June TBR

   To Finish: Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

       Winter Soldier: The Complete Collection by Ed Brubaker

          Bookshop by the Sea by Denise Hunter

 

TBR Jar: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

          A Match for the Marine by Jess Mastorakos

 

Kindle TBR Jar: Return to Love by Betsy St. Amant  

              

Nonfiction: How to Write a Mystery by Mystery Writers of America Berlin The Story of a City by Barney White-Spunner 

 

Classic: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

 

Audio: The Off Limits Rule by Sarah Adams

     Pelican Point by Irene Hannon

 

Library: Bridge of Gold by Kimberley Woodhouse

          Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey

 

Library (work) Book club pick: A Dying Fall By Elly Griffths

 

To Review: Along a Storied Trail by Ann H Gabhart

May Wrap Up

 

I started the month with (51) unread books. Brought () books.  Got my owlcrate book (1) Book of the month (2) Got (2) book for review Won a book in a giveaway () Got books for gifts () which brought my total to (56). Read (4) owned books. Read (1) Kindle books I own  DNF’d () So I am ending the month at books (52) unread books and hoping to get back on track with the whole read 5 physical books before I buy anymore.  I read a total of () books across () pages.

Murder on Wall Street by Vicotria Thompson (library)

Second Chances: A Marine, His Dog, and finding Redemption by Craig Grossi (library)

Thunderbolts Vol 1: There is No High Road by Jim Zub (library)

Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams (Netgalley)

The only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict (library)

The Oracle Code by Marieke Nijkamp (library)

The Nature of a Lady by Roseanna M White (owned) (netgalley)

Lemon Drop Dead by Amanda Flower (netgalley)

Falcon and Winter Soldier: Cut off One Head by Derke Landy (library)

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie (library)

Thunderbolts Vol 2: No Going Back by Jim Zub (library)

Blood and Treasure: Daniel Boone and the fight for American’s first Frontier by Bob Drury (library)

Sea Rose Land by Irene Hannon (audio)

Captain Marvel Vol 3: The Last Avenger by Kelly Thompson (library)

Hooke on You by Kathleen Fuller (Netgalley)

Never Miss by Melissa Koslin (owned)

Peter Panzerfaust Vol 5: On Till Morning by Kurtis J wiebe (library)

The Cemetery Road Murders by Wes Swietek (library)

Katharine Parr the Sixth Wife by Alison Weir (netgalley)

Sandpiper Cove by Irene Hannon (audio)

Big Little Spies by Krista Davis (netgalley)

The Paris Betrayal by James R. Hannibal (owned)

Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates (netgalley)

Better than the Movies by Lynn Painter (library)

Rouge and Gambit Ring of Fie by Kelly Thompson (library)

In the Far-Off Land by Stephanie Landsem (owned)

The Huntress by Kate Quinn review

Title:  The Huntress 

Author: Kate Quinn

Pages: 549

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 4.5 stars

Publisher: William Morrow

 

The Huntress is my second book by Kate Quinn and I have to say I loved it just as much as I loved as The Rose Code, but I do have to say I enjoyed the mystery aspect of this one.  The storyline of WWII, post war coming together at the end in the 1950s were all three points of view sort of much and the three people telling the story actually meet.  I have to say my favorite character was Jordan with Tony being a close second. I enjoyed his humor especially when he and Ian were joking about reading or not reading Moby Dick and Tony says he got out of reading it in highs school by enlisting the day after Pearl Harbor.   But the book is not all humor because Ian and Tony are hunting down The Huntress a female assassin for the Nazi with the help of Nina who's the only one who escaped her.  Jordon finds herself in the middle of the hunt and doesn't even know it.   And the least likely person will be the one to put the final piece together.  But it could have happened sooner if people had been honest with each other.

Lemon Drop Dead by Amanda Flower review

 Title:  Lemon Drop Dead

 Author: Amanda Flower

 Series: Amish Candy Shop Mystery book 6

Chapters: 35 plus Epilogue

Pages: 320

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 3.5 stars

Publisher: Kensington

    While I still enjoy the Amish Candy Shop cozy mystery series by Amanda Flower, Lemon Drop Dead was not my favorite of the series. But I did enjoy Bailey sort of learning that she could pass off project from Margot to others. I still love Bailey's close relationship with her grandma even though her grandmother is Amish. But most importantly want I liked most about this one and it wasn't related to the mystery. Was the fact that Charlotte finally made her choice, and I think it was the right one for her, and it was a choice that only she could make. 

 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams review

 Title:  Murder in the Cookbook Nook

Author: Ellery Adams

Series: Book Retreat

Chapters: 20 Plus epilogue

Pages: 336

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating:4.5 stars

Publisher:  Kensington

 

Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams is the 7th book in the Book Retreat mysteries and they just keep getting better and better. As Jane finally feels like she has settled into her role. But this one was different previous books in the series as Storyton Hall was hosting a cooking show in which the rivalries lead to murder or so it seems. Now Jane and the fins must solve this murder while protecting Janes' family, guests and cook show host alike. 

 

I enjoyed seeing Jane in her element as well as seeing more of the twins and the village of Storyton.  The villagers as well as the hotel staff are starting to feel like family and I guess that's what happens with a cozy mystery series the more you get into the series.  I look forward to the next one in the series. 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

 

 

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le review

 Title:  A Pho Love Story

Author:  Loan Le

Chapters:50

Pages: 406

Genre: YA contemporary, own voices

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

 

I listened to A Pho Love Story by Loan Le on audio and I have to say that listening to it added to my experience.  Hearing the Vietnamese words spoken out loud if not my native speakers at least by narrators that spoke the language.  I also loved that there were two narrators one for Bao's point of view and one for Linh's point of view. To say that this is a YA Romeo and Juliet like story because their parents own competing restaurants would be a disservice to the book.

 Because A Pho Love Story   is so much more, it's a coming of age story as well as a family saga in YA form. Not only do Bao and Linh have to discover were they fit in in their own families while having their own dreams for the future but their families past will also play a part.  If you read this do yourself a favor and listen to the audiobook you won't be disappointed. 

The Last Bookshop London by Madeline Martin review

Title:  The Last Bookshop in London 

Author: Madeline Martin

Chapters: 21 plus Epilogue

 Pages: 320

Genre: Historical fiction

Rating: 5 stars

Publisher:  Hanover Square Press

 

I'm not going to lie I hadn't planned on reading The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin when I did. My original plan was to wait because I wanted to take a break from WWII fiction and read something lighter. But readers and authors opinions I toss were raving about this book, so I went ahead   and read it, and I'm glad I did. Even though this book is set during WWII its focus is on the Home front of London and the blitz. Which isn't a WWII fiction I've read before, so it was a change of pace. 

 

 Grace Bennett takes a job that she thinks is only going to be temporary at a bookshop. But the bookshop ends up changing not only her life but the lives of everyone around her.  This book had me laughing, and crying and celebrating with Grace. Not to mention this book gave me one of my favorite type of hero a slightly nerdy hero who brings books to a date instead of flowers. I don't know about Grace but that would be a way to my heart. 

 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.