9. The Curse of the Pharaohs by Elizabeth Peters:

If you've been a blogger for any length of time, you've probably noticed the general decline in not just blog reading but also in blog commenting.  I still spend a sizable chunk of time doing both, but no one has ever accused me of keeping up with trends!  Megan over at Leafing Through Life is also sad that commenting has gone out of fashion.  In order to bring back the blog commenting love, she launched a little thing she calls Choose Your Own Comment Adventure.  To have an "adventure," you choose a book blog, read the most recent post, make a thoughtful comment, then click on the first commenter's link and head over to their blog.  Repeat the process until you've visited ten (or more) blogs.  I love this idea!  I've been meaning to go on an adventure of my own ever since Megan posted about her first one.  Now that she's provided a linky to join in the fun, I'm totally going for it!  Here's the journey I took around the book blogosphere today:

1.  Back to Books:  The first blog that showed up in my Bloglovin' list was this one, written by a Canadian book lover.  I've been visiting Nicola's blog off and on for years and have discovered lots of great books because of it.  Unfortunately, the book she most recently reviewed—Crazy Dead by Suzanne F. Kingsmill—doesn't sound like my cup of tea.  Nicola wasn't wild about it either.  She said the plot was a mess and the characters behaved in ways that just weren't believable.  Hate that!  I'll pass on this book, but I'll definitely return to Back to Books.

2.  Mystica/Musings from Sri Lanka:  Mystica was the first commenter on Nicola's post, so I headed over to her blog next.  She reviewed a book that sounds like the exact sort of read I would enjoy.  Still Mine by Amy Stuart is a mystery about a missing girl and an outsider who refuses to give up on finding her.  She says the book is descriptive, atmospheric, and twisty.  I added it to my Goodreads TBR list.  Can't wait to see what I think of it.

3.  Bermuda Onion:  This blogger has been around for a long time and is well known for her generous commenting.  It's no surprise that her blog came up.  I was intrigued by her Wondrous Wednesday post, highlighting words I'd never heard of.  I learned the definition of "ruminants" (gross!) and "coelacanth" (interesting!).

4.  The Book Sage:  The first comment on that post led me to a new-to-me blog.  Lloyd's most recent post was a recap of an author event he had attended.  Yaa Gyasi, author of Homegoing—which has been getting excellent reviews—is a local author.  Gyasi, who's originally from Ghana, sounds like a fascinating person.  Her book has been on my Goodreads TBR list for many weeks.

The first comment on this post was from Bermuda Onion, so I went back to my Bloglovin' list and started over, which led me to:

5.  Bart's Bookshelf:  This is another blog that I've been reading for years.  Darren reviews a lot of sci fi/fantasy and dystopian books and has provided me with some excellent reading recommendations in the past.  His newest review is lovely.  He talks about The Girl of Ink and Stars by Kiran Milwood Hargrave, which, he says, is worth the buy just for its gorgeous writing.  However, he insists readers should get themselves a paper copy because the book itself is so beautiful.  Verdict?  Sold.

6.  The Written Word:  The first commenter on that post was Kailana, another Canadian book blogger.  Her most recent post was a "week in review" summary.  Her loved ones have been sick, so it's been a bit of a rough one for her.  On the bright side, she's reading two books that I enjoyed:  Me Before You by Jojo Moyes and The Cutting Season by Attica Locke.  She also posted some gorgeous scenic shots that she took.  Very impressive.

7.  I Wish I Lived in a Library:  Kailana's first commenter was Katherine P, whose blog I visit frequently.  Her most recent post is a review of An Address to Die For by Mary Feliz.  The book revolves around a professional organizer who is moving into a new house.  When she drives up, she's shocked to see that the home is in terrible disrepair.  Even more disconcerting is the dead body in the basement.  The plot sounds similar to The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves.  I enjoyed that one and am quite sure I'll dig this one as well.

8.  Quinn's Book Nook:  That post led me to Quinn's review of P.S. I Like You, a new YA romance by Kasie West.  Quinn said it took her a little while to warm up to the characters in the book, but that she enjoyed it overall.  Like West's other books, it's a light, cute romance.  I enjoy West as well, so I'll check this one out soon.

