Summer Break - 2025 (and a little update...)

 

Hey my nice book friends!  Hope you are all doing well and enjoying your summer.  Is it hot where you are?  It is in my part of the world and very, very humid.  This is partly because we have had quite a bit of moisture, but it still feels sticky, sticky.  I have been going back and forth about when to take my 'official' Summer Break.  I usually do this most years.  Decided that it's about time for this year's 'break'.  Nothing is wrong and we are doing well.  We will be taking a couple of vacations in upcoming weeks and I find it tough to do blogging away from my computer.  Anyway, I think I'll take July and August off and try to be back after Labor Day.  I will hopefully have a bunch of pretty pictures to share and also books that I've completed to talk about.  

My reading has been going well, but I have been rereading a couple of mystery series (yes, I decided to do a couple more of those) that I have already talked about here in past years.  Enjoying my 'comfort' reads.  I'm also trying to decide whether to reread The Stand by Stephen King.  There will be a book published in August entitled The End Of The World As We Know It.  This is a 'return to the world of The Stand'.  King has authorized for the first time a short story anthology where other authors will take those characters and that time period and give us more.  I read The Stand in 1978 right after it was published.  I was still in college and that whole good vs. evil (which also included a pandemic) tale kind of blew me away.  I revisited it back in 2013 when I listened to it on audio.  We'll see what I decide about this new anthology.  Honestly, short stories are not my favorites normally, but one never knows.  Have you read The Stand?  Would you revisit an old favorite through new stories?  Do tell!

Hope you all have a nice July and August.  Take care.  Read a bunch of good books.  I'll likely still be commenting some on blogs, but even if I'm not commenting, I'll be reading them.  See you in a few weeks! 

Waiting on Wednesday - Forget Me Not

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on.

I have enjoyed all of Stacy Willingham's books that I've read.  The one I'm 'waiting on' this week is her fourth and I think the cover is lovely and a bit creepy.  Beautiful colors, but there are some thorns and other hidden things pictured.  I first discovered Stacy when a friend that I made when we lived in Kerrville told me that her daughter's husband had a cousin who had her first book being published.  She told me a bit about it and I thought it sounded like one I'd love to try.  That book was A Flicker In The Dark and you might know that it would be noteworthy because the author comment on the cover is by Karin Slaughter (I love her books!).  That debut book sold a lot of copies and was nominated for a number of awards.  Book #2 was All The Dangerous Things and #3 was entitled Only If You're Lucky.  Can't wait for this new one!  Have you read any of Stacy's books?  What did you think?      

Forget Me Not

by Stacy Willingham

Publication Date: August 26th

A pulse-pounding new Southern thriller from the author of the runaway bestseller A Flicker in the Dark.

Twenty-two years ago, Claire Campbell’s older sister, Natalie, disappeared shortly after her eighteenth birthday. Days later, her blood was found in a car, a man was arrested, and the case was swiftly closed. In the decades since, Claire has attempted to forget her traumatic past by moving to the city and climbing the ranks as an investigative journalist... until an unexpected call from her father forces her to come back home and face it all anew.

With the entire summer now looming ahead—a summer spent with nothing to do in her childhood home, with her estranged mother—Claire decides on a whim to accept a seasonal job at Galloway Farm, a muscadine vineyard in coastal South Carolina less than an hour away from where she grew up. At first glance, Galloway is an idyllic escape for Claire. A scenic retreat full of slow-paced nostalgia, as well as a place where her sister seemed truly happy in that last summer before she vanished, it feels like the perfect plan to pass the time. However, as soon as Claire starts to settle in, she stumbles across an old diary written by one of the vineyard's owners, and what at first seems like a story of young rebellion and love turns into something much more sinister as it begins to describe details of various unsolved crimes. As the days stretch on, Claire finds herself becoming more and more secluded as she starts to obsess over the diary's contents… as well as the lingering feeling that her own sister's disappearance may be somehow tied to it all.

Galloway was supposed to be a place to help her move forward, but instead, Claire quickly finds herself immersed in her own dark and dangerous past.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Poppy Fields

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

The book I'm waiting on this week is a bit out of my wheelhouse.  However, the cover caught my eye and the description was also interesting.  Plus, the author, Nikki Erlick, is also the author of The Measure, which I have not read as yet, but it's one of the books that the afternoon book group I'm a part of is considering reading for the second half of 2025.  We'll see if it gets voted in.  I do think that I will read The Measure regardless.  Have you read The Measure and/or discussed it with other readers or a book group?  And, what do you think about the description of The Poppy Fields?  Oh, The Poppy Fields is also going to be one of those books that has the sprayed edges and illustrated end pages.  That seems to be such a big things these days.      

The Poppy Fields

by Nikki Erlick

Publication Date: June 17th

From the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit The Measure—a runaway bestseller and a Read with Jenna TODAY Show pick—comes a stunning speculative story of healing, self-discovery, forgiveness, and found friendship.

Welcome to the Poppy Fields, where there’s hope for even the most battered hearts to heal.

Here, in a remote stretch of the California desert, lies an experimental and controversial treatment center that allows those suffering from the heartache of loss to sleep through their pain...and keep on sleeping. After patients awaken from this prolonged state of slumber, they will finally be healed. But only if they’re willing to accept the potential shadowy side effects.

On a journey to this mystical destination are four very different strangers and one little dog: Ava, a book illustrator; Ray, a fireman; Sasha, an occupational therapist; Sky, a free spirit; and a friendly pup named PJ. As they attempt to make their way from the Midwest all the way west to the Poppy Fields—where they hope to find Ellis, its brilliant, enigmatic founder—each of their past secrets and mysterious motivations threaten to derail their voyage.

A high-concept speculative novel about heartache, hope, and human resilience, The Poppy Fields explores the path of grief and healing, a journey at once profoundly universal and unique to every person, posing the questions: How do we heal in the wake of great loss? And how far are we willing to go in order to be healed?

It's now June and summer has come...

Hey there everyone!  How are all of you doing and did you know that it is now June?  Summer is here.  I will say that our weather people in this area have been a bit obsessed with saying our temps are way too much like summer and reminding everyone to watch out for the heat.  A lot of people have moved into Central Texas from other parts, places that late spring/summer takes a longer time to appear.  I say, welcome to Texas.  Be sure you have your hat, your sunscreen, and your water.  Those are my warnings to newcomers.  Ha!

I decided it might be time to share what I've read in May and also talk a little bit about what I'm planning for summer reading.  I read 9 books in May - several of them in Julia Spencer-Fleming's mystery series that I had mentioned in my post here.  At that time I had read the first 4 books in the series and was working on #5.  May saw me 'catch-up' on that series by finishing #5-9.  Enjoyed them very much.  The tenth book in the series will be published in mid-November.  It's titled At Midnight Comes the Cry and I 'can't wait' for it.  As you can see by the cover and the snow, it's set close to Christmas time and takes Russ and Claire further along in their life journey together.  Julia is an author that writes fairly slowly (the previous book was published in 2020) and so her fans are quite eager for this new book.  

My other reading for this month included a couple of books for the afternoon book group that I attend.  The theme was 'books and libraries' and I reread Anne Bogel's book of essays called I'd Rather Be Reading.  I've linked to my review of that one from several years ago.  I again enjoyed reading her thoughts.  I also sort of skimmed Ann Hood's book, The Book That Matters Most, which I also read in 2018.  Again, I linked to my review from that time.  It's a tale of a book group that talks about 'the book that has mattered most' to them, one member shares each month.  I liked it again as well.  The last book I finished was the second book in Kristen Perrin's new series, How to Seal Your Own Fate.  I had shared that one as a 'Waiting on' book back in February here.  The first book in the series was discussed at our mystery book group in February.  I did like this second book, but I think maybe not quite as much as the first.  I'll be curious how the author will continue the series.  This new one was good, but I just didn't find it quite as absorbing.  

