Set in the London suburb of Wembley, The Reading List chronicles the story of two individuals. The first of these two primary characters is eighty-yeaSet in the London suburb of Wembley, The Reading List chronicles the story of two individuals. The first of these two primary characters is eighty-year-old Mukesh Patel who, two years ago, lost his wife, Naina. His three daughters have their own lives and he has nothing but loneliness and dull routine.
The second main character is seventeen-year-old Aleisha who doesn't enjoy reading but took a part-time summer job at the library upon the recommendation of her brother, Aidan.
When Mukesh asks Aleisha for a reading recommendation, she is rude to him because she is unhappy and confused. Later that day she comes upon a mysterious piece of paper that lists eight books recommended for reading, “just in case you need it”.
The list brings a group of characters together and helps each of them to deal with certain situations in their lives. Friendships grow and flourish, helped by talking about the various books on the list.
I just love how author Sara Nisha Adams weaves the key messages from each book on the list into the lives of her characters. "The Reading List" captures all that, the joy of sharing a book with someone you love, the power of books, how they connect us, even when are no longer here. This novel beautifully captures the magic of reading and the impact it has on people. It is one of my favorite reads in 2024. I listened to the audio version which was superbly narrated by Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, and Paul Panting....more
A Murder of Crows is the first book in the Nell Ward Mystery series. Nell was doing an ecological survey, specifically a bat survey, in the old tunnelA Murder of Crows is the first book in the Nell Ward Mystery series. Nell was doing an ecological survey, specifically a bat survey, in the old tunnels underneath Manor House Farm. She had been given permission to start the survey by owner, Sophie Crows. Nell is expecting Sophie but when she fails to arrive, Nell begins the survey. She's unaware that Sophie has been murdered at the opposite end of the tunnel where Nell was surveying.
Interviewed by the police, Nell is being secretive about everything. She doesn't want to disclose anything aboug her life, which eventually makes her the chief suspect in Sophie’s murder.
I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job of explaining Nell's work without making it boring. There were several interesting characters, especially Nell. She was professional and yet nerdy.
It was a little too slow in the first half but the last half was much better. There were plenty of potential suspects, all of them more believable murderers than Nell. I thought it was very well written for a debut novel. The dialogue was witty and fun. If you're looking for an engaging cozy mystery with an ecological theme, give "A Murder of Crows" a try....more
A Ship of Bones & Teeth is a standalone, dark fantasy romance with an adult twist on The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean. While it had eleA Ship of Bones & Teeth is a standalone, dark fantasy romance with an adult twist on The Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean. While it had elements from both of those stories, it was definitely different.
Maren is a Syren and just like the Little Mermaid, she gives up her voice for Prince Aerik. Well, not just her voice, a sea witch named Edonia rips out her tongue. After lusting after Prince Aerik for months, she finally has everything she ever wanted. Well, at least she thinks so.
Fast forward ten years where readers meet Ramsay “Bones” Battista, captain of the Nightwind. He is dark, dangerous and dripping with sex appeal. He and his crew of pirates, the Brethren of the Blood, have captured Prince Aerik and Princess Maren's ship and taken them, along with their crew, captive. Maren and Aerik are chained in a filthy cabin but the rest of the crew is below decks where moans and screams are often heard.
There is quite a bit of violence in the story. Given the paranormal storyline, multiple seawitches, sea monsters called Kraken, and bloodthirsty skeleton pirates, it wasn't unexpected. There are some pretty brutal deaths. The sex is also graphic and intense, and a little dirty. If you’re already a reader of dark romance, it won’t be anything too scandalous, but if you’re even a little bit unsure, the author has included some trigger warnings, including physical and emotional domestic abuse, suicidal ideation, violent death, attempted sexual assault, death of a spouse, death of a child, torture, gore (drinking blood, eating organs in a supernatural setting), captive/captor dynamics, toxic dominance, morally gray characters, and mildly kinky sex.
I thought this was an incredibly creative story. There were several twists and turns in this retelling that kept me reading on. Was it cheesy? Of course. But it's definitely not your Grandma's pirate romance....more
Murder in an Irish Village is the first book in the “Irish Village Mystery” novels. Siobhán O’Sullivan is 22 and looking after her parent’s bistro andMurder in an Irish Village is the first book in the “Irish Village Mystery” novels. Siobhán O’Sullivan is 22 and looking after her parent’s bistro and her siblings after the death of her parents about a year earlier. Siobhán had plans to go to Trinity college, but those plans were scuttled after her parents death in a car accident.
Unfortunately, the brother of the drunk driver convicted for the accident that killed Siobhán's parents is in town and stirring up a lot of problems. When a murder occurs, Siobhán finds herself and the rest of the O'Sullivans suspects. Can she help solve the crime before her family loses everything.
This book really leans in on the Irish setting, and embraces Irish culture, which was really one of the most enjoyable aspects. If you enjoy folklore, Irish culture, or cozy mysteries in general, I think you would really enjoy this book. There is a pronunciation guide for names and a glossary for some few slang terms. If I read another in the series I might go the audio route.
I really liked that readers are given multiple suspects, all with valid motives for murder and things are definitely not quite what they seen. The reveal surprised me a little and I enjoyed how everything played out. Overall, a great cozy mystery with a lot of charm....more
Dark State is the first book in an action thriller series by Jack Slater. It features Jason Trapp, a former CIA paramilitary assassin, who is "officiaDark State is the first book in an action thriller series by Jack Slater. It features Jason Trapp, a former CIA paramilitary assassin, who is "officially" declared dead after an operation went horribly wrong and killed his best friend. Now, Trapp doesn’t trust anyone and is looking for revenge against his former bosses.
As the novel begins, an Amtrak passenger train in Colorado has been attacked by two terrorists, one at each end working toward the middle and killing the passengers. First responders are then killed by a third terrorist, a sniper. The terrorists flee on motor bikes leaving hundreds of corpses behind. That's just the beginning of the nonstop action, that implies someone high in government is backing terrorism against America.
Dark State has a lot of spycraft and weapon system descriptions that will satisfy hardcore fans of the genre, but many readers will find confusing. Slater uses many of our modern day fears like the deep fake technology, AI based cyber weapons, false flag operations, the collapse of the intelligence apparatus, etc., to portray a chilling possible reality that is quite easy to believe.
This is the type of fictional action entertainment that I usually enjoy. It might be formulaic and implausible but it's still entertaining. I'll try another sometime in the future....more
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