. Harmon's newest concerns a 20-year-old widow named Naomi May who is journeying across The Overland Trail with her family. Trekking West is difficult enough, but when Naomi falls in love with a half-Pawnee mule skinner, things get even more complicated. Where the Lost Wander is primarily a love story, but it also boasts plenty of adventure, humor, drama, and heartbreak. I finished this sweeping saga last night and loved it.
2. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James (available February 18, 2020)—I was fortunate to snag a copy of this creepy novel, which is definitely more Halloween than Valentine's Day. It's about an eerie little town in upstate New York where young women tend to go missing. Our heroine, Carly Kirk, moves to Fell to investigate the disappearance of her aunt, who vanished from the motel where she worked over thirty years ago. Soon, Carly is caught in a kind of time warp at the empty motel, which is a whole lot more occupied than anyone realizes. If you like a good The Shining-ish story, you're definitely going to want to check out this freaky tale which had me jumping at every sound, even though I read it in the middle of the day with all the lights on ...
3. The Wake of the Lorelei Lee by L.A. Meyer—The Bloody Jack series is one of my favorite YA series of all time. It's fun, it's exciting, it's different, and it's just all kinds of entertaining. Even though the tales get "saltier" and bawdier as they go, I still love these books. Someone suggested listening to these novels on audio because the narrator—the late Katherine Kellgren—is so fabulous. I agree. She's excellent. I enjoyed this one a lot, just as I have every other Bloody Jack book.
4. Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain—I already reviewed this one, so I won't say too much about it except that I found it to be a compelling and satisfying mystery.
5. Second Sight by Aoife Clifford—I didn't absolutely love this Australian murder mystery since it's pretty bleak and depressing, but I did find it engrossing. The atmospheric setting and twisty plot definitely won some readerly love from me.
6. The Illusionist's Apprentice by Kristy Cambron—Cambron is a new discovery for me, so I'm working on reading her whole backlist. I enjoyed this gentle romantic suspense novel about an unconventional woman making a living as an illusionist, just like her late mentor, Henry Houdini.
7. The Hollows by Jess Montgomery—This is the second book in Montgomery's Lily Ross mystery series about a widow who takes over after her husband, the town sheriff, dies. I think I liked the first book better, but this one also tells an engrossing tale which kept me guessing.
8. Wonton Terror by Vivien Chien—The Noodle Shop mysteries are all super fun. This one, the fourth in the series, is no exception.
9. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord—This one is getting a lot of buzz, and for good reason. It's a sweet, upbeat romance that's light, funny, and entertaining. Looking for the perfect Valentine's Day read? You've found it!
10. The Sweeney Sisters by Lian Dolan (available April 28, 2020)—I'm cheating with this one since I haven't read it yet, but a copy of this one is on its way to me as we speak. I love novels about sisters, family mysteries, and DNA surprises, so this book—about three close-knit sisters who find out they're not the only Sweeneys out there—sounds fun. I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it.
There you go, ten books that have earned my readerly love (or at least like). Have you read any of them? What did you think? What topic did you choose for your love freebie today? I'd truly love to know. Comment on this post and I will return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Tuesday, December 17, 2019
TTT: A Book-Filled Winter
I love it when the Top Ten Tuesday topic du jour is a seasonal TBR list! It's always fun to think about what I want to read in the coming months (even if I never get around to actually reading my picks). For the next couple of weeks, I'll still be reading frantically for the Cybils. After that, I've got a variety of books I'm hoping to get to this winter/early spring. We'll see how it goes.
If you're not playing along with TTT this week, what's wrong with you? Seriously, it's a good time! All you have to do is click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl, scan a few quick instructions, make your own list, and then spend some happy hours wandering around the book blogosphere. Sure, there's Christmas shopping to do, gifts to wrap, goodies to bake, and bills to pay, but those things will wait while you visit favorite blogs, discover new ones, add books to your TBR mountain chain, and spread the love around this wonderful book blogging community. It's an entertaining diversion, trust me!