I think that's it for May.  It's now June and summer reading is here.  I have enjoyed hearing about all the plans that so many have for 'summer reading'.  I thought about joining in on some of the events, but....no.  I've been going a bit back and forth about working on catching up on another mystery series that I've gotten behind on (there are several of those!) or even doing a reread or two of some longer books that I enjoyed a number of years ago.  We'll see what works for me.  I know I've talked about how I really like to do 'free reading' - no rules, no musts, no 'gotta's'.  And I have so, so many books that I haven't even begun as yet.  Ah well.  Books and reading make me happy and 'take me away'.  

Hope everyone has a nice week!  I will have a 'Waiting on' post on Wednesday and have several books that I am excited about that I will share in that way this summer.  Take care - stay cool - enjoy your summer reading!!      

Waiting on Wednesday - Rage

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

I am excited every single summer about a new entry to a favorite mystery series of mine.  It's written by Linda Castillo and features Kate Burkholder, Chief of Police in Painters Mill, Ohio.  This new book, Rage, is the 17th in the series.  It's set in Amish country and Kate herself was Amish at one time.  Her husband, John Tomasetti is an agent for the State Police.  After such a long time, other characters in these books have grown and changed and Kate and Tomasetti have certainly done so as well.  I look forward to hearing about what's been going on with all of them.  Kate's team of police officers is really good, but it sounds like they will all be challenged with the situation that occurs in this book.  Have you read any of this series?  Oh, I also will say that I've not been able to attend an author event with Linda as yet, but I'm still hopeful that time will come.  She lives in the Texas Hill Country and I just keep thinking...one day, one day.

Rage

by Linda Castillo

Publication Date:  July 8th

In this gripping installment of the Edgar Award winning series, Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a brutal double murder that takes her into the dark underbelly of society and exposes the dangers of Amish lives gone wrong.

Summer has arrived with a vengeance in Painters Mill, and a macabre discovery by three Amish children brings the quiet to a grinding halt. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder arrives on scene to find the dismembered body of 21-year-old Samuel Eicher, a local Amish man who owned a successful landscaping business. What twisted individual murdered him in such a sadistic way?

The investigation has barely begun when, miles away, a second body is found, stuffed into a barrel and dumped in a ravine. The deceased is 21-year-old Aaron Shetler, Samuel Eicher’s best friend. What could these two young Amish men have been involved in that led to such violent ends?

With a heat wave bearing down, Kate learns quickly that, for reasons she doesn’t understand, no one is willing to talk about what happened to the men. Just as she begins to fear the case may be hopeless, a mystery woman comes forward and reveals that fun-loving Aaron and Samuel had recently befriended some very unsavory characters—individuals who may have ties to a larger, more sinister, black market.

To solve the case, Kate must delve into the most sordid corners of her community, but when she gets too close, the killers target Kate herself. Will the secrets simmering beneath the surface of Painters Mill take another life before she can expose the truth? Or will Kate be the final victim?

Waiting on Wednesday - The Dark Library

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

The book I'm featuring this week and am 'waiting on' is a standalone book by an author that I was lucky enough to meet at my first mystery book conference - read about that here.  Her name is Mary Anna Evans.  She's a writing professor from Oklahoma, and she has written a mystery series about Faye Longchamp, an archaeologist.  There are 13 books in that series.  Mary Anna has also written two historical suspense books set in WWII times.  Justine Byrne is a factory worker who notices a lots of things.  She's recruited to help the government with secrets.  Her newest book probably falls under the new 'theme' of 'Dark Academia' - or maybe.  Feel like I'm still learning what that encompasses.  It sounds good to me.  Have you read anything by Mary Anna?  What do you think?    

The Dark Library

by Mary Anna Evans

Publication Date:  June 24th

Can a family's dark history repeat itself?

Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades—and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything—the whispers, the rumors, the secrets—is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.

Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she will discover is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.

Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Martha's Vineyard Beach And Book Club

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

Today's book is one that I selected mostly because of the cover.  Isn't that a fun, historical beachy scene?  Now, what I will say is that those girls don't have sunscreen on - not invented yet.  However, they are at least partially under an umbrella and enjoying their books.  I have not yet read anything by Martha Hall Kelly, but I have certainly heard about several of her historical fiction books.  I think I might have a copy of Lilac Girls.  I do know that several friends have enjoyed her writing.  This one is set in 1942, WWII era, and also in 2016.  I see these girls and think about my mother.  She would have been about their age at that same time.  I look forward to this one and ask, have you read any books by Martha Hall Kelly?  Did you like them?  Or have you visited Martha's Vineyard?  I have not.  What do you think?  Interesting?  