9.  Nick and Nereyda's Infinite Booklist:  Quinn's commenter led me to another new-to-me blog.  The most recent post by N&N is a fun guide to their "Favorite Friends to More Romances."  I've only read 1 1/2 of the books on the list, so I got a lot of great recommendations on what to try next.

10.  Lekeisha the Book Nerd:  The last stop on my adventure was another new discovery for me.  Lekeisha's Waiting on Wednesday post featured The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis.  Like me, she's a fan of McGinnis' writing.  Even when she doesn't like one of the characters or plot devices in one of the author's books, Lekeisha said McGinnis' prose is always "on point."  I agree wholeheartedly.

Phew!  So, there you have it.  I had a fun commenting adventure, which led me to new blogs and back to old favorites that I hadn't visited in awhile.  Thanks for the inspiration, Megan!  If you'd like to join in the commenting fun, head over to Leafing Through Life and sign up.  I'd love to hear about the blogs you discover on your own journey.  Until then, happy commenting!

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for The Girls She Left Behind, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from its predecessor, Winter at the Door.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

Lizzie Snow has only been in tiny Bearkill, Maine, for a few weeks, but she's already making a name for herself as the new sheriff's deputy.  For a dead-end town on the edge of the Great North Woods, the hamlet requires a surprising amount of work from its minuscule police department.  Once a booming lumber town, the place retains a faded charm, but that's not what's keeping Lizzie there.  An anonymous tip hinting that her niece, who's been missing for nine years, might be in the area is what's keeping the former homicide detective from sprinting back to Boston.

In the meantime, Lizzie's got a slew of problems right in her own backyard.  The forest fire raging just outside of town worries her.  As does the disappearance of 14-year-old Tara Wylie.  Although the local teen has a habit of taking off without bothering to inform her single mother, a disturbing text indicates something sinister has happened to the girl.  Tara's mother is frantic, but she's also lying to Lizzie.  Why?  The escape of Henry Gemerle, a man being held in the psych ward of a Connecticut forensic hospital after he was discovered holding girls hostage in his basement, is making everyone edgy.  Has Tara been abducted by the monster?  Or are she and her older boyfriend just off partying somewhere?  Why is Tara's mother misleading Lizzie and her team?  As shocking connections between the two cases come to light, Bearkill's new deputy will have to race against time, a deadly inferno, and a demented foe to protect the people of the tiny village she reluctantly calls home.

The last thing Lizzie needs are complications, but that's all she seems to be getting.  And not just from Peg Wylie.  Dylan Hudson, a Bangor detective who once shattered Lizzie's heart, wants another chance.  Then there's Trey Washburn, a handsome local vet, who's never been shy about his interest in Bearkill's newcomer.  Above all, Lizzie only cares about one thing—her niece.  With so much else going on, is she letting valuable clues to Nicki's whereabouts slip by?  Lizzie's got to keep her head in the game in order to save her niece, her town, and, ultimately, herself.

I thoroughly enjoyed Winter at the Door, the first installment in the Lizzie Snow series by Sarah Graves.  The second, The Girls She Left Behind, is just as riveting.  Although the reader knows many of the mystery's answers from the beginning of the novel, it's still a taut, engrossing read.  Lizzie continues to be an understated heroine who impresses with her tough demeanor and quiet devotion.  Bearkill becomes a character in its own right and not a romanticized one—Snow paints it as a desperate, down-and-out dwelling place, one that's as complex and compelling as each of its residents.  Personally, I'm eager to see what will happen next in the unpredictable wooded hamlet.  Surely, Lizzie has many more exciting adventures to come.  I can't wait.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves and of the Bell Elkins series [A Killing in the Hills; Bitter River; Summer of the Dead; and Last Ragged Breath] by Julia Keller)

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Okay, on to my freebie topic.  I know lots of you are sick to death of winter.  Maybe I would be, too, if I lived somewhere that actually has winter.  We're not so lucky here in the Phoenix area.  Sure, we've had some chilly days (for us); some mornings it's gotten down into the 30s, but still ... real winter continues to elude us desert dwellers.  Most people live here for exactly that reason.  For this PNW girl, though, I miss the chill in the air, the snow softly falling, the crackle of a blaze in the fireplace—all the things that signify winter to me.  In a month or so, our temps will be back up in the 100s.  The only way to make winter last around here is to read about it in books.  So, here you go with my Top Ten Most Memorable Books set in the Winter: