2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
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Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
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2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
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Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
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Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
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2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
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European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
My Own Choose Your Comment Adventure
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!
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Bolton's Debut Novel Just As Addicting As Her Latest
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Although her husband was reared in Unst, 33-year-old Tora Hamilton is a stranger to the remote, weather-beaten Shetland Islands. She is still getting used to Lerwick, her new hometown, when she comes across a dead body buried on the property she and Duncan recently purchased from a trust associated with the church. At first, she assumes it's one of the infamous bog bodies—a Stone Age corpse perfectly preserved by the peat. The post-mortem reveals the truth; not only is the body that of a recently deceased woman, but the victim had her heart cut out. A few days after giving birth.
It's this last bit that Tora—an obstetrician who has been trying to get pregnant since she married Duncan five years ago—can't let go of. Why would someone murder a new mother? And so savagely? What are they to make of the runes carved into her body? Was this a ritualistic killing? Or something even more sinister? Obsessed with finding the truth, Tora digs deeply into Shetland folklore and local secrets to solve the mystery. Everyone warns her to back off, but she refuses to listen. Even when it becomes apparent that someone will do anything—anything—to silence her.
I became aware of Sharon (S.J.) Bolton because of her latest book, Little Black Lies. After being completely blown away by it, I knew I had to read every novel the author had ever published. So I did. Sacrifice is Bolton's first novel and it's interesting to compare and contrast it with Little Black Lies. The former is just as atmospheric, just as unsettling, just as compelling. It's less sophisticated in some ways, but no less enticing. With a brave, admirable heroine guiding the story, it's absolutely impossible to look away. Just like Little Black Lies (which happens to be my favorite Bolton mystery), Sacrifice is a dark, twisty suspense novel that will keep you turning pages until the wee hours of the morning. Trust me on this—you don't want to start Sacrifice (or any Bolton book for that matter) unless you have all day to inhale it because once you begin reading, you won't be able to stop. Did I mention that I binge-read all of her books in a matter of days just so I could get on with my life? Well, I did. Bolton's mysteries are that addicting. Consider yourself warned.
(Readalikes: Reminds me a bit of Peter May's Shetland trilogy [The Blackhouse; The Lewis Man; and The Chessmen]; also of Ann Cleeves' Shetland mysteries [Raven Black; White Nights; Red Bones; Blue Lightning; Dead Water; Thin Air; and Cold Earth])
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (a dozen or so F-bombs plus milder expletives), violence, blood/gore, mild sexual content, and disturbing content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Saturday, July 09, 2016
Easy Breezy Beach Read (a Little) Enlightening, (a Lot) Entertaining
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Gia Montgomery has the perfect boyfriend. For two months, she's been dating Bradley Harris, a great-looking older guy who happens to be a junior at UCLA. Since the two live in different towns, they don't spend a lot of actual time together. Not that it matters—17-year-old Gia is willing to take on a long-distance romance for someone as great as Bradley. Even if her friends are starting to doubt his existence.
Prom night is Gia's chance to show off the elusive Bradley. When he dumps her in the school parking lot right before the dance, she's devastated. And desperate. Desperate enough to nab Hayden Reynolds, who's sitting in his car reading a book while he waits for his sister. The plan is simple; all Hayden has to do is pretend to be Bradley for a couple hours. It works like a charm, convincing most of Gia's frenemies that she's telling the truth about her older boyfriend.
From the pastel cover to the frothy plot summary, everything about The Fill-in Boyfriend by Kasie West screams easy breezy beach read. Which is totally accurate. It's a fun, fluffy romance that makes for a light, enjoyable distraction between heavier tomes. Is the novel silly? Yes. Predictable? You bet. Worth the read? Definitely. It's a clean romance with enough substance to be (a little) enlightening and (a lot) entertaining. If you're looking for the perfect beach bag novel, look no further. You've found it.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of Kasie West's other YA romances, including The Distance Between Us and On the Fence)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for mild sexual innuendo
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Thursday, July 07, 2016
Love Deanna Raybourn? Then You're Going to Adore This Post. (With a Giveaway!)
Pretty, aren't they? I think I prefer the hardcover art, but still, these are lovely in their own right.
The real question is, how would you like to win a pretty paperback version of A Curious Beginning for yourself? You would? Good. Thanks to the good folks at Penguin Random House (Berkley/NAL), I have one to give away. Details are at the bottom of this post.
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Don't go there yet, though! I had the chance to interview the wonderful Deanna Raybourn recently. Here's the conversation we had:
BBB: Although I've had SILENT IN THE GRAVE on my bookshelf for some time now, A
CURIOUS BEGINNING is the first and only book of yours that I've read. I
adored the novel so much that I'll definitely be reading everything you've ever
written! For me and authors who are not (yet) familiar with your previous
work, would you please describe a Deanna Raybourn novel in five words or
less?
DR: Twisty, witty historical adventures. (And I’m delighted you
enjoyed—thanks for the kind words!)
BBB: Veronica Speedwell, the star of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, is such a fun
character. What's your favorite thing about her? Why do you
think she will appeal to modern readers?
DR: Veronica is an unapologetic badass, by
which I mean she sincerely does not care what people think of her. She is
intelligent and resourceful and courageous, and she believes those qualities
make her the equal of anyone else—and frequently their superior! I think modern
readers see themselves in Veronica because, unlike the common impression we
have of Victorian women as tightly-corseted and helpless, Veronica goes out and
gets what she wants. She lives life on her own terms and is comfortable in her
own skin. She is also inspired by an actual Victorian lepidopterist who did
exactly as she pleased, so there is a precedent for it.
BBB: I haven't read your Lady Julia novels, but I have a friend who's a big fan.
She has two burning questions for you: Will Julia and Nicholas ever have
an adventure in America? She also wonders how prevalent certain
"modern" elements that you write about in your Victorian novels
(feminism, drug use, homosexuality, etc.) actually were during that time
period. How do you go about researching these sometimes controversial
issues? Also, how did the class/money issues that so affected Victorian
society affect a real Victorian's pursuit of such things?
DR: For
now Julia and Nicholas are on hiatus, but with the coming of the TV series, who
knows! Although I have to say, I doubt I would take them to America. They are
so firmly rooted in Victorian London, pulling them out of that just feels
tricky. I did take them to Darjeeling, and I teased an Italian adventure, so I
suppose I shouldn’t rule it out entirely.
It’s
a very common misconception that those elements are modern. We hear so much
about Victorians being sexually repressed and uptight, but the truth is that
sort of staid morality only gives a picture of a certain segment of the
population. The newly-emerging middle class was all about respectability, but
in the lower class, more than 50% of brides were pregnant on their wedding day,
and adultery was extremely common amongst aristocrats. (The Prince of Wales
himself set the fashion!) Women were agitating for the vote; what we now call
street drugs were entirely legal then; there was a lesbian commune in London
that was so well established, it had its own newspaper. Vegetarianism, department
stores, beach vacations, escalators, free love—we think all these things were
20th-century inventions, but the Victorians had them long before we
did.
As
to class and money, the 19th-century is the first time in British
history that you see the rise of such a large and moneyed middle class. There
had always been a merchant class, but under Victoria’s reign, it was possible
to vault your way much higher than ever before. That sort of social fluidity,
while minor by our standards in America, was unprecedented for the British. It
was an exciting time, but also a very alarming one for people who liked things
neatly pigeonholed.
BBB: On your blog, you said, "For me, the holy grail is a novel that is historically plausible and witty." I know you're a voracious
reader—what are your all-time favorite novels that fit this description?
DR: I love
the Flavia de Luce series by Adam Bradley; Lyndsay Faye’s JANE STEELE is
outrageously good, and I recently discovered the Gower Street Detectives books
by M. R. C. Kasasian—they’re delicious. And I am devoted to the late Elizabeth
Peters, of course.
BBB: In a blog post you wrote giving advice to new writers, you cautioned them
against taking criticism about their work from people who "do not
create." You insist that although these people are entitled to their
own opinions, such opinions should not be allowed to live in the writer's
head. As a book blogger but not a "real" writer, I find this
idea interesting. Do you read reviews of your books? Do you pay
attention to those written only by "professionals" or are you one of
those writers who trolls Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble, etc. to get a
feel for what the average reader thinks? Whether you do or do not read
reviews, how does this affect the way you write?
DR: Much
to my kindly publicist’s dismay, no, I don’t read reviews. He will tell me when
something great comes along from Kirkus or Library Journal, but I don’t
actually read what he forwards. (Sorry, Loren!) I don’t have a Google alert for
my name; I don’t go to Goodreads or Amazon or B&N. I just don’t happen to
believe that reviews of my books are any of my business. And good or bad, other
people’s opinions shouldn’t be part of my process. It’s difficult to get
feedback—positive or negative—out of your head, and I don’t want to have to
work that hard for serenity. People who like me will continue to read me;
people who don’t will move on and hopefully find someone whose work they enjoy.
That
specific piece of advice to new writers is meant to caution against taking to
heart criticisms from people who don’t know what it’s like to put yourself out
there and be willing to fail in order to make something new. It’s incredibly
easy to sit back and judge that effort, and I’ve seen writer pals crushed by
those judgments. It can be difficult to pick yourself up after that, and it’s
even harder if you don’t have the experience and support that established
authors do. That’s why I encourage new writers to be cautious about opening
themselves up to criticism that can sometimes be gratuitously unkind. (And if
you’re writing a blog, you are creating! You’re fashioning a platform and
asking people to listen to what you have to say.)
BBB: Every writer has a unique approach to their work. You've written
extensively about your own writing process on your blog, but I'm curious:
What essentials do you have to have nearby when you're working (music,
coffee, a lucky charm, a special pen, etc)?
DR: Lined up in front of my
computer is a collection of Funko Pop Maleficent figures and a small stuffed
dragon—all gifts from friends. They are silly but also reminders of things I
find powerful. I always play music; I have playlists for each book and I am
smitten with the film scores of Fernando Velasquez. I light a candle on the
first day of a new book, and I wear my Virgen de Guadalupe charm that day just
for a little extra boost.
BBB: Thanks so much, Deanna!
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Ready to toss your name into the hat for a chance to win a copy of A Curious Beginning? Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Please note that giveaway is only open to readers with United States mailing addresses. Also, it ends on July 30, so sign up today!
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