Category Archives: Book Talk

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

While I only read two books, I’m relieved I got a little of my reading mojo back last week.

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan’s Mad Honey. Ms. Picoult is a favorite author of mine and I love that this co-authored novel has a socially relevant storyline. The characters are well-developed, sympathetic and easy to like. The small town setting is the perfect backdrop for this engrossing story to unfold. Switching seamlessly between two narrators, the storyline is engrossing with stunning plot twists. I highly recommend this outstanding novel.

I have been a fan of Gytha Lodge’s DCI Jonah Sheen series right from the start. I fell a little behind with the series so I read the third mystery, Lie Beside Me. Starting off with a bang, this incredible police procedural is quite riveting. The premise is intriguing and definitely keeps readers guessing until the conclusion. Jonah and the rest of his team continue to grow and evolve which makes this series truly delightful. Highly recommend to fans of British mysteries.

I’m working my local election for the next three weeks, so I don’t know how much time I’ll to read. Fingers crossed I’m able to fit in at least one book!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Do you have one or more favorite books?

My favorite, favorite, favorite book of all time is Mrs. Mike by Benedict and Nancy Freedman. I think if you look at who checked out this book from my local childhood library the most, it would no doubt be me.I read and re-read this novel so many times I could recite lines from memory. Reading this book, I heard of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. An I also couldn’t wait to get swept off my feet like Katherine Mary O’Fallon was by Mountie Mike Flannigan. The novel also sparked a fascination of the far north that never disappeared. I was thrilled when our family moved to Alaska (not Canada but shared much in common with the country) and I discovered firsthand how beautiful the Northern Lights are, how HUGE the far north mosquitos are and the magic of long, snow-filled winters.

My other favorite novel is Red’s Hot Honky-Tonk by Pamela Morsi. I love that Red is an unconventional heroine. She is also in a relationship with a younger man who has no idea that she is a grandmother. When her grandkids end up staying with her, Red discovers her relationship with Cam is stronger than she thinks. And that she is not necessarily doomed to repeat the mistakes of her past. An outstanding novel by a very gifted author.

Comment below to join the conversation and share your favorite book or books.

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

We had a lot going on last week so I only read one book.

I’ve been meaning to read The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell for a while. This mystery is the follow up to The Family Upstairs which I greatly enjoyed.

The Family Remains is a good book but mercy! The time shifts were a little difficult to keep up with as were the many characters. The storyline of The Family Upstairs and its conclusion gradually came back to me so that was definitely a plus. I thought the ending was a little bit of a let down after having to muddle my way through the book.

Hopefully I’ll be able to fit in more reading this week!

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

Let’s talk about our favorite authors!

I struggle to name favorite authors when I’m asked because I love so many! For today’s discussion, I’ll mention a few that I’ve been reading FORVER!

Since I was initially a mystery/suspense reader, my favorite author list stretches wayyyy back in time. My favorite horror/suspense novelist is John Saul. OMG. Suffer the Children came out in 1977 and I was hooked on his books! I saved all of my copies of his novels and when my youngest was a teenager, I gave them to him to read.

My favorite mystery author I’ve been reading the longest is Jonathan Kellerman. The Alex Delaware series has stood the test of time. In fact, he was a bit ahead of his time since the (at the time) police detective that Alex works with is openly gay. When the Bough Breaks was originally published in 1985 so this is pretty significant for the time period.

Now for romance authors. I read historical romances for a long time so I started reading Susan Wiggs’ novels before she turned to contemporary. I loved her writing style so much I decided to give them a try and shes’s remained one my auto buy authors ever since.

Comment below to join the conversation and share your favorite authors with us!

Welcome to this week’s Book Talk!

I had a great week of reading!

First up: The Island by Adrian McKinty. Action-packed, page turning and plenty of suspense. I. Loved. It.

Next: Better the Blood by Michael Bennett. New Zealand police procedural that explores themes that really resonated with me. Great characters and setting. I gave it 5 stars and a week later, I’m still thinking about it.

Then I finished Tammy L. Gray’s State of Grace series. I really liked Love and Little White Lie. Again, wonderful characters, beautiful scenery and relatable storyline. The final book, Love and the Dream Come True, is a good read but it’s my least favorite of the other 2 books. Nothing I can put my finger on, but it’s just a 4 star read for me.

And to round out the week, I devoured Kia Abdullah’s Next of Kin. Difficult subject matter but fantastic courtroom scenes. Lots of tension and a twist-filled conclusion I did not see coming. I highly recommend it along with Ms. Abdullah’s other mysteries. She is a brilliant author.

I’m not mentioning what I’m reading next because I’ve become a “pick what I feel like reading” reader. I scan titles and book covers on my Kindle or bookshelves until one catches my eye and I know it’s “the one”.

Now it’s your turn. What have you been reading lately? Join the discussion by commenting below!

If you read mysteries, do you like unreliable narrators?

I’ll admist that I originially found mysteries with unreliable narrators frustrating. But looking back, I think it was way the unreliable narrator was written rather than disliking them period. Some unreliable narrators just hit a particular sweet spot with me while others annoy me to no end! I can’t really put my finger on why I love them in some books but literally hate them in others. I suspect the characters I couldn’t stand were probably written to be disliked.

Comment below to join the conversation and share your opinion on romance novels. And if you’re currently reading a romance, tell us about it!

I’m looking forward to reading: