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2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


30 / 30 bookish books. 100% done!

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


46 / 50 books. 92% done!

2026 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (8)
- Colorado (2)
- Connecticut (1)
- Delaware
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (2)
- Indiana (2)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (2)
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (5)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (4)
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (2)
- Texas (3)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (2)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (3)
- Wyoming(1)
- Washington, D.C.*

International:

- Australia (7)
- Austria (1)
- Canada (3)
- England (24)
- Fiji (1)
- France (1)
- Ireland (3)
- Italy (2)
- Mexico (1)
- Morocco (1)
- New Zealand (1)
- Norway (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Bahamas (1)
- Vatican City (1)

My Progress:


43 / 51 states. 84% done!

2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


25 / 25 books. 100% done!

2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


34 / 50 books. 68% done!

Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


40 / 52 books. 77% done!

2026 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


37 / 52 books. 71% done!

2026 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


25 / 40 books. 63% done!

2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


30 / 51 cozies. 59% done!

2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


25 / 25 books. 100% done!

2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


45 / 52 books. 87% done!

Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)

My Progress:


59 / 65 books. 91% done!

2026 Countdown Reading Challenge

My Progress:


55 / 55 books. 100% done!

2026 Series Reading Challenge


25 / 36 books. 69% done!

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo

My Progress:


74 / 125 books. 59% done!

2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge

My Progress:


18 / 20 books. 90% done!

2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)

My Progress:


41 / 60 books. 68% done!

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 40 books. 25% done!

European Reading Challenge 2026

My Progress:


7 / 50 books. 14% done!

2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)

My Progress:


80 / 125 books. 64% done!

2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge

My Progress:


4 / 5 challenges. 80% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


98 / 100 names. 98% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


76 / 80 skills. 95% done!
Tuesday, November 05, 2019

Ho-Hum Murder Mystery Just An Okay Read

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Summit Lake, North Carolina, is the kind of quaint little town that homicide never touches.  So, when a 22-year-old law student is brutally murdered there, it leaves everyone reeling with shock.  How could this have happened in their peaceful community?  Who would want to kill a promising young woman like Becca Echersley?  It simply makes no sense.

Kelsey Castle, a crime reporter in need of a vacation (even a working one), is sent to Summit Lake to dig around for answers.  Since the police don't appear to be doing much to solve the case, Kelsey becomes even more impassioned.  Feeling a strong connection to the murdered woman, the reporter vows to find Becca's killer.  Even if it puts her own life in danger.  

Summit Lake, a debut novel by Charlie Donlea, is your basic murder mystery.  There's nothing really fresh or original about it, but it was compelling enough to keep me reading.  It's not as suspenseful as I hoped it would be, especially because Becca narrates half the chapters.  The characters are pretty flat, the prose is capable but melodramatic, and a lot of the plot is far-fetched and contrived.  Still, I didn't see all the twists coming.  In the end, though, I found this to be just an okay read.  Although this is a first novel, I don't think I'll bother with another Donlea book.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of lots of other murder mysteries set in sleepy little towns, although no specific titles are coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (no F-bombs), violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find
Friday, November 01, 2019

Beyond the Books: The Forgotten Carols (With a Giveaway!)

Now that Halloween is over, it's time to focus on what's really important—Christmas.  Just kidding!  I love Thanksgiving and would never skip over it.  Even when my family begs to start decorating early, I refuse to put up my Christmas tree before Thanksgiving is over.  It's not too early, however, to start planning holiday outings, which is why I agreed to post about The Forgotten Carols today.

I'd never heard of The Forgotten Carols until 1994, when my college boyfriend (now husband) organized a trip to see the production in Provo, Utah.  At the time, the show was only a few years old, and most of the parts were played by Michael McLean, the well-known musician who developed the presentation. The two of us, along with a group of our friends, had a great time watching The Forgotten Carols together.  While I don't remember the details of the show now, I do recall enjoying the experience and feeling a sweet spirit of friendship and holiday cheer that added to the joy of the Christmas season for all of us that year.  A couple decades later, the show is in its 28th year of consecutive performances.  According to a press release, The Forgotten Carols has been "reimagined" this year.  In it, McLean is quoted as saying, "Fans will hear the same songs, see the same characters, but experience the story in a completely new way!"

Needless to say, when I was offered complimentary tickets to an upcoming performance of The Forgotten Carols here in Arizona in exchange for posting this promotional piece, I jumped at the chance.  I can't wait to re-experience the show and all the nostalgia that I'm sure will be part of it.

