I'm a *little* late on posting this monthly link-up for January.  Sorry about that! For those of you who are participating in the challenge, this is where you can post reviews for this month.  Please include the title of the book you're reviewing along with your name and the name of your blog.  I can't wait to see what everyone's reading!

If you haven't "officially" signed up for the challenge, it's not too late.  Just go to this post and add your name to the Mr. Linky there.

Imani Mandel is used to nosey questions from strangers.  The 12-year-old has spent her whole life fielding them.  Why is she Black when her parents are white?  Who are her real mom and dad?  How can she be Jewish when she's Black?  Shouldn't she be celebrating Kwanza instead of Hanukkah?  

Imani has grown up in an adoptive Jewish family, so her life makes sense to her.  Still, she can't help but wonder about her birth family and the truths that are hiding in her DNA.  For her upcoming bat mitzvah, Imani gets to choose a "big" present.  She knows what she wants—her parents' permission to search for her birth family—but she doesn't know how to ask for it without gutting them.  

For her bat mitzvah, Imani is supposed to do a research project about the Holocaust.  When her great-grandmother dies, leaving her many books to her grandchildren, Imani is shocked to discover a diary forgotten among the other volumes.  Even more amazing, it's the journal her great-grandmother Anna kept when she was forced to leave her native Luxembourg in 1941.  At 12 years old, she fled to America by herself, reluctantly leaving her parents and five siblings behind.  As Hitler's campaign to destroy the Jews heats up, she worries constantly about the family she left in Europe.  What happened to Anna's family?

As Imani becomes immersed in her great-grandmother's story, she begins to understand her place in her adoptive family, her legacy as a Jew, and what it truly means to be her own unique self.  

I had never heard of The Length of a String by Elissa Brent Weissman until I came across Afoma Umesi's wonderful list of 67 Best Middle-Grade Historical Fiction Books.  As the adoptive mother of a mixed-race daughter and a lover of World War II stories, I was immediately drawn to the novel's premise.  It promised a compelling story about themes I find intriguing: identity, family history, heritage, adoption, DNA, etc.  Did it deliver?  Absolutely!  The characters are sympathetic and likable, the plot is exciting and interesting, and the overall story is poignant and moving.  When it comes to dual-timeline novels, I'm usually way more invested in the past story than the present.  Not so with The Length of a String; I was equally intrigued by both story lines.  Although the book deals with some difficult subjects, overall it's upbeat, uplifting, and empowering.  So far, this is my favorite read of the year.  I loved it.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen and other children's books about the Holocaust)

What do you want to accomplish in 2021?  Do you make New Year's resolutions?  Do you keep them?  Are you a person who chooses a focus word/idea to guide your choices throughout the year?  I've always been a great goal maker, but not a very good goal achiever!  Because of my son's wedding in early January, my usual New Year's tasks were postponed, so I haven't made any resolutions yet.  It feels very liberating, let me tell you!  I may use February 1st as my January 1st or I may not make any resolutions at all.  We'll see.  I am curious what you all do and how well your methods work, though, so please share.  I need some motivation (obviously).

Today's Top Ten Tuesday is all about our hopes and goals for the new year.  Book/blog-wise, my only real aims are to read 200 books in 2021 and to complete the reading challenges I've taken on.  If I fail completely?  No biggie.  These are just-for-fun goals.  Since I'm not really sure about what else I want to accomplish this year, on the blog and off, I'm not going to do today's topic of Top Ten Goals and Hopes for 2021.  Instead, I'm going to steal a topic that Katherine over at I Wish I Lived in a Library did last week:  Top Ten Series I Want to Finish/Catch Up On By the End of the Year (check out her list here).  I love series, especially mystery ones, but I get stuck in the middle of them all the time.  2021 seems like a good time to catch up!  

Before we get to that, though, I want to encourage you to join in the TTT fun.  This is an awesome weekly meme that encourages bloggers to spread the love throughout our wonderful book blogosphere.  It's a great way to get involved in the community, find new blogs, revisit old favorites, and, of course, add more books to your TBR pile mountain mountain chain.  What's not to love?  Hop on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the TTT deets. 

Top Ten Mystery Series I Want to Finish/Catch Up On Before the End of the Year (in no particular order)

1.  Name:  The Noodle Shop Mystery series

Author:  Vivien Chien

Description:  Cozy culinary mysteries revolving around a Asian-American family that runs a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland

Books in series so far:  8 (two of which come out in 2021)

Books I've read:  5

Next up for me:  Killer Kung Pao 

2.  Name:  The Gilded Newport Mystery series

Author:  Alyssa Maxwell

Description:  Cozy historical mysteries starring a poor Vanderbilt relation who gets caught up in upstairs/downstairs tangles of all sorts

Books in series so far:  9 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  2

Next up for me:  Murder at Beechwood

3.  Name:  Lady Darby Mystery series

Author:  Anna Lee Huber

Description:  Set in 1830's Scotland, this mystery series features a widow whose former occupation as an anatomist's assistant makes her especially suited to help solve confounding murder mysteries.

Books in series so far:  9 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  2

Next up for me:  A Grave Matter

4.  Name:  The Bakeshop Mystery series

Author:  Ellie Alexander

Description:  Cozy culinary mystery series set in a family-owned bakeshop in Ashland, Oregon

Books in series so far:  13 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  1

Next up for me:  A Batter of Life and Death

5.  Name:  The Amish Candy Shop Mystery series

Author:  Amanda Flower

Description:  Cozy mystery series set in a family-owned candy shop in the heart of Ohio's Amish country

Books in series so far:  7 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  3

Next up for me:  Toxic Toffee

6.  Name:  The Ruth Galloway Mystery series

Author:  Elly Griffiths

Description:  An English archeologist helps solve mysteries involving bones and secrets

Books in series so far:  13 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  4

Next up for me:  A Dying Fall

7.  Name:  Below Stairs Mystery series

Author:  Jennifer Ashley

Description:  London's best cook is also a keen observer and amateur detective

Books in series so far:  5 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  3

Next up for me:  Murder in the East End

8.  Name:  Inspector Armand Gamache Mystery series

Author:  Louise Penny

Description:  Canada's best detective solves puzzling mysteries, with a special interest in those originating from the small town of Three Pines

Books in series so far:  17 (the newest of which comes out in 2021)

Books I've read:  11

Next up for me:  A Great Reckoning

9.  Name:  Shetland Mystery series

Author:  Ann Cleeves

Description:  Crime series set in the Shetland Islands

Books in series so far:  8

Books I've read:  3

Next up for me:  Blue Lightning

10.  Name:  Lucy Campion Mystery series

Author:  Susanna Calkins

Description:  A chamber maid solves mysteries in plague-ridden 17th Century England

Books in series so far:  5

Books I've read:  0

Next up for me:  A Murder at Rosamund's Gate    

There you go, ten mystery series I want to catch up on in 2021.  Are you a fellow fan of these series?  Which mystery series are your favorites?  Which series in other genres do you enjoy?  I'd truly love to know.  Leave a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

It's only been a few weeks since Emmaline "Emma" Cross helped solve a murder at the luxurious Newport home of her well-known Vanderbilt uncle.  Now, another of her illustrious relatives is in trouble.  This time, it's 18-year-old Consuelo Vanderbilt.  Distressed at the news that she will soon be forced into an advantageous engagement to an English duke she barely knows, Consuelo begs Emma to help her escape the impending nuptials.  Emma's not sure how to help the young woman.  Before she's really had a chance to do anything, a woman is killed on the grounds of Consuelo's home and the bride-to-be has gone missing.  While the police handle the murder, Consuelo's mother pleads with Emma to find her missing daughter.  Discreetly.  The girl's dramatics cannot be allowed to spoil her upcoming marriage.

Emma, who dreams of being an investigative reporter, can't resist the chance to put her detective skills to work once again.  She wants to know who strangled the mysterious psychic, but she's more concerned about her young cousin.  Did Consuelo flounce off somewhere to pout?  Or has someone taken her against her will?  Emma vows to find her.  If she happens to bring a murderer to justice along the way, all the better.  With the help of a dashing journalist, she will get to the bottom of Consuelo's disappearance—even if it means putting herself in harm's way.  Which it will ...

I enjoyed Murder at the Breakers, the first installment in Alyssa Maxwell's Gilded Newport Mystery series, so I was excited to pick up the next book, Murder at Marble House.  Like its predecessor, the novel features a vivid historical setting, likable characters, and a plot that kept me guessing.  As a poor relation of a wealthy family, Emma straddles the line between upstairs and downstairs, which gives the stories an added layer of tension and intrigue.  With her bravery, loyalty, and compassion, she is an appealing heroine who handles her station with humor and aplomb.  All these elements work together beautifully to create engaging tales that make for a fun, entertaining series that's just all kinds of enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book and the next and the next ...

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of other historical mysteries like the Tess Holloway series by Jennifer Ashley, the Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber, and the Veronica Speedwell series by Deanna Raybourn)