Top Ten(ish) Books on My Winter TBR List:
1. Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson—I just bought myself a copy of this middle-grade novel about a girl who's trying to hide the devastating fact that she's rapidly losing her eyesight. When her sister begs her to enter a dog sled race in the Canadian wilderness, she can't refuse—even if she's not sure she can see well enough to race, let alone win. Sounds like an exciting adventure novel!
2. A Conspiracy of Bones by Kathy Reichs (coming March 17, 2020)—I've been waiting for this newest installment in Reichs' Temperance Brennan series to come out for several years. The author had to take a break from writing due to health problems and I'm so glad she (and her fictional counterpart) are back in business.
3. The Sea of Lost Girls by Carol Goodman (coming March 3, 2020)—I'm a fan of Goodman's Gothic thrillers, so I'm excited about her newest. It concerns a teacher at a posh boarding school whose teen son is accused of murdering his girlfriend. The crime brings attacks on the family and threats of revealing secrets from the woman's hidden past.
4. From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks (coming January 14, 2020)—I love me a good middle-grade mystery and this debut sounds intriguing. When the titular character receives a letter from her father—a man she's never met who is in prison for a heinous crime—proclaiming his innocence, she launches a secret investigation to figure out if he's telling the truth.
5. How to Walk Away by Katherine Center—Things You Save in a Fire was one of my favorite reads this year. This one, Center's 2018 offering, sounds just as good. It's about a woman whose life changes in an instant. As she figures out how to deal with her new normal, she must reexamine her entire life and everyone in it.
I just realized Center has a new novel coming out in July 2020, so I'll be keeping an eye out for that one as well.
6. A Murderous Relation by Deanna Raybourn (coming March 10, 2020)—An ARC of this one, the newest installment in Raybourn's always-entertaining Veronica Speedwell mystery series, is winging its way to my doorstep as we speak. I can't wait to see what the delightful, intrepid Veronica gets herself up to next!
7. The Lost Castle and Castle on the Rise by Kristy Cambron—I really enjoyed reading The Painted Castle this year. Since I didn't realize it's actually the third book in a trilogy of connected novels, I need to go back and read the first two.
8. What Stars Are Made of by Sarah Allen (coming March 31, 2020)—This debut middle-grade novel concerns a girl with Turner Syndrome who makes a deal with the universe—if she wins the grand prize in a contest she wants to enter and she gives all the money to her sister, her sister's baby will be born perfectly healthy. Sounds like a sweet story!
9. The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley (coming February 4, 2020)—When a lonely old man writes the stark truth about his life in a green journal he purposely leaves in a cafe, it inspires others to write—and own—their own truths.
10. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry (coming March 3, 2020)—This YA novel is about a group of high school field hockey players living in the town that 300 years ago was known as Salem Village who find a spellbook that just might reverse their losing streak and change their lives forever. Fun!
There you have it, ten(ish) books I'm looking forward to reading this winter/early spring. Have you read any of them? What's on your Winter TBR? I'd truly love to know. Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on yours.
Happy TTT!
Wednesday, November 20, 2019
Kate Morton-ish Castle Novel the Engaging Finale to a Promising Trilogy
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
(Note: The Painted Castle is the third installment in a trilogy of interrelated books. While they are not sequels exactly, characters from the first and second books have cameos in the third. The books can be read as standalones, but if you want to avoid even minor spoilers, I recommend reading them in order.)
Art historian Keira Foley is still reeling from a job and a resulting relationship that turned sour, leading to both professional and personal disgrace in New York City. She's back in her native Ireland licking her wounds. When a cocky American bloke struts into her family's pub, taking a keen interest in Keira, her protective brother threatens to have him forcibly removed. Keira's not interested in the bloke until he dangles a mysterious job offer in a crumbling English castle called Parham Hill in front of her nose ...