If you haven't heard of The Forgotten Carols, it's a warm, inspiring musical stage presentation that tells the story of Connie Lou, a hardened nurse who hasn't laughed or cried in three decades.  When she begins working with an elderly homeless man who's struggling with dementia, her life begins to change.  She is especially intrigued when the man, Uncle John, begins telling her the Christmas story through the eyes of his "friends"—the innkeeper, Handel, a shepherd, etc.  Although Uncle John can't possibly have been alive for over 2000 years, Connie Lou finds herself reluctantly caught up in his tale.  As she listens to him, her heart—and her life—is changed as the old man reminds her what Christmas is really about.



If you live in Utah, Idaho, or Arizona and are looking for a fun, family-friendly activity to touch your own heart, definitely consider attending a performance near you.  Click here for show and ticketing information.

Would you prefer to attend the show for free?  Of course you would!  Enter to win four tickets to the performance by using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Maybe I'll see you at the Tempe show on December 13 :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, October 28, 2019

Shivery Sophomore Novel A Liked-It-Didn't-Love-It Halloween Read

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

A year after his wife died in childbirth, Gabriel Stone is still wracked with grief.  Desperate to make a new start away from the memories that haunt his every step in Massachusetts, he accepts a position as a minister in the small town of Pale Harbor, Maine.  Hiding his own secrets, Gabriel soon becomes acquainted with the village's biggest mystery—Sophronia Carver.  The young widow, who's rumored to be everything from a witch to a heartless murderer, hides away in creepy Castle Carver, with only a gruff spinster housekeeper for company.  Intrigued by the sinister stories surrounding her, Gabriel seeks out Sophronia, who surprises him with her kindness, beauty, and intelligence.

When strange things start happening in Pale Harbor, the townspeople know immediately who's at fault—Widow Carver.  Gabriel doesn't believe it for a second.  Someone else is scaring people with Edgar Allen Poe-ish tricks.  Gabriel must find out who before all of Pale Harbor comes for Sophronia with pitchforks and torches.  They don't know her like he does, or do they?  What is the widow hiding?  And who is really behind the macabre doings in town?  Gabriel won't stop digging until he finds the truth.

I loved Hester Fox's debut novel, The Witch of Willow Hall, so when I was offered an early copy of her sophomore book to review, I accepted eagerly.  While The Widow of Pale Harbor shares many elements with its predecessor—a shivery, atmospheric setting; strong, creepy Gothic vibes; and a cast of interesting, sympathetic characters—I didn't enjoy it nearly as much.  I'm not sure why, but Fox's second effort just didn't impress me like her first did.  I still liked The Widow of Pale Harbor, I just didn't love it.  


Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (no F-bombs), violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of The Widow of Pale Harbor from the generous folks at HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!
Thursday, October 24, 2019

Halloween Horror Novel a Shivery, Spine-Tingling Read

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After a traumatic childhood under the chaotic care of his flighty, hippie-dippy mother, Will Conner flees his hometown with no intention of ever returning.  When she falls down a flight of stairs, however, he's forced to take a leave of absence from his job as an English professor in New York City to care for her.  As soon as Will arrives in Cape Ann—a small village north of Boston—the inherent strangeness of the place overwhelms him, flooding him with memories of the night one of his mother's spirit circle rituals went horribly wrong, leaving one man dead.  At five years old, Will didn't understand what was happening.  He still doesn't.  All he knows is something sinister was released that night almost thirty years ago, a malevolent presence that still has Will in its clutches.  If anyone can help him get rid of it, it's the witchy women of Cape Ann.

Despite constant warnings from the townspeople to go back to the city, Will can't leave his childhood home without getting some answers.  He's desperate to know what really happened the night the ritual went wrong, frantic to free himself from the presence that haunts him.  Answers lie with the original members of his mother's spirit circle, many of whom have died mysterious deaths over the ensuing decades, but no one's willing to talk.  With the help of Samantha "Sam" Hall, his odd childhood pal, Will is determined to get the answers he seeks.  He's been warned that digging into old secrets could cause even more danger and pain, but he will not stop, no matter what new horrors he unleashes in the tiny, cursed town of Cape Ann, Massachusetts ... 

There's nothing super original about Before the Devil Fell by Neil Olson, but it's a solid horror novel that would make for a shivery, spine-tingling Halloween read.  The atmospheric setting gives the book an appropriately spooky backdrop.  The tale also features interesting characters, a compelling plotline, and capable prose.  While I can't think of any real stand-out elements that make Before the Devil Fell unique or really memorable, it definitely kept me turning pages.  In the end, I liked it well enough, but I didn't love it.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of House of Echoes by Brendan Duffy)

Grade:


If this were a movie, it would be rated:


for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Before the Devil Fell from the generous folks at Hanover Square Press (a division of Harlequin) in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!
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