Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read Because of the Hype

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Artsy Reader where each week they post a new top ten list and ask fellow bookish folk to share their lists on that topic. 

Books I Read Because of the Hype:

Did they work out or not?

Wow, it was hard to narrow this list down! I've read so many books because of the hype, especially before I found Goodreads, because that was really the only way I heard about books. I'm going with (mostly) more recent choices.

Books that lived up to the hype for me:

Moon Called/Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs:

I was fairly new to Urban Fantasy books when I picked this up, but so many fellow blogger and friends on Goodreads loved the series, so I gave it a try. It's one of my all time favorites! I've listened to the entire series several times now!

Magic Bites/Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews:

Another UF that's one of my all-time favorites! The writing is so amazing and Kate is a wonderful character! I'm going to do a re-read (by audio) of it soon.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman:

Several blogger friends featured this when it first came out and so I grabbed up an audio. These octogenarians are hilarious, tackling mysteries, but a lot of the story is so poignant, too!

Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer:

SO popular, but I didn't actually pick up the first book until the first movie came out. I was hooked and read the entire series several times. I know there are many readers that look down on these books, but they still hold a special place in my heart as they reignited my passion for reading and led me to finding Goodreads!

Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

I had read Happiness For Beginners, and I liked it, but didn't love it. (I need to do a re-read, loved the film adaptation). I saw a lot of praise for Things You Save in a Fire and it was narrated by Thérèse Plummer, one of my favorites, so I tried Center again. Loved this story so much and every new release since! 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros: 

This book is all over the place! The hype is deserved, however I didn't love Iron Flame as much. The audios are the way to go!

The not so much:

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride & Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld

I was hooked by it being a P&P retelling, and it was nominated for "Best Fiction" on Goodreads in 2016, but this was not for me.

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover

I've loved several books by CoHo, but this wasn't one of them... 

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix:

Lured in by the promise of fun and horror! Mostly a mixed bag for me.

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia:

Another mixed bag...

What books did you read because of the hype?

Sunday Post #266

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Happy Sunday! We're still having warm temps here with high 80s to low 90s, but it doesn't feel like it does during summer. With the shorter days and the sun in a different angle the heat goes away fast. The trees are still turning colors because it's dipping down to 50 at night. I have been tired and not feeling well with a stomach bug. I didn't get out for my normal runs this week. I want to get out for a walk today and I want to plant the bulbs I've bought. Bulbs always sound wonderful until you have to plant 50, lol! And I still want to get more. They're all going along a split rail fence my husband will be putting up. He bought the material yesterday.

The roses are doing really well and I ordered three more from Heirloom Rose Catalog because they were having a sale.

Rose: Brandy

I did a puzzle while listening to Known to the Victim and An Inheritance of Magic:

Moving Day in Amish Country by Charles Wysocki

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka: 5 Stars

The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber: 4.5 Stars

Known to the Victim by K.L. Armstrong: 4 Stars

I had a good reading week. I wanted to read the first book in The Inheritance of Magic series before accepting an ARC of the second one. I loved it so I'll be reading and reviewing the next one in a couple of weeks. 

The Cold Light of Day is book 7 in the Verity Kent series and I feel like it opened a new chapter with it taking place during the time of the Irish War of Independence (1919-1921). I didn't know much about the history so I did some reading and want to do some more reading. Huber's books are well researched and she incorporates the time period without taking away from the pacing or plot. The series is excellent with mystery, political intrigue, a dash of romance, and multi-faceted characters I've come to love! Must be read from the beginning. The audios are excellent! 

Known to the Victim is by Kelley Armstrong written under the pseudo name K.L. Armstrong. I tried to request it off of Netgalley not realizing it was only open up to Canadian reviewers. However, it became available at my library so I grabbed it up. Really good and kept me guessing!

Received:

Thank you to Ace, Hachette Audio, Macmillan Audio, Simon & Schuster Audio, Blackstone Publishing, and Catherine Bybee!

