(Image from author's website)

Once upon a time, folks in tiny Sullivan, Missouri, gathered at Ruby's Place—an elegant, family-friendly nightspot—to meet friends, celebrate special occasions, and dance the night away.  A warm, welcoming refuge all throughout the year, Ruby's Place became even more inviting during Christmastime.  Sparkling with holiday spirit, it seemed almost ... magical.

As a child, nothing delighted Angela Lowe more than her annual Christmas visit to Ruby's with her chic aunt.  Just like Angela has changed over the years, so has Sullivan, and so has its once-beloved bar.  Abandoned long ago, the building is a ramshackle ruin, its "For Lease" sign an optimistic plea to a deteriorating town.  Its crumbling exterior mirrors Angela's own.  Lonely and disappointed by life, she feels as hopeless as Ruby's Place looks.  

A week away from Christmas, Angela happens past the old bar.  As she peers through its grimy windows, seeking even a speck of its old holiday sparkle, she gets a shock courtesy of Ruby's "spirits."  Still vibrant inside the moldering walls of the old nightspot, the ghosts of Christmases past are alive and well.  Not only that, but they've got a plan for Angela Lowe ...

Christmas at Ruby's, a novella by Holly Schindler, tells a sweet holiday story about the power of hope.  Its charming premise leads to an imaginative tale with such a strong sense of place that it will leave you longing for your own Ruby's Place.  Or at least for a full-length novel featuring Ruby's and all its colorful inhabitants.  If you're looking for a quick, heartwarming read to get you in the holiday spirit, look no further than Christmas at Ruby's.  It's an engaging, uplifting tale perfect for these busy, fun-filled days leading up to the big holiday.  

*At 99 cents for the e-book and only $6 for a paperback, Christmas at Ruby's is an affordable gift, perfect for holiday giving.*

(Readalikes:  Hm, I can't really think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Christmas at Ruby's from the always generous Holly Schindler.  Thank you!

Not gonna lie—I don't really trust Santa Claus to deliver the bookish goodies I want to see under my tree this year.  No offense to the Big Guy, but he's got a lot on his plate this time of year.  Rest easy, Kris Kringle, I got this.  

Before I show you my list, do me a favor and join in the fun!  You need a break from all the holiday stress you're probably feeling, so hop on over to The Broke and the Bookish.  Check out the Top Ten Tuesday rules, make your own list, then click around the book blogosphere to discover lots of new blogs to love, familiar ones to re-visit, and, of course, to find all kinds of great reading recommendations.  It's a good ole time, I promise!  Please note:  After January 16, TTT will be hosted on That Artsy Reader Girl blog.

Top Ten Books (and Bookish Things) I Hope Santa (Is) Bringsing Me:  

1.  Year One by Nora Roberts—Nothing says Christmas quite like a good dystopian, amirite?  Actually, I just got tired of waiting for this one at the library, so I used a Barnes & Noble coupon and got it at a discount in a real, brick-and-mortar store.  

2.  The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan—I love the pretty cover on this one.  The story, which is about a man who becomes an obsessive collector of found things after his fiancé dies following him losing a precious keepsake of hers, sounds interesting too.

3.  Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia—This YA was on all kinds of "best of" lists this year.  Again, I was too impatient to wait for it at the library, so I bought myself a copy.

4.  Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero—It's become a tradition for my 15-year-old daughter and me to visit Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe every December.  We trade in old books, then use our store credit plus my birthday discount to stock up on new reads for the next year.  I grabbed Meddling Kids because I've heard such good things about it.  While my girl and I were discussing it at the store, a young man standing near us piped up to say:  "My girlfriend just read that!  She loved it."  A ringing endorsement, if I ever heard one!

5.  Odd Child Out by Gilly Macmillan—I'm reading this British thriller right now.  It's about two teenage boys who sneak out of the house one night; one ends the night by fighting for his life in a Bristol hospital.  The other boy, a refugee from Somalia, is too traumatized to speak about the incident.  What really happened that night?  I finally forced myself to put down Odd Child Out at about 11 last night.  I can't wait to finish it today.