The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club

by Martha Hall Kelly

Publication Date: May 27th

Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.

2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.

1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?

What I read in April - hint - I've had a good time...

Hello book friends!  I'm sitting here with thunder in the background and watching some much-needed moisture come down.  Love it.  I've mentioned several times that we can use the rain so much.  Don't want hail or wind or tornados, but the rain, yes, I'll take it.  And this is pretty normal for our area in May.

Thought I would do a reading update.  I had planned to share this earlier, but we've been busy with several things so I'm finally getting to it.  I read 10 books in April and was very pleased with that number.  And I really, really enjoyed most of them.  A couple were OK enough, but maybe not the best I had read by the particular author.  It happens, right?  I'm not going to share too much about each as my list is long, but I'll share a little more about some of them.  Here we go:

Return To Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman

I've read several of Carol Goodman's books and enjoy their settings and flavor for the most part.  A bit gothic, an old house or school or spooky forest.  This one was good enough, but won't be my favorite.  I did notice that this author has a new one out in the summer and I'll likely share about it on one of my 'Waiting on...' posts.

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My next book was a reread of Anne Bogel's book, Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy To Your Life.  I read this one for the first time in 2021 and liked Anne's way of sharing her own struggles with overthinking.  I needed this refresh.  

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I next turned to Always The Last To Know by Kristan Higgins.  Another author that I've read several books and she has a talent with 'women's fiction'.  A family in crisis and how to fix it.  I liked it well enough, but I've had others of hers that I liked more.  Not bad, just not a favorite.

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The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan

The title caught my eye here.  Yes, it is a book that takes place in the winter season.  My first book by Sarah Morgan and I liked it a lot.  Set at The Maple Sugar Inn and featuring three friends who come for a book club holiday, what's not to like?  The innkeeper meets these women and then becomes the fourth in their group.  They help each other a lot.  Will watch for other books by this author.

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The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger

This book is the one our Mystery Book Group is discussing for May and we will meet this evening to talk about it.  I really liked this one and will look forward to hearing what others thought about it.  A standalone story by Krueger (who has written a long-running mystery series as well), it's set Minnesota in the 1950's.  It features people who have had their lives changed by war and society's attitudes, but there is also a crime to solve.  This one is definitely recommended.

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I also got to read the newest book in Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan and Josh Derwent mystery series.  The Secret Room was one I talked about in March on a 'Waiting on...' post here.  This is the 12th book in a fast-paced crime series and the storyline was absorbing for sure.  However, there are some real surprises too in the relationship of the protagonists.  Not going to say more.  I had shared that the main characters were complicated as was their dealings with each other.  Yeah, well, wow!

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Lastly, I've started making my through another mystery series and am enjoying that so much.  This one is by Julia Spencer-Fleming and the main characters are Police Chief Russ Van Alstyne and Reverend Clare Fergusson.  Set in Miller's Kill, New York, this series is pretty unique.  Reverend Fergusson is an Episcopal priest, but she was formerly an Army helicopter pilot.  Chief Van Alstyne is back home in Miller's Kill after also serving as an MP in the Army for many years.  The setting is very vivid and the crimes are interesting.  The author is also part of the Jungle Red Writers Blog.  I had read the first 3 books several years ago and I've reread those and also read #4.  Working on #5 right now.  The 10th book, At Midnight Comes The Cry, will be published in late fall.  I plan to be caught up by then.  This is a series that I recommend for sure.        

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I know this has been a long post.  Let me know if you've read any of these books.  Also, I've been thinking about maybe doing a 'reading update' post every other week and also the same for the 'Waiting on Wednesday' posts.  We'll see if I can keep up - ha!  Hope everyone has a good rest of the week.  And I'll say an early 'Happy Mother's Day' to all the mothers out there.  We'll be having family over for snacks and 'Mother's Day' fun on Sunday.  

