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Showing posts with label Peter May. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter May. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Top Ten Tuesday: Ten (More) Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book
There are lots of things that make me want to read a particular book. Perhaps it's written by a favorite author or it utilizes a trope I enjoy or the cover just screams, "Pick me up!" What attracts another reader to a certain volume might turn me off completely. Selecting the right book is a very objective process. Today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book—is all about those specific reasons you find certain books alluring. I created a list for this topic back in 2018 and nothing much has changed. I'm a creature of habit. Coming up with an additional ten for today's list was a bit of a struggle, but I managed it.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Click on over and give her some love!
Top Ten (More) Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book
- Covers indicate a book I have read and enjoyed that fits the category. -
1. Family History/DNA—I'm a genealogist, so I'm naturally drawn to books about this hobby and industry. It's endlessly fascinating to me, whether it's being examined in a novel, memoir, or popsci volume.
2. Locked-Room Mysteries—My favorite kind of mysteries are those where the killers and victims are closeted together in an intimate, claustrophobic setting. Remote islands, Antarctic outposts, secret towns in the Yukon...I love them all. Even better if there's a vicious storm brewing to complicate things even more!
3. Depression/Dust Bowl—It's not a very uplifting subject, but lately I've been very intrigued by this era in American history.
4. Appalachia—I've never been to this area of the U.S., but I'm still fascinated by the region with its hills, hollers, and unique way of life.
5. Catchy Titles—If a book's title makes me smile, laugh, or wonder, I'll probably pick it up. I find cozy mystery titles involving cheese especially hilarious.
6. Moody, Broody Covers—Give me all the windswept old houses, angry seas, desolate landscapes, and stormy skies. Atmospheric covers always appeal to me.
7. Based on a True Story Historical Fiction—I'm a big hist-fic fan, especially when a novel tells an obscure/untold tale that is based on real life.
8. Knives Out-ish—Ever since this popular movie came out, I've seen a bunch of mystery novels comparing themselves to Knives Out. Although none of the ones I've read so far have really charmed me as much as the film, I still rush to read them.
9. One Thing Wrong Cover—Books about communities that seem placid and upstanding on the outside by harbor deep, dark secrets always appeal to me. I love covers that illustrate this subtly, with just one little thing out of place to show that not everything is what it seems.
10. Books—This one will shock exactly no one. If a cover features a stack of books, a bookstore or library, and/or a bookish title, I'm in.
There you go, ten more things that draw me to certain books. What subjects/tropes/cover images, etc. never fail to hook your interest as a reader? 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, August 23, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Serial Starts and Ends
Do you want to chat about your favorite series with a bunch of other passionate book lovers? Of course you do! You can get in on the TTT fun by clicking over to That Artsy Reader Girl, then making your own list. It's a good ole time, I promise.
Top Ten Completed Series That I Wish Had More Books
(covers are for the first book in each series)
1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling—I'm betting this series is the first one that came to a lot of people's minds for this topic. I adore the world of Harry Potter and would love to sink back into it via more novels, be they prequels, a spin-off series, whatever...just not screenplays!
2. The Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson—Up until yesterday, I thought this YA series featuring a teenaged true crime aficionado who uses her unique skills to solve cold cases, was complete at four books. Then, I noticed a new installment being promoted on NetGalley. Yay! I love this series, so I'm thrilled it's going to continue on. Even though it doesn't really fit this prompt, I'm keeping it on the list because I'm so happy it's not over.
3. The London Shades series by Maureen Johnson—Speaking of Johnson, I'm still irritated that she hasn't finished this YA series about a young woman who gained "the sight" when she almost choked to death in her school cafeteria and subsequently became part of a London "ghost squad" that investigates supernatural crimes. There were supposed to be four books in the series, but The Shadow Cabinet (#3) came out in 2015 and there's been no action since. All I can say is, this series better not be finished! I'm holding out hope that Johnson will pen that fourth book, even though I can barely remember who's who and what's what in the series. I'll happily re-read them all if Johnson can just do me a solid and bring the series to a satisfying close.
4. The Al Capone series by Gennifer Choldenko—This MG series is set in the 1930s and features a boy who lives on Alcatraz Island, where his father works as a security guard. I loved all four of the books in the series and would gladly read more adventures starring the lovable Moose Flanagan.
5. The Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer—I'm not sure how many installments were planned for this YA series about an orphaned girl who goes from living rough on the streets of London to becoming the most notorious pirate on the high seas, but her adventures ended with the death of her creator in 2014. The series is all kinds of entertaining. I'm sad that Jacky Faber's tale had to end and that Meyer will never write another book.
6. The Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson—Although I didn't like the direction this story took in the last book, I still very much enjoyed the trilogy as a whole. I would read more books about Pip, especially if they were in the upbeat style of the first two installments.
7. The Gold Seer Trilogy by Rae Carson—I adored this YA historical/supernatural series about a young woman with the ability to sense the presence of gold. Her adventures kept me totally enthralled. I would love to read more of them.
8. The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness—It's been a long time since I read this YA trilogy (well, three full books and three novellas) of dystopian thrillers, so I honestly can't even remember what the books are about. I only know that I loved the trilogy when I read it and would gladly reengage with its characters and their world.
9. The Lewis Trilogy by Peter May—This adult mystery series set in the Outer Hebrides features Fin Macleod, one of my favorite May characters. More books featuring him would make me very, very happy.
10. The Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani—I loved all four of the books in this series and would gladly read more featuring the same setting and characters. The novels are full of warmth and charm. I'm definitely going to need to re-read them at some point.
There you go, ten series I wish would be extended. Have you read any of them? Which series do you wish had more books in them? 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, August 02, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: TBR Reads Set in My Ancestral Homeland
When I saw today's prompt—Top Ten Books Set in Places I'd Love to Visit (Real or Fictional)—it sounded familiar. I was sure I'd done this topic before sometime in the past and yet, no matter how hard I searched my blog, I couldn't find a list with that theme. Although a few settings came immediately to mind (Hogwarts, Avonlea, Narnia, etc.), I struggled to come up with a bigger list than that, even though there are many settings that come alive so vividly in books that I long to step foot inside them. Nevertheless, I decided to focus on just one of those places: Scotland. You may remember that I traveled to the U.K. last year for sightseeing and family history exploration and that I did, indeed, visit the country. It enchanted me so much that I've been planning a return trip ever since I got home (in fact, we've been putting a lot of our new home purchased on a British Airways credit card to rack up travel points). So, today, I'm going to cheat a little and share with you ten books on my TBR that are set in a place I would love to revisit.
If you want to join in the TTT fun, head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Books On My TBR Set in a Place I Would Love to Revisit (Scotland):
- in no particular order -
1. Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin—As much as I love his homeland and mysteries, I've never read anything by this Scottish author. Knots and Crosses is the first installment in his well-known Inspector Rebus series and I think it's high time I read it!
2. Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine—Libby Snow's third great-grandmother was obsessed with the legend of Ulla, a Viking maiden who washed up on shore with the almost lifeless body of her husband, inspiring fantastical tales and epic poems. When Libby, an archaeologist, receives permission to dig in the place Ulla allegedly appeared on Scotland's western coast, she discovers the bones of a much newer corpse. The stories of Ulla and Libby entwine with that of the dead woman as Libby searches for answers to explain the murder that caused her death.
3. Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine—Another murder mystery, this one revolves around the Inverkillen Family, residents of the titular home. With a mysterious illness running rampant through Scotland, the whole country is in a panic. The Inverkillens are already dealing with an alarming toilet paper shortage and Nanny's inconvenient death when Lord Inverkillen is found dead. Because of the lockdown keeping everyone at home, the only suspects in his murder are members of his family and staff. It's up to the head housekeeper to figure out who did him in.
4. 500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan—Colgan is a Scottish author who writes fun, upbeat rom-coms. This one is the third entry in her Scottish Bookshop series. I enjoyed the first two and am looking forward to this newest installment.
5. Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon—Written in the 1930s, this if the first book in a trilogy about a woman whose quiet pastoral life in Scotland is changed forever by World War I.
6. Lockdown by Peter May—Speaking of lockdowns, I'm intrigued by the premise of this novel by one of my favorite Scottish mystery writers. I thought it was set in Scotland, but it's actually set in London. Oops! Oh well, it still sounds compelling, especially since it was written over 15 years ago but so closely mirrors what we've all experienced recently with the global pandemic.
7. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton—This is the first installment in a cozy mystery series set in an Edinburgh bookshop. It features an American armchair traveler who makes an impulsive decision to accept a position at a bookstore in Scotland. Things get off to a cracking start when a valuable artifact goes missing and her boss's sister gets herself murdered.
8. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley—Another series opener, this one revolves around a woman who retreats to Scotland to write a novel based on a 1708 Jacobite effort to return an exiled James Stewart to his homeland in order to reclaim his crown. Writing from the perspective of one of her own ancestors, the writer soon realizes her strange obsession with the story may be a case of ancestral memory, making her the only person who knows what really happened that fateful day...
9. The Distant Echo by Val McDermid—McDermid is another Scottish mystery writer that I somehow have not read yet. This novel is the first in her Inspector Kate Pirie series and centers around a cold case homicide that opens old wounds and exposes long-buried secrets.
10. Bone Deep by Sandra Ireland—Mac is working on a compilation of local folktales and legends when her only child, Arthur, insists she needs an assistant to help her. Lucie, who moves into a cottage on Mac's property, seems a little too interested in the secrets Mac's working hard to protect. Unbeknownst to Mac, Lucie has secrets of her own.
There you go, ten (okay, nine) books on my TBR list that are set in beautiful Scotland. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Are there any others I should add to my list? Which books did you highlight today? 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, April 19, 2022
Top Ten Tuesday: Still-to-Read Stories From Some of My Favorite Authors
Today's dreamy TTT topic is a fun one—Top Ten Bookish Items I'd Love to Own—but I'm still going rogue. I enjoy fun booky items as much as the next bibliophile (I have a couple bookstore t-shirts, several punny mugs, reading wall art, etc.), but with my upcoming move, I'm focusing on purging my junk, not accumulating more! So, I'm going to go with a throwback prompt that Nicole used for her list a few weeks ago: Top Ten Books I Still Need to Read By Some of My Favorite Authors. I've been ruminating on the subject ever since reading Nicole's list.
Before we get to that, though, be sure to click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl. While you're giving Jana some love, why don't you join in the TTT fun? It's a great excuse to drop in on your favorite book blogs, discover fabulous new ones, and, of course, add books to your TBR mountain chain. What's not to love?
Top Ten Books I Still Need to Read By Some of My Favorite Authors
*All book data is from Fantastic Fiction. Book counts include novellas, but not titles published under authors' psuedonyms.
1. Ellie Alexander (cozy mysteries)
Number of books published*: 22
Number of books I've read: 6
What I still need to read: I'm caught up with the Sloan Krause series, but I've only read the first book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. I need to read more of those, plus Left Coast Literary, the series opener in a new bookish series.
2. Elizabeth C. Bunce (children's fiction, young adult fantasy, children's historical mysteries)
Number of books published: 7 (including In Myrtle Peril, which comes out in October)
Number of books I've read: 3
What I still need to read: I adore Bunce's Myrtle Hardcastle mystery series, so I'm all caught up in that one. I'm not really interested in her StarCrossed duology, but I do want to read A Curse As Dark As Gold, her 2008 debut.
3. Amanda Flower (cozy and historical mysteries)
Number of books published: 36 (including four that come out later this year)
Number of books I've read: 7
What I still need to read: I love Flower's Amish Candy Shop Mystery series and am just about caught up in it. I read Farm to Trouble, the first in a new series, earlier this year and found it rather meh. I doubt I'll continue with that one. Since I enjoy her other Amish mysteries so much, next on my list is Flower's Amish Matchmaker Mystery series.
4. Melanie Jacobson (rom-coms for adults and teens)
Number of books published: 21+ (including several co-authored novels)
Number of books I've read: 9
What I still need to read: I'm especially excited for Jacobson's Love in New Orleans trilogy. Jacobson is a native of Baton Rouge and her love for the area really shines through in her stories set in NOLA.
5. Peter May (adult mysteries/crime fiction)
Number of books published: 28
Number of books read: 7
What I still need to read: I enjoyed May's Lewis Trilogy as well as several of his standalone novels. Next up for me is the Enzo McLeod books and then the Yan & Campbell series.
6. Susan Meissner (adult historical fiction and mysteries)
Number of books published: 25 (including three that were co-authored with Mindy Starns Clark and When We Had Wings, which comes out in October)
Number of books read: 8
What I still need to read: I've read all the books but one that Meissner has published since 2011. I need to go back and read her earlier work.
7. Jennifer Ryan (adult World War II fiction)
Number of books published: 4 (including The Wedding Dress Circle, which comes out in May)
Number of books read: 2
What I still need to read: Ryan's newest as well as her debut, The Chillbury Ladies' Choir. I have copies of both.
8. Riley Sager (adult thrillers and horror)
Number of books published: 6 (including The House Across the Lake, which comes out in June)
Number of books read: 4
What I still need to read: Other than Sager's upcoming thriller, the only one I haven't read is Final Girls. I've heard from a number of people that it's their least favorite book of his, so I've been hesitating on it. When I was sorting through all my books, I found a copy of Final Girls I had totally forgotten about; now, I have no excuses so I'll read it sometime soon-ish.
9. Sarah Stewart Taylor (adult mysteries/crime fiction)
Number of books published: 8 (including The Drowning Sea, which comes out in June)
Number of books read: 2
What I still need to read: I've been loving Taylor's Maggie D'Arcy series, so I'm eager to try her Sweeney St. George mysteries. Unfortunately, I've been having a hard time finding them at my library. I might have to bite the bullet and buy the whole dang series!
10. Jacqueline Woodson (children's and YA fiction, poetry, literary fiction, picture books, etc.)
Number of books published: 35+
Number of books read: 6
What I still need to read: Woodson is so prolific that it's hard to keep up with her. I need to read her newest novels first, then work my way back.
There you go, a whole bunch of books I still need to read by some of my favorite authors. Have you read any of them? Which authors' work do you need to catch up on? What bookish items are you coveting these days? 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 27, 2021
Top Ten Tuesday: Island Fever
This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic asks the old cliché question: If you were stranded on a deserted island, which books would you want to have with you? Really, the only one I'd need would be How to Get Yourself Rescued From a Deserted Island for Dummies. That would get me off the island and back to my large home library pronto. Voilà ! Problem solved. Since this prompt (obviously) didn't really speak to me, I decided to spin it a little to make it more fun. How about Top Ten Most Memorable Books With An Island Setting instead? I've read lots of books set on islands big and small. For this list, I'm going to focus on the latter.
If you want to hop on the TTT train, click on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the details.
Top Ten Most Memorable Books With An Island Setting
(in no particular order)
1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery—This novel, the first in a beloved series, is set on Prince Edward Island, Canada.
2. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie—Eight strangers are invited to Soldier Island, a fictional speck of land on the English coast, in this classic murder mystery.
3. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton—On another made-up island, this one near Costa Rica, dinosaurs are alive, well, and available for viewing if you've got the dough. Sounds awesome. Until things start to go horrifically awry...
4. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko—This historical middle-grade novel, the first in a series, is about a boy who lives with his family on California's Alcatraz Island. Before reading this series, it had never occurred to me that children might have lived in the vicinity of the infamous prison, but they absolutely did! Crazy.
5. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See—Jeju, a small Korean island, is the setting for this fascinating historical. It's about the island's female free divers, traditionally the breadwinners for their families, and how their trade changes over time.
6. Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert—The first in a compelling mystery/thriller series, this one is set on a private island in the Thousand Islands region of New York state. When a murder occurs during a family get together, Detective Shana Merchant and her partner are called out to investigate. Atmospheric and engrossing, it's a tense page-turner.
7. Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton—Bolton's written a bunch of intense thrillers, but this one is my favorite. It takes place in the U.K.-owned Falkland Islands. The mystery concerns a missing child whose disappearance in such an isolated and dangerous locale is at first assumed to be a tragic accident, but is soon determined to be something much more sinister...
8. Moloka'i by Alan Brennert—Set on Hawaii's famous island leper colony, this is an intriguing and eye-opening historical novel.
9. The Lewis Trilogy (The Blackhouse; The Lewis Man; The Chessmen) by Peter May—Scotland's Hebrides Islands are the setting for this atmospheric trio of mysteries.
10. The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter—In this tense family drama, a woman visits fictional Bonny Island, Georgia, the setting for a horror novel turned cult classic written by her mother. Determined to write a biting tell-all, she uncovers some astonishing secrets about her own family and past.
There you have it, ten memorable novels I've read that are set on small islands. Have you read any of them? What are your favorite books with small island settings? Which titles would you like to have with you on a deserted island? 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!
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