Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (2)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (9)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (2)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (1)
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (3)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (2)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (4)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (5)
- Canada (3)
- England (16)
- France (2)
- Greece (2)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Showing posts with label Louise Candlish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Louise Candlish. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Ships and Motorcycles)
7:54 AM
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, July 21, 2020
A Splishy-Splashy Top Ten Tuesday List
11:49 AM
Top Ten Tuesday is my hands-down favorite meme and the only one I really participate in. However, some weeks I'm just not feeling the topic. I usually find a way to twist it to suit me better, but today's has me stumped. The topic du jour is: Top Ten Book Events/Festivals I'd Love to Go To Someday (real or fictional). As much as I love to read, I don't love crowds so I usually avoid these kinds of shindigs. So, I went totally rogue today and came up with my own topic.
Another thing I try to avoid is the heat. I live in Arizona (not by choice), so it's not easy! Luckily, I have a backyard pool to cool off in. All the pool time my family and I have been enjoying lately makes me think of book covers featuring swimming pools. So, my topic of choice today has to do with that.
Before we get to my list, though, I need to give a shout-out to our lovely Top Ten Tuesday host. Be sure and check Jana out at That Artsy Reader Girl. All the TTT deets are on her blog.
Top Ten Books I Want to Read That Feature Swimming Pools on Their Covers
1. Penny From Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm—This MG Newberry Honor book revolves around a young Italian-American girl living in New York City. Set right after World War II, it deals with prejudice against Italians, fear of polio, and the coming-of-age of our heroine.
2. The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson—I've loved several of Jackson's novels, but I haven't read this one yet. This Southern family drama concerns a woman who is visited by the ghost of her 13-year-old neighbor. The apparition leads her to a dead body and a mystery that will reveal shocking truths about her family's past.
3. The Safe Place by Anna Downes—This thriller concerns a young woman who's in desperate need of a lucky break. When a wealthy couple offers her a lucrative housekeeping job at their remote French estate, she jumps at the chance. All is not perfect in paradise, however, as she soon finds out ...
4. The Swimming Pool by Louise Candlish—Another thriller, this one is about Natalie, a woman whose routine wife/mother/teacher life is shaken up when she meets wealthy, charismatic Lara who pulls her into a lavish lifestyle unlike any she's ever known. Who is Lara, really? And what is Natalie getting herself into?
5. Summer Darlings by Brooke Lea Foster—Like The Safe Place, this novel is about a down-on-her-luck young woman who takes a glamorous job in Martha's Vineyard as a nanny for a wealthy couple. As she tries to fit in with the upper crust, she discovers that nothing in that glittering world is quite what it seems ...
6. The Vacation by T.M. Logan—The teaser says it all: Seven Days. Three Families. One Killer.
7. The Summer Deal by Jill Shalvis—The plot summary on this one doesn't reveal a ton. Apparently, it involves two frenemies who need to let go of the past in order to secure a happy, successful future.
8. Swimming Between Worlds by Elaine Neil Orr—This historical concerns three very different people whose lives converge in tumultuous North Carolina during the Civil Rights Movement.
9. Up For Air by Laurie Morrison—This MG novel stars Annabelle Wilner, a 13-year-old who excels at swimming. When she's invited to join the high school swim team, she becomes desperate to impress an older boy who's paying her a surprising amount of attention. Her ploys, however, might just cost her everything that means anything to her, including friendships, family relationships, and a swimming scholarship. Is her crush really worth it?
10. For the Best by Vanessa Lillie (available September 8, 2020)—When her wallet is found next to a freshly-killed corpse, Jules Worthington-Smith becomes the chief suspect in the man's murder. Despite the fact that she was drunk out of her mind on the night of the murder, Jules is sure she had nothing to do with it. Now, she just has to prove her innocence ...
Well, I don't know about you, but I'm ready for a dip in the pool! What do you think of my "splashy" list? Can you think of any other books with swimming pools on the cover? What's on your TTT list today?
Happy TTT!
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Creepy, Compelling Our House Chills Me Right to the Bone
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Fiona "Fi" Lawson has had enough of her husband's infidelity. Bram's latest betrayal has thrown her life into a tailspin, but she refuses to let it completely uproot those of their two young sons. Even she can admit that while Bram has failed as a spouse, he's an engaged, loving father. He deserves to be in the boys' lives. In order to provide the kids as much stability as possible, Fi and Bram agree to a "bird's nest" custody arrangement. The children will remain in the family home, while the parents take turns living there with them.
It's an unusual situation, but one that works surprisingly well—until the day Fi comes home from a trip to find strangers moving into her home. With Bram and the boys nowhere in sight, Fi's sure she's the victim of some grand prank. As the hours drag on with no answers, however, she begins to realize just how thoroughly, how shockingly, how viciously, she's been betrayed.
As a mystery/thriller nut, I've read about all kinds of mind-boggling terrors being enacted on ordinary, unsuspecting people. Some are too fantastical to be believed, while others are so simple, so plausible, that they chill me right to the bone. Such is the case with Our House by English author Louise Candlish (available in the U.S. August 7, 2018). Its premise hooked me as soon as I read it because, really, what could be more horrifying than having your beautiful, safe, valuable home yanked right out from under you? It's a disturbing thought, one that fuels this compelling novel, causing the reader to burn through its pages trying to figure out what happened and why. The answers aren't as complex or twisty as I wanted them to be, but I still found the hunt for them engrossing and entertaining. Despite a depressing end for characters who aren't all that likable in the first place, overall, I enjoyed Our House. It's convincing and creepy in a way that had me questioning my husband about who actually owns our houses ...
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't really think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for strong language, violence, and sexual content
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Our House from the generous folks at Penguin Random House. Thank you!
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
The Haunting of Emily Grace by Elena Taylor

Listening
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
Week in Review #371 hour ago
-
Stacking The Shelves1 hour ago
-
Bookish Quote of the Day!!2 hours ago
-
YA Christmas Romance Books4 hours ago
-
The Guardians of Dreamdark: Windwitch8 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
FO Friday: Tic Tac Halloween1 day ago
-
A Hollow Death by Colleen Dumaine1 day ago
-
I'm Cutting Back1 day ago
-
-
-
-
#ThrowbackThursday. April/May 20152 days ago
-
A Review of The Last of What I Am2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
With a Vengence by Riley Sager5 days ago
-
-
-
August reads and autumn plans6 days ago
-
-
Sorry About the Spam…2 weeks ago
-
-
September TBR? (temp post)4 weeks ago
-
-
No Roundup this month4 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5684 months ago
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up6 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery6 months ago
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October9 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