6.  Retribution Rails by Erin Bowman—I'm not going to bother sticking this one under the tree since I've already read it and all.  I enjoyed Vengeance Road and this is a worthy companion novel.  It's not really a sequel since it stars different characters, but it does look in on some old favorites.  If you're looking for a fun, action-packed YA series to enjoy, give this one a go. 

7.  The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman—This summery novel was in the bargain bin at Barnes & Noble.  I'd never heard of it before, but it gets great reviews on book sites.  It's about a young Russian woman who tricks her family into immigrating to the U.S.  When she becomes crippled, she's abandoned in New York City and must find a way to survive.  

8.  The Book Lover's Calendar 2018—I bought one of these on clearance last year and have enjoyed it immensely.  Naturally, I couldn't resist grabbing the 2018 version.

9.  No Time to Clean Tea Towel from Bas Bleu—Although I can't justify spending almost $13 on a dish towel, I think this one's adorable.  And SO spot-on!

10.  Reader's Paradise Puzzle from Bas Bleu—I like puzzles and this one looks fun.

How about you?  What books or bookish things are you hoping to find under your Christmas tree?  I'd love to know.  Leave me a comment and I'll gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!     

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Fast Falls the Night, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Bell Elkins novels.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.

When a young woman overdoses on the dirty floor of a gas station bathroom, it's a sad, tragic death.  Not an out-of-the-ordinary one, however.  Not in Appalachia, where life is tough, people are discouraged, and illegal drugs are plentiful.  Addiction and all the ugliness that goes along with the "Applachian virus" are just part of life, especially in the small town of Acker's Gap, West Virginia.  When another overdose occurs within hours of the first, however, then another, then another, it quickly becomes apparent that the victims have partaken of a bad batch of heroin.  Laced with a lethal tranquilizer, the drugs are toxic.   

Bell Elkins, the Raythune County prosecutor, is as alarmed as everyone else by the escalating death toll in her little town.  In order to stop the madness, she and the police need to locate the dealer responsible for the tainted drugs.  It's a frantic, adrenaline-fueled, race-against-the-clock hunt that is unlikely to result in a happy ending.  Not everyone believes county resources should be used to fight a losing battle, but it's happening anyway.  At least for one night. 

As if Bell doesn't have enough on her plate with the desperate drug investigation, she has to deal with a sister who's dying of cancer, a boyfriend who's pressuring her into marriage, and a shocking revelation that will shake her to her core.  For the 45-year-old prosecutor, it's going to be a very, very long night ...

I've enjoyed all the books in the Bell Elkins mystery series by Julia Keller and have come to expect a certain formula from them.  That's why Fast Falls the Night—the sixth installment—surprised me so much.  Keller changes things up this time around in a few ways.  First, this story takes place over a 24-hour period, which makes for a much faster paced novel than usual.  Second, she focuses on new characters and relationships.  As much as I love Bell and miss Nick Fogelsong, injecting some new blood helps make Acker's Gap feel more interesting and alive.  Third, Keller ends the book with a cliffhanger.  Although this is par for the course with lots of mystery/thriller series, Keller always wraps her stories up at the end.  At first, I thought Fast Falls the Night's very abrupt conclusion was due to a printing error in my ARC.  Nope.  While the not-so-satisfying finale was definitely unexpected, I can't deny that it's making me crazy for the next installment in the series.  I have to know what happens, darn it!  I also have to say that I like the changes Keller makes in Fast Falls the Night.  They've injected new energy into the series.  I would have been anxious for the next Bell Elkins book anyway, but now I'm chomping at the bit.  August 2018, come quick!

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other books in the Bell Elkins series, including A Killing in the Hills; Bitter River; Summer of the Dead; A Haunting of the Bones [novella]; The Devil's Step-Daughter [novella]; Ghost Roll [novella]; Last Ragged Breath; Evening Street [novella]; and Sorrow Road)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for strong language, violence, blood/gore, depictions of illegal drug use, and other disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Fast Falls the Night from the generous folks at Minotaur Books, a division of St. Martin's Press/Macmillan.  Thank you!