Instagram:

Thank you also to Jill Shalvis for the print ARC of Better Than Friends! 

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Review: The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee Huber

The Cold Light of Day (Verity Kent Mysteries #7) by Anna Lee Huber

Publication Date: September 24th 2024 by Kensington

Pages: 384

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

Verity and Sidney are in Dublin, Ireland at the request of Verity’s British Secret Service handler, “C”, to locate fellow spy, Alec Xavier since he’s dropped out of communication after being sent to infiltrate the IRA. With the situation so volatile and dangerous, they’re understandably very concerned. By day, Verity and Sidney go undercover, Verity to track down Alec and Sidney to see if he can locate the phosgene canisters, stolen by their nemesis, Lord Ardmore. At night, they keep up the ruse of only being in Ireland for pleasure by attending dinner parties and rubbing elbows with the elite in society and government.

 

Along with her assignment Verity is tasked by a Lord French, to investigate an attack on a woman, demoralizing her to the point that she took her own life soon after. He wants Verity to find out what happened and get justice for her and her grieving family.  I was outraged for this young woman and so was Verity, which made her more determined to find the culprits responsible.

 

Love Verity and her pluck! She’s quick and clever, even when faced with frightening situations.

 

The Verity Kent series is one of my favorites and best read in order. It’s a captivating combination of mystery, political intrigue, crime procedural, danger and a splash of romance! Verity and Sidney have had to contend with personal struggles stemming from their experiences in World War I. Even several years later (this story being set in 1920) the aftermath is still playing out. While some of the mysteries presented are solved in this installment, some are not, and it ended on an unsettling note. I eagerly await the next book!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

The latest novel in the action-packed historical mystery series featuring Verity Kent, fashionable former Secret Service agent turned intrepid sleuth and high-society darling on her next clandestine mission—from the USA Today bestselling author of the Lady Darby Mysteries. A treat for fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Susan Ella MacNeal.

June 1920, Ireland: The streets of Dublin seethe with revolution as the Irish Republican Army clashes with British authorities. Roving assassination squads mean nowhere is truly safe, particularly for Verity Kent and her war hero husband, Sidney. Given their celebrity as society darlings and intrepid sleuths, they must tread carefully to go unnoticed—nearly impossible when they are called upon to search for Verity’s fellow spy and friend . . .

Captain Alec Xavier has seemingly vanished after traveling to Dublin to infiltrate the IRA at its highest levels. Doing her best to maintain a modicum of normalcy and stay under the radar of both the rebels and British Intelligence, Verity works undercover by day and waltzes through the city’s elite social scene by night. Still, she fears the worst for Alec—until shocking evidence mounts that not only is he alive, but that he has switched sides . . .

Already disillusioned with the British government, the news leaves Verity and Sidney reeling. Worse, they learn of a conspiracy within Dublin Castle, where personal vendettas are being carried out and sanctioned by British Intelligence under the cover of revolution. With the distinction between friend and foe never more blurred—or the margin for error narrower—Verity and Sidney cannot turn a blind eye. Especially when a familiar adversary appears, bringing a threat almost too terrifying to confront—even in the cold light of day . . .

 

Audiobook Review: Break Every Rule By Brian Freeman

 

Break Every Rule by Brian Freeman

Publication Date: September 10th 2024 by Blackstone Publishing

Pages: 354

Audio Book Length: 12hrs 

Narrator: Scott Brick

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Break Every Rule was an exciting action-packed thriller/mystery!

 

Tommy knew his wife, Teresa, had secrets, but he didn’t pry, not realizing how dangerous they were, mostly because he had his own secrets to keep. However, he’s in a race against time when Teresa and their baby daughter are abducted. He’s not certain if it’s because of his past or hers that she’s been taken, but he needs to figure it out quickly.

 

This thriller was fast-paced, and I was riveted by the story as past events from Tommy’s past is revealed through his recollections and Teresa’s past is revealed through Tommy’s investigations. Both of their histories were dangerous and interesting. I was enraged for Teresa and some of the other women. I was also extremely worried for her! It’s sad and infuriating that the situations described happen in real life!