Amelia Woods had been married to Arthur—the viscount of Huxley and owner of Parham Hill—barely a year when he was killed in a mission while serving as an RAF pilot. Four years later, the English countryside is still under threat of attack, especially since an airfield lies just over the hill from the estate. Amelia is protective of her husband's ancestral home with its precious memories and priceless art, but it's the children boarding inside whose safety is her first priority. When a group of American military officers becomes her unwitting roommates, Amelia must protect all of Parham Hill's hidden treasures. Especially her heart.
When Elizabeth Meade was just a child, she witnessed her father's callous murder on the streets of London. A glimpse of a cloaked man with unusual eyes gave her an idea of the killer's identity—and the germ of a revenge plot. Now engaged to the very man—the viscount of Huxley—Elizabeth is playing a dangerous long game to avenge her beloved parent. She soon comes to realize that secrets abound at Parham Hill and its owner may not be what he seems ...
If you're a rabid Kate Morton fan like I am, you'll definitely want to check out the Lost Castle series by Kristy Cambron. I haven't read the first two books in the trilogy since I thought The Painted Castle was a standalone, but I've already put both on reserve at my library. That should give you a clue as to how much I enjoyed the final installment! It's a triple timeline novel featuring three women in different eras. All of the leading ladies are strong, intelligent, independent sorts who find themselves, in some way, through their association with Parham Hill. They solve mysteries, endure hardship and loss, find love, and make important discoveries about the castle and themselves, all of which makes for an engrossing novel. Add in vivid prose, excellent pacing, and a few twists to keep things interesting, and you've got yourself an engaging read. Even better, Cambron keeps things squeaky clean so that this book (and the whole series, presumably) can be handed to any reader, from tween to senior citizen. Although Cambron writes Christian fiction, The Painted Castle makes only occasional reference to God and never in a way that is preachy or disruptive. For all these reasons and more, I found myself completely immersed in this engaging, Morton-ish delight. As I have said, I enjoyed it immensely and am excited to read the rest of the series as well as anything else Cambron has written. It's always fun to find a new author who writes clean, compelling books. I know I'm going to relish getting to know Cambron and her work better.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of books by Kate Morton and Susan Meissner)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Painted Castle from the generous folks at Thomas Nelson via those at TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
--
Want more opinions on The Painted Castle? Follow along on the book's blog tour by clicking on the links below:
Instagram tour:
Monday, October 14th: @nurse_bookie
Monday, October 14th: @novelgossip
Tuesday, October 15th: @one_more_paige
Wednesday, October 16th: @crystals_library
Thursday, October 17th: @giuliland
Friday, October 18th: @babygotbooks13
Friday, October 18th: @thebooksellersdaughter
Saturday, October 19th: @bluntscissorsreviews
Sunday, October 20th: @sarahs_reads
Review tour:
Monday, October 21st: Blunt Scissors Book Reviews
Tuesday, October 22nd: Reading Reality
Tuesday, October 22nd: Lori’s Reading Corner – guest post
Wednesday, October 23rd: Bewitched Bookworms
Thursday, October 24th: Openly Bookish
Friday, October 25th: Literary Quicksand
Monday, October 28th: Living My Best Book Life and @livingmybestbooklife
Tuesday, October 29th: Kritter’s Ramblings
Wednesday, October 30th: Cheryl’s Book Nook
Monday, November 4th: @amanda.the.bookish
Tuesday, November 5th: Read Eat Repeat
Wednesday, November 6th: Christian Chick’s Thoughts
Thursday, November 7th: @beritaudiokilledthebookmark
Friday, November 8th: The Lit Bitch
Monday, November 11th: Nurse Bookie
Monday, November 11th: What is That Book About
Wednesday, November 13th: Just One More Chapter
Friday, November 15th: Sincerely Karen Jo
Friday, November 15th: Jathan & Heather
Monday, November 18th: Broken Teepee
Tuesday, November 19th: Let Them Read Books
Wednesday, November 20th: Bloggin’ ‘Bout Books
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