Waiting on Wednesday - Runner 13

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

This week's book is by an author that is very gifted at sharing 'extreme' settings with her readers - Amy McCulloch.  I've read two other books by her - Breathless, set in the Himalayas, which I wrote about here and Midnight, which takes us on a cruise to Antarctica.  I shared my thoughts on that one here.  Her new book takes place in the Sahara Desert and has a protagonist who is an ultramarathoner.  What is an ultramarathon you might ask?  Well, apparently it could be a 250-mile (or less) race as opposed to a 26-mile run.  Wowee!!  Yeah, I won't be doing that, but I also don't want to climb in the Himalayas.  I will, however, read about those things.  I don't find the cover of this one quite as lovely as the ones featuring mountains, but I think the description sounds interesting.  So, what do you think?  Have you read any books by this author?  She also has written YA and children's books.  Want to be an ultramarathoner?  Ha!  Let me know.  

Runner 13

by Amy McCulloch

Publication Date: July 1st

An exhilarating thriller set against a 250-mile foot race in the Sahara Desert, where at least one ultramarathoner is running for her life.

Adrienne Wendell was once an exceptional ultramarathoner, a runner whose times were within striking distance of setting records. Years ago, she gave it all up when her son Ethan was hit by a car while she was in a race and unable to come to his help. He survived, but it horrified her that she had not been around to help. There was another reason she put running behind her: she had leveled a career-ending accusation at one of the world’s most celebrated coaches—just before he mysteriously died. She instantly became a pariah in the running community.

Now seven years have passed, and Adri is back on her feet. She’s headed to Morocco for a staggering 250-mile race through the Sahara Desert organized by none other than Boones—a race director so mysterious and elusive he goes by only one name. Boones’s races are famously sadistic. Routes can change moments before the starting gun fires, and inevitably there are bizarre challenges that test the runners’ will and stamina. Adri is here to prove that, despite everything that has happened, she can still do it. But she’s also here for answers to the mysteries that cloud her past, and she’s as determined to find them as she is to finish the race. The only question is who is trying to stop her.

There are secrets swirling in the hot desert sands, and as Adri gets closer to the explosive truth, the danger climbs with every step she takes.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Silversmith's Puzzle

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I love doing this, letting the 'word' spread about authors and series that I enjoy.   Hope you'll stop by often and see what I'm 'waiting' on!

I am excited to share info about a 'new-to-me' mystery series.  It's not a new series because the book for this week is #4 in Nev March's 'Captain Jim and Lady Diana' historical crime tales.  However, though I own the first, Murder in Old Bombay, and the second, Peril at the Exposition, I have not read them yet.  After catching up on the Perveen Mistry series set in 1920's India, I thought that delving back into late 19th century India would be fun as well.  I've heard good things about this series from friends and other bloggers.  The first book won multiple awards for 'best first mystery' in 2021.  Have you tried any of these books?  Opinions?  Happily, not a super long series yet so 'catching-up' will be possible.  Meet Captain Jim and Lady Diana!

The Silversmith's Puzzle

by Nev March

Publication Date: May 13th

Captain Jim Agnihotri and Lady Diana Framji return to India as they investigate a murder amidst colonial Bombay's complex hierarchy in March's fourth mystery.

In 1894 colonial India, Lady Diana's family has lost their fortune in a global financial slump, but even worse, her brother Adi is accused of murder. Desperate to save him from the gallows, Captain Jim and Lady Diana rush back to Bombay. However, the traditional Parsi community finds Jim and Diana's marriage taboo and shuns them.

The dying words of Adi’s business partner, a silversmith, are perplexing. As Captain Jim peels back the curtains on this man's life he finds a trail of unpaid bills, broken promises, lies and secrets. Why was the silversmith so frantic for gold, and where is it? What awful truth does it represent?

Set in lush, late-Victorian India, Captain Jim and Diana struggle with the complexities of caste, tradition, and loyalty. Their success and their own lives may depend on Diana, who sacrificed her inheritance for love. Someone within their circle has the key to this puzzle. Can she find a way to reconnect with the tight community that threw them aside?