 

I’m a big fan of Scott Brick as a narrator and his talents enhanced this exciting story! His performance of the action scenes, as well as a variety of voices, both male and female was excellent!

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne series comes a breathtaking thriller about a man whose only chance to rescue his family is to return to the past he thought he’d left behind.

Tommy Miller is a man with deadly skills, hiding in Florida under a false identity. After being set up on an overseas mission, he’s on the run from terrorists—and from the government who betrayed him. So when his wife and daughter are violently abducted, it seems his ghosts are finally catching up with him.

But Tommy isn’t the only one with secrets. His wife, Teresa, has been concealing her own dangerous past, and as Tommy races to rescue his family, he must peel away the clues she’s left behind. With a hotshot police detective, Lindy Jax, close on his trail, Tommy follows a twisted path from Florida to the Bahamas, one that brings him face to face with ruthless enemies.

His search for answers soon puts him on the wrong side of the law—hunted by the police and pursued by men who want him dead. Worst of all, if he hopes to save Teresa and their daughter, Rosalita, he must become the man he once was—a killer operating from the deepest shadows.

But when the lives of the people you love are at stake, rules are made to be broken.

Review: The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle Chouinard

Publication Date: September 24th 2024 by Minotaur Books & Macmillan Audio

Pages: 336

Audio Book Length: 9hrs 51min

Narrator: Stephanie Németh-Parker

Source: Publishers

Rating: ★★★★½

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Capri became interested in true crime when she discovered her grandfather was convicted as a serial killer nicknamed: Overkill Bill. Her father has always refused to talk about it, and so Capri always did research under the radar. However, when a copycat emerges and Capri is implicated, she decides to investigate both cases, not only to clear her name and her daughter’s (also under suspicion), but also her grandfather’s.

 

I was a big fan of Capri, a hardworking single mother who turned her passion of true crime into a way to support her and her daughter, Morgan, now grown, by hosting tours that featured the history of crime and serial killers around San Francisco.

 

The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco was superb! I was glued to the pages as Capri ferreted out clues and motivations both for the current murders and the past. I enjoyed her methodical approach to finding the killer and clearing her name. Capri ends up in danger by the end, and the mystery wraps up in a thrilling conclusion!

 

I also enjoyed the setting of San Francisco, mentions of film noir set in the city and some of its crime history! I hope we get more stories with Capri and Detective Pietro in the future! There are hints of a romance in the works and maybe they’ll work together solving crimes? *crosses fingers*

 

I alternately read an e-copy and listened to an audio version. I think you’d enjoy the story through either version. I’ve listened to and enjoyed Stephanie Németh-Parker’s narration in the past and her excellent performance enhanced my experience! I listened at my usual 1.5x normal speed.

4.5 Stars

Book Description:

In Michelle Chouinard’s clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.

Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.

The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she's never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.

But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill—documenting the process with a podcast and a book—and hopefully earn some money.

Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects.

Sunday Post #265

 

The Sunday Post is hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated reviewer book blog, and is a post to recap my bookish and non-bookish things from the last week. I'm also linking up to The Sunday Salon hosted by Deb Nance @Readerbuzz.

Well, it's officially fall! The weather was cold and we had some rain and a pretty rainbow, but it's heated up a bit again with temps in the 80s. Still, with the shorter days and the change of position of the sun it doesn't feel that hot. 

Peanut's napping positions crack me up!

The peach tree we planted in the spring didn't survive so we bought another as well as a couple of Leland Cypress to replace the two that didn't make it from last fall. Got those planted and then went out and cut a bunch of zinnias to make a flower arrangement to take to dinner at a friend's house. We had a nice dinner at their house and had fun catching up. 

