I've read a lot of books about World War II—a lot—and I don't remember ever hearing of the S.S. City of Benares before picking up Lifeboat 12 by Susan Hood. This middle-grade verse novel tells the true story of 13-year-old Ken Sparks, who gained a coveted spot on the ocean liner, which was taking young war evacuees away from the bombing in London and delivering them to safe homes in Canada. At first, he and the other kids are having the time of their lives feasting on lobster and caviar, playing with piles of new toys, and exploring their posh floating digs. Just as they've been declared safe from the possibility of being torpedoed by the Germans, however, the City of Benares sustains a direct hit. Soon, Ken finds himself floating in the middle of the North Atlantic on a small lifeboat with 6 other boys, 5 British sailors, 32 Lascars (Asian sailors), 1 businessman, 1 priest, 1 female escort, and few supplies. As the days pass with no sign of rescue, things become increasingly desperate on Lifeboat 12. Who will live and who will die in the desperate fight for survival that ensues?

Ken's story is tense and gripping, interspersed with passages that illustrate the utter boredom of sitting in a boat waiting for rescue day after day after day. The verse format gives the tale an appealing you-are-there immediacy that makes it even more impactful. Lifeboat 12's passengers are sympathetic folks, people for whom you can't help but root. For those of us whose favorite part of a historical novel is the author's notes at the end, Lifeboat 12 has a wealth of backmatter that includes photos, an interview with Ken Sparks, and a factual recounting of the real-life event. All of these elements combine to create an exciting, compelling story that is perfect for reluctant readers as well as anyone who enjoys a gripping survival tale, especially those based on a true story.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of the Titanic series by Gordon Korman, the I Survived series by Lauren Tarshis, and books by Alan Gratz) 

When Iris Buckley's beloved grandfather dies, she takes it as a sign that her life is in need of a change. She moves back to Blueberry Cove, Maine, the little town where she was raised by her grandparents after her parents' deaths when she was a child. Not only can Iris keep an eye on her widowed grandmother, but the two women are planning to turn Anne's growing online apron-making business into a brick-and-mortar success. Just as everything is really starting to come together, they make a shocking discovery—a skeleton hidden in the basement of their store. The remains are soon identified as those of a woman who disappeared during a visit to Blueberry Cove in the 1970's. 

As the police deal with the bones, Iris and Anne try to put their grisly find behind them. They don't need any more problems as they try to get their business off and running. To their dismay, another dead body turns up in the shop. This time, it's Elliott Parker, the greedy landlord with whom Anne has been fighting for years. Iris isn't about the let her grandmother get arrested for murder. With the help of her BFF and a handsome unrequited crush from high school, she vows to find the real killer. Dead bodies are piling up in tiny Blueberry Cove—will Iris' nosing around ensure hers is next?

As much as I love talking about books, I often blank when someone in my real life asks for reading recommendations. I usually just refer them to my blog, which is much better organized and oodles more reliable than my aging brain! I'm having the same reaction to today's TTT prompt—Top Ten Books I Would Hand to Someone Who Claims to Not Like Reading. Nothing's coming readily to mind, so I'm going to go rogue once again. 

Since 99.9% of my reading attention will be focused on Cybils Awards nominees until the end of the year, I've been thinking ahead to which books I want to enjoy next year. While updating the spreadsheet I keep of book series I'm reading, my mind turned to which series I want to start in 2022. It goes without saying that I really should not be beginning any new ones when I'm already in the middle of so many, but I've never been much for limiting myself when it comes to books...hence, the following list.

Want to join in the TTT fun? Of course you do! Head on over to That Artsy Reader Girl for all the info.

1. Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas—This popular series stars Charlotte, an inquisitive Victorian woman, who solves crimes under the assumed name of Sherlock Holmes.

2. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson—I've actually read the first book in this YA mystery series, but it's been so long that I can't remember who's who or what's what. I'm planning to re-read the series opener, then move on from there.

3. Donut Shop Mystery series by Jessica Beck—Cozy mysteries can be super fun, especially when they star my favorite pastry! This series features a coffee/donut shop owner turned amateur sleuth.

4. Cuba Saga by Chanel Cleeton—This dual-timeline novel features a woman who travels to Havana, her grandmother's birthplace, to spread the dead woman's ashes. As she learns more about her grandmother's past, she learns more about herself and her own history.

5. Gilded Age Mystery series by Rosemary Simpson—It's 1888 when this series opens and a New York City society woman is faced with finding the truth behind her fiancé's suspicious death during a treacherous snowstorm.  

6. Highland Bookshop Mystery series by Molly MacRae—Another cozy series, this one revolves around four joint owners of a bookshop in the Scottish Highlands who play detective in their spare time.

7. Loyal League by Alyssa Cole—This historical series set during the American Civil War sounds intriguing.

8. Sweeney St. George series by Sarah Stewart Taylor—I'm enjoying Taylor's Maggy D'Arcy mysteries, so I'm interested in this series about a Boston art historian who investigates curious deaths.

9. Connie Childs series by Sarah Ward—This police procedural series set in England looks promising.

10. Charlotte Holmes by Brittany Cavallaro—Another Sherlock Holmes-inspired series, this one features two modern-day descendants of Holmes and Watson who solve mysteries at their boarding school in Connecticut. 

There you have it, ten series I'm hoping to start in 2022. Have you read any of them? What series are you reading? Which are your favorite? Do you have any series recs for me in the cozy mystery, historical mystery, crime (not too graphic/gory), family saga, or history genres? I'd love to hear them. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Traveling west on an orphan train is supposed to give impoverished kids from dirty, crowded New York City a chance at a better life. But hope is not exactly what Charles, Patrick, and Opal are feeling as they're paraded in front of prospective "parents" and prodded like animals. Eighteen-year-old Charles' bulk makes him attractive as a farmhand, but his bruised face brands him as a troublemaker. Patrick, a 14-year-old Irish immigrant, is passed over because of his foreign accent. Tiny, silent Opal is in obvious need of a loving home, but the 8-year-old is so haunted by her past that others are put off by her skittishness. By the time they near their last stop, the trio of misfits has had enough. Deciding that they're enough for each other, they hop the train in Montana, determined to survive on their own. 

A desperate act brings the children to the attention of Nara Stewart, a hard-working spinster who runs a cattle ranch with her father. Although she's loathe to admit it, Nara could use help working her land. She's got enough problems on her hands what with trying to prove herself to her father while trying to keep her growing, forbidden feelings for a Native American man under control. The last thing she needs is three scraggly orphans causing her more stress. Reluctantly, she puts Charles, Patrick, and Opal to work, expecting they'll run off rather than buckle down. Life on the ranch and in a rough frontier town is not easy for any of them, but as the days pass, the kids and the Stewarts are forming something that almost resembles...a family. With crises pummeling them on every front, will the makeshift group solidify into the thing all of them most need? Or will the tentative bond dissolve when trouble arrives on their doorstep?