I've been feeling a little emotionally bruised lately because of some...things, which has led to a *bit* of indulgence in the bookish retail therapy department. Needless to say, this week's TTT prompt is going to be a cinch for me: Top Ten Most Recent Additions to My Book Collection. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. The Agatha Christie Collection by Agatha Christie—I've read a few of Christie's iconic Hercules Poirot mysteries, but I've been wanting to start at the beginning and read the rest in order. The first one, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, always seems to be checked out from my library, so I finally just bought this volume which includes that title, as well as The Murder on the Links (#2) and Poirot Investigates (#3). I'm excited to see how it all began!

2. Stranded by Nikki Shannon Smith—I've mentioned this middle grade novel before. It's about a young Black girl from New York City who loves nature to a degree that confounds everyone around her. She finds a kindred spirit in her aunt, who lives in a remote cabin in the Adirondacks. Despite all that Auntie Raven teaches Ava about wilderness survival, though, Ava's terrified when she finds herself alone in the woods. Does she have what it takes to make it ouf of the forest alive? 

3. What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan—I have been enjoying this Irish-Australian author's Cormac Reilly crime series, so I was eager to give this standalone a go. It has not been available in my local libraries or bookstores and even Amazon didn't have it until recently. Finally, I was able to get myself a copy. The story revolves around a young couple who go on a romantic vacation to a remote cabin in the woods. When only the man returns, telling a story full of holes, everyone is asking the titular question: What happened to Nina?

4. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu—Considering what is going on right now, particularly in the U.S., I figured this was a good time to buy a copy of this book, about which I've heard great things. A warm, respectful conversation between two wise, compassionate leaders about what really matters in life sounds like just what my soul needs.

5. Not Nothing by Gayle Forman—I've never been overly interested in this author's YA novels, but I do like the sound of this one, her first middle-grade book. Alex is a lonely 12-year-old boy who commits an act that gets him sentenced to a summer performing community service at a retirement home. He is not at all enthusiastic about the prospect until he meets a 107-year-old resident named Josey. A man who has lived through it all, including the Holocaust, Josey just wants his long life to be over. When he meets Alex and begins telling the boy his story, the experience changes both of them. Can Josey's tales of courage give Alex the strength he needs to own up to the worst mistake he's ever made?

6. Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny—Changing Hands Bookstore, my local indie, offers a $10 birthday discount to its customers when we shop during our birth month. I used mine to pick up a copy of this 14th installment in the Armand Gamache crime series. It's one of my favorite series of all time, so I want to own all of them so I can re-read the books whenever I want. I haven't read Kingdom of the Blind yet, but it begins with a strange letter informing Gamache that he has been named in the will of a woman who is a complete stranger to him. He's baffled. When a dead body is found, the deceased's intentions become a little more clear—and a lot more sinister.

7. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett—Santa Claus brought me the beautiful Fingerprints edition of this children's classic. It's about a young girl who discovers a neglected garden on her uncle's estate. As she nurtures it back to life, she unearths secrets, clues, and answers to important questions about her family and herself.

8. The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton—My sister gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card for my birthday, which is a few days before Christmas. I used it to buy this dystopian/murder novel that I've been eyeing. It has a very intriguing premise: a killing fog has decimated the world's population, leaving only 125 people living on an idyllic island protected by a security system that keeps the fog away. Then, a scientist is murdered. The death triggers not just a lowering of the security system, which will disappear entirely if the killer isn't found in the next 107 hours, but also an erasure of everyone's memories of the night before. Someone on the island is a murderer, even if they don't remember that they are. Can the islanders solve the murder before it's too late?

9. Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson—I also used my gift card to buy a copy of this murder mystery by one of my favorite YA authors. It concerns Marlowe Wexler, a teenage girl who takes a summer job as a tour guide at a mansion that was built on a remote island in the 1920s and abandoned soon after. It's an easy gig, if not the most exciting job in the world. Except for the unexplained deaths that happened on the island. Those are...something. When Marlowe's employer mysteriously vanishes, Marlowe worries that the house's haunted history is making a deadly comeback...

10. The Magdalen Girls by V.S. Alexander—You know those tempting Kindle deals, where interesting-looking books can be had for just a few dollars? I fall for those way too often! Such is the case with this historical novel about three young Irish women who are sent to a Dublin convent that now serves as a Magdalen laundry for the crimes of being too pretty and too independently-minded. Despite the grimness and cruelty they experience in their new home, the young women form a fast, deep friendship. When they are finally able to escape the laundry, they'll need that bond to help them survive in the outside world, which might be more harsh than the one they've just escaped. Sounds depressing, but intriguing.

There you go, ten of my newest book acquisitions. Have you read any of them? What did you think? Which volumes have you acquired lately? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog. 

It's tough to describe The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton because it's so many things at one time: a historical novel (that doesn't concern itself overly much with accurate period details), a mystery, a swashbuckling pirate adventure (that's actually kind of slow), and a monster-y campfire tale.  There are also hints of romance, philosophy, and just plain ole drama.  The book's back cover copy describes it best:  "Shirley Jackson meets Sherlock Holmes in this chilling thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas."  That about covers it.

The story takes place in the year 1634 on a vessel called the Saardam, which is on an 8-month sea voyage from Batavia to Amsterdam.  On board is Sammy Pipps, the world's greatest detective, who is being held in the ship's brig for a crime he may or may not have committed.  Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard Arent Hayes. When strange, otherworldly things start happening aboard the ship, spooking the passengers and crew, they look to Pipps for answers.  Since he's not readily available, it's up to Arent and Sara Wessel—a noblewoman healer—to figure out what's going on.  When people on board start falling victim to an unseen killer, Arent and Sara find themselves hunting down a murderer.  Between them and Pipps, they've got more than enough smarts to catch the culprit, but what if it's not exactly of this world?  Could a demon really be responsible for all the horrible happenings on the Saardam?  Or is a more human evil to blame? 

At 480 pages, The Devil and the Dark Water isn't a swift read.  It's slow in places, but overall, I found it both engaging and exciting.  I enjoyed the main characters, who are a likable bunch even if one of them has motives that are not exactly pure.  The story's supernatural (or not?) element kept me on my toes, making me question what exactly our heroes were hunting.  What I most appreciated about this novel, though, is its examination of the devils in all of us.  If you're the kind of hist-fic reader who must have all the details exactly right, you might want to give this one a miss.  Turton admits he didn't worry much about those himself, hoping the reader would let go of the fuss and just enjoy the yarn.  You know what?  I did exactly that.

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

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!