Zinnias and salvia from the garden

I was called off from work on Wednesday, because a cardiologist called out and therefore some of the scheduled tests couldn't happen. I'm not sure how many days I'll get in November (I already have October days scheduled). I'm per diem since moving up here because I didn't want to commit to a set schedule. So far it's worked out. We'll see how it goes.

Read:

(Click on cover for Goodreads link)

A Beach House Beginning by RaeAnne Thayne: 5 Stars

Break Every Rule by Brian Freeman: 4.5 Stars

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine: 4 Stars

I didn't read as much as I hoped, but I loved what I read. A Beach House Beginning was the part of The Women of Brambleberry House, a series I've enjoyed. It was such a heartwarming, slow build friendship/romance! The setting of Cannon Beach was wonderful as I love the place and could picture the location easily! Break Every Rule was action-packed and so good! My Vampire Plus-One was a fun, silly romance.

Received:

Thank you to Canary Street Press and Atria Books!

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Audiobook Review: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

 

The Mystery Guest (Molly the Maid #2) by Nita Prose

Publication Date: November 28th 2023 by Penguin Random House Audio

Pages: 293

Audio Book Length: 8hrs 23min

Narrator: Lauren Ambrose

Source: Publisher

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Librofm |  Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Love Molly! She may miss some social cues here and there, but her attention to detail, her positive outlook, and the joy she finds in cleaning, (restoring The Regency Grand Hotel rooms “to a state of perfection!”) is an absolute delight! The Mystery Guest picks up a couple of years (?) in the future from The Maid. Molly is now head maid and has her own trainee and a new mystery!

 

A famous author is murdered before he can make a special announcement, and Molly ends up in the middle of it. Molly’s past factors in heavily as it’s revealed she knew the author. I enjoyed getting more background about her and Gran. As usual, Molly’s attention to details that others would discount ends up being key in solving the murder. I’m looking forward to The Mistletoe Mystery, a Molly the Maid novella, coming in just a couple of weeks (10/1/24)!

 

I listened to the audio version and highly recommend it! Lauren Ambrose’s performance is excellent! She captures the essence of Molly’s prim and proper personality perfection!

4 Stars

Book Description:

When an acclaimed author dies at the Regency Grand Hotel, it's up to a fastidious maid to uncover the truth, no matter how dirty—in a standalone novel featuring Molly Gray, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid, a Good Morning America Book Club Pick.

Molly Gray is not like anyone else. With her flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, she has risen through the ranks of the glorious five-star Regency Grand Hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. But just as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is turned upside down when J.D. Grimthorpe, the world-renowned mystery author, drops dead—very dead—on the hotel’s tea room floor.

When Detective Stark, Molly's old foe, investigates the author’s unexpected demise, it becomes clear that this death was murder most foul. Suspects abound, and everyone wants to know who killed J.D. Grimthorpe? Was it Lily, the new Maid-in-Training? Or was it Serena, the author’s secretary? Could Mr. Preston, the hotel’s beloved doorman, be hiding something? And is Molly really as innocent as she seems?

As the case threatens the hotel’s pristine reputation, Molly knows she alone holds the key to unlocking the killer's identity. But that key is buried deep in her past—because long ago, she knew J.D. Grimthorpe. Molly begins to comb her memory for clues, revisiting her childhood and the mysterious Grimthorpe mansion where she and her dearly departed Gran once worked side by side. With the entire hotel under investigation, Molly must solve the mystery post-haste. If there's one thing Molly knows for sure, it's that dirty secrets don't stay buried forever...

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

 

My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine

Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by Berkley 

Pages: 400

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Amelia needs a date for her cousin’s upcoming wedding. She’s worked hard to get to where she is in life with a career she loves (an accountant) and she isn’t searching for romance. However, she’s tired of the pitying glances and fielding her family’s questions about why she’s still single. An unexpected run in with Reginald Cleaves provides the perfect solution.

 

Reginald is running from The Collective, a vigilante vampire organization hunting him for a century old crime. He runs into Amelia, and she provides him a cover. Her proposition to play her boyfriend in all the events leading up to her cousin’s wedding is no imposition since he’s already fascinated by the organized and stunning CPA!