Even though the year isn't *quite* over yet—thank goodness, since I've still got 50 books to read to reach my goal of 200!—I'm going to play along today and talk about the best reads I enjoyed in 2017.  In the "Books Read in 2017" section at the bottom of my blog, you can see that I starred 22 books as favorites, so I'll have to narrow it down to my 10 most favorite. Before we get to that, though, I want to mention two things:

(1)  I'm hosting a fun giveaway that hasn't received a lot of entries yet.  This means your chances of winning a copy of Celebrate Every Season with Six Sisters' Stuff are really, really good!  Thick and glossy, this cookbook retails for $22.99.  It's full of yummy recipes, easy crafts, and fun ideas for every season of the year.  Whether you want this for yourself or for Christmas giving, you have to enter to win.  Take a look at this post for more details.  Good luck!

(2)  Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme.  It's a great way to discover new blogs, give some love to those you already visit, and, of course, add some intriguing new reads to Ole Mount TBR.  To join in, all you have to do is click on over to The Broke and the Bookish, read a few guidelines, make your own list, then have a good time hopping around the book blogosphere.  If you want to add some pizzazz to your Tuesday, TTT is the ticket.

Okay, here we go with my Top Ten Favorite Books of 2017:

1.  The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny—I adore the Chief Inspector Gamache series, so it's not surprising that both installments I read this year made it to my favorites list.  All the books are excellent.  This one, eighth in the series, is an especially intriguing "locked room" mystery set in a remote monastery that does not allow visits by outsiders.  Until a monk turns up dead.  Gamache and his right-hand man are called in to find the killer.

2.  How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny—This mystery, ninth in the series, revolves around a dead woman who—Gamache is surprised to discover—is not just any old lady, but a celebrity with a very, very interesting history.  As he investigates her murder, Gamache also has to deal with personal and professional turmoil, all of which make this novel difficult to put down.

3.  The Forgetting by Sharon Cameron—This was the first book I read in 2017 and boy, did it start my reading year off right!  This YA novel is unique and intriguing.  The less you know about it going in, the better.  Trust me, though, it's worth the read. 

4.  The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry—I read this one, an even more unique YA novel, because it was nominated for a Whitney Award.  It ended up winning in the YA General category and also being selected as a Michael L. Printz Honor title, neither of which surprised me at all.  It's a lovely historical that's interesting, exciting, and well-written.

5.  Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate—Adoption stories always reel me in, and this one was no exception.  The novel tells a heartbreaking story based on the real-life antics of Georgia Tann, a money-hungry woman who basically sold babies for her own profit and gain during the 1930s and 40s.  Ultimately hopeful, it makes for an engrossing read.

6.  Worth the Wrestle by Sheri Dew—I loved this inspirational book about wrestling with your questions and doubts.  Dew writes in an uplifting, engaging way that just speaks right to my soul.  This is a life-changing book, which I absolutely adored.

7.  You May Already Be a Winner by Ann Dee Ellis—I enjoyed this quirky MG novel set in a locale (Provo, Utah) with which I'm very familiar.  It's about a young girl living in a trailer park who dreams of winning the lottery and making a better life for herself, her mother, and her younger sister.  It's a sweet read about appreciating what you have—even, maybe especially, when it seems like you don't have much at all.

8.  Wool by Hugh Howey—This dystopian chunkster may look intimidating, but it's actually very readable.  The world it introduces is complex and fascinating.  I loved immersing myself in this one.

9.  Lemons by Melissa Savage—This MG novel is as bright and enjoyable as it sounds.  It stars two Bigfoot hunters who make a startling discovery right in their own backyard!

10.  My Bonny Light Horseman by L.A. Meyer—I've long been a fan of the irresistible Jacqueline "Jacky" Faber.  Her adventures never fail to make me smile.  Since her creator passed away suddenly in 2014, I am reading the series slowly, savoring each book, knowing there will be no more.  This one, sixth in the series, is just as delightful as all the rest.

There you go, my Top Ten.  You can see the other 12 books I enjoyed most this year by scrolling to the bottom of my blog and checking out the titles on my "Books Read in 2017" list that have asterisks.  So, what do you think of my list?  Have you read any of these?  What were the best books you read this year?  I'd love to know.  Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor.

Happy TTT!