 

Reginald was a character! He cracked me up! Amelia was a sweetheart, too, and I loved these two together. I had to laugh at some of her cluelessness regarding the whole vampire thing. Loved the interactions between Amelia’s dad and Reggie.

 

My Vampire Plus-One was whacky and fun with a bit of danger, adding a bit of excitement! A pure delight!

4 Stars

Book Description:

Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.

Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she’s tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone–anyone–to pose as her date.

After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he’s perfect for her purposes. He’s a bit strange, but that’s fine; it’ll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.

As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia’s first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic.

Review: The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

 

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak

Publication Date: September 17th 2024 by MIRA

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Harper Collins | Bookshop.org | Goodreads 

My Thoughts:

I absolutely LOVED The Banned Books Club! I had been picking up and setting aside several books, none capturing my attention and then I started it and was hooked from the very first page!

 

Gia loved reading, part of that passion was ignited by her favorite teacher, Mr. Hart, but then he crossed boundaries. Gia reported him and things changed when he lost his job. Some believed Gia and some believed Mr. Hart and so Gia left town after graduating and rarely came to visit. However, she can’t avoid her hometown anymore since her mother is losing her battle with cancer and Gia doesn’t want to miss the precious time she has left with her. Plus, her sister Margot has appealed to Gia to come back and help, which is uncharacteristic. Gia’s worried something’s off with her sister, but Margot is mum on the subject.

 

Margot has her own story, and I was worried for her! She was clearly in danger, and I wondered how it would be resolved!

The Banned Books Club was part romance, and that was a messy situation but so good! It was also emotional on so many levels and suspenseful with a situation that had me on the edge of my seat! I started the story and read straight through in one day! Five stars all the way!

5 Stars

Book Description:

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand, a riveting exploration of family, sisterhood, and the transformative power of literature. When two sisters, one a free spirit at the helm of a rebellious book club, the other a conventional woman locked in the clutches of an unhappy marriage are forced into a reluctant reunion by their mother's illness, they must confront past ghosts that rock the entire community.

Gia Rossi was considered a bit of a rebel in her small hometown of Wakefield, Iowa ever since she challenged the gaggle of well-meaning but misguided women from the PTA who’d insisted the high school English department, drop a number of "controversial" titles from the reading list. Gia had expected her favorite teacher to stand up for the books she loved by explaining why they were so important. Instead, just to avoid a fight, he’d caved in immediately, which was what had incited her to start The Banned Books Club.

That was the first time Mr. Hart had let her down, but it wouldn’t be the last. Because of him she left her hometown when she turned eighteen and graduated. But now, with her sister begging her to return home due to their mother's failing health, Gia will come face to face with the beloved teacher who was fired after she reported him for sexual misconduct. Gia's return has the town divided between those who believe her and those who believe she ruined Mr. Hart's life. Even members of her beloved book club--who've continued to meet virtually over the years--aren't sure who to believe.

Gia's homecoming dredges up a lot of pain from her past. Her relationship with her sister has always been strained but there's no denying that Margot has taken on the burden of caring for their mother and now it's Gia's turn to help. She's grateful to have the time with her mother and to come to terms with what happened to her in high school. What she doesn't expect is for her sister to use Gia's arrival as the opportunity to pack up her kids and leave town to escape her emotionally abusive husband. With the support of an unlikely ally, Gia is able to prove that Mr. Hart really was to blame for his own downfall, supports her mother and her sister when they need her most and finds love and a future in the town she thought rejected her.

Photo Credit: Rudy Meyers Photography

Author Bio: 

Brenda Novak, a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author, has penned over sixty novels. She is a five-time nominee for the RITA Award and has won the National Reader's Choice, the Bookseller's Best, the Bookbuyer's Best, and many other awards. She also runs Brenda Novak for the Cure, a charity to raise money for diabetes research (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised $2.5 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com. 

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