Friday Favorites: Autobuy/Autoread Authors

 

A question I've seen a lot asked of book readers and. book bloggers is, "Who do you autobuy?" I can understand that because it indicates which authors are deemed precious enough to part with money to be able to read them at your leisure. 

I'd like to know, who do you autoread? Which authors' new books do you reserve from the library, or buy - first or second hand? Everyone has a few authors that they look forward to reading no matter what they are writing. And who it is, doesn't always remain the same, Sometimes it changes according to mood or life circumstances.

For me currently, one of my autoreads and autobuys is Alex A. King. She has written at least 5 different series. The first one I ran across was the Kat Makris series. Book one is titled Disorganized Crime. Kat grew up hearing tales from her father about Greece's boogeyman. Come to find out there is some truth to his tales and Kat must confront the somewhat familiar monster. Family Ghouls is the first book in the Greek Ghouls series. It's another fun series. The main character can see ghosts and has been tasked by her friend and neighbor to find out who killed her. Kick the Bucket is the first in the Revenge Services series. Each book focuses on a different character that works for the service. I thought the concept of an agency that helps people get revenge on others was interesting and a fun thing to read about. I also have enjoyed the Women of Greece series. Pants on Fire is the latest one. They are fun to read too. More romance, which I seldom read, than anything else. Each book focuses on a different woman and man. It came out last May and focuses on a woman who inherits half a house from her grandmother. The Penny Post Myth Agent series is still funny, but for some reason I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the other series. When I find out that she has something new coming out, I either read it on Kindle Unlimited or purchase the Kindle version.

What draws me to her writing is the humor and descriptions.  

“She did sarcasm like other people did breathing.― Alex A. King, Family Ghouls

“She's the most outgoing of them all and lives life without a backspace key. Or a volume button.”
― Alex A. King, Pride and All This Prejudice

"The fifty-something principal, who was never an educator herself, has the complexion of an old leather canteen and the personality of razor wire." -- Alex A. King, Pants on Fire

So, tell me one of your autoread or autobuy authors. Who is it that you can't wait to read when you've heard a new book is coming out or is out already?

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #614: The Murder Planner by L.C. Tyler

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the Publisher: Sable Knight, owner and commissioning editor at the publishing house Day & Knight, knows a thing or two about crime fiction. But behind the glossy covers and gripping blurbs lies a darker enterprise. Her ‘special editorial services’ are far more lucrative than the average publishing deal. Some clients, let’s call them authors, need a little help plotting their entirely fictional killings. For the right price, Sable secretly commissions struggling writers to devise purely hypothetical murder plots — blueprints for the perfect crime. But when one secretive client’s plan to murder her wealthy husband goes off script, Sable discovers that the line between editor and accomplice is thinner than she thought. 

The Murder Planner by L.C. Tyler is expected out October 22, 2026 from Allison & Busby.

Why am I waiting on this book? I want to see what happens with Sable. Does she know all along that these "clients" are using the plots she provides for nefarious reasons or is it a surprise to her when someone does? One reviewer said, "Sharp, cynical, and very funny, Tyler's The Murder Planner is a dark comedy about the thin red line between plotting a murder and committing one," G.M. Malliet. I'm curious as to how funny it is. I like some humor to the books I read when I can get it. And I wonder if she will get away with murder...

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Book 2

 "You know, you are not a stupid person, Din." "Thank you, ma'am," I said, pleased. "Or rather, not an unusually stupid person." "Thank you, ma'am," I said, far less pleased.

Ana talking to Din. This is 10% through on my Kindle.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett was released April 1, 2025 by Del Rey. This is book 2 in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. Book 3, A Trade of Blood, is out today from Del Rey.

Book 3

Friday Favorites: Personifications of Death

 

Death has been around forever. Most cultures have a personification of Death and cultural traditions associated with him. For example, putting coins on the eyelids of a dead person to make sure they have the fee to give the ferryman to pass over the river Styx into the realm of the dead.

Death is still very much present in modern literature. Today I'd like to talk to you about two of my favorite representations of Death. The first one is from the book Mort by Terry Pratchett. It is part of the Discworld series. Death's appearance is familiar - black cloak, skeletal body, and scythe. Where Death differs is in how he speaks and what all he wants. Death speaks in all caps, all the time. And Death takes on an apprentice because he wants to experience the world he hasn't fully known. What follows are some quotations from the book.

"It was the sort of smile that lies on the sandbanks waiting for incautious swimmers."

"How do you get all these coins?" asked Mort. "IN PAIRS."

It is a fact that although the Death of Discworld is in his own words, an ANTHROPOMORPHIC PERSONIFICATION, he long ago gave up using the traditional skeletal horses, because of the bother of having to stop all the time to wire bits back on."

Death was standing behind a lectern, pouring over a map. He looked at Mort as if he wasn't entirely there. "YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF THE BAY OF MANTE, HAVE YOU?" he said. "No sir," said Mort. "FAMOUS SHIPWRECK THERE." "Was there?" "THERE WILL BE IF I CAN FIND THE DAMN PLACE."

"I USHERED SOULS INTO THE NEXT WORLD. I WAS THE GRAVE OF ALL HOPE. I WAS THE ULTIMATE REALITY. I WAS THE ASSASSIN AGAINST WHOM NO LOCK WOJULD HOLD."

"Yes, point taken, but do you have any particular skills?" - Death consulting a job broker.

"I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU," he said, "BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY."

The other personification of Death I enjoy comes from the book A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Charlie Asher's wife passes away unexpectedly. When Death comes to.call he is able to see him. After that it seems that Charlie has been tasked with the job of being Death. Chaos ensues. 

He finds a publication: "So Now You're Death: Here's What You'll Need."

"In order to hold off the Forces of Darkness, you will need a number two pencil and a calendar, preferably one without pictures of kitties on it."

"Funny how the illusion of safety can make us careless." 

"Know what I like about mysteries? They're mysterious."

"He realized, with no little sense of irony, that until he became Death, he'd never felt so alive."

"Sometimes, a man must muster all of his courage simply to sit still. How much humanity has been spoiled for the confusion of movement with progress, my friend? How much?"

"He crossed against the light, limping slightly under the weight of the subtext."

And this one from his daughter Sophie, "Kitty!"

I hope you've enjoyed the Friday Favorites. Do you have a favorite Death character? Let us know in the comments. Make sure to add the book name so we can add it to our TBR. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #613: Hell to Pay by Kylie Lee Baker

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: The new book from Kylie Lee Baker, the critically acclaimed, USA TODAY bestselling, New York Times Top 100, Shirley Jackson Award–winning author of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng and Japanese Gothic.

A riveting, darkly humorous, and deeply strange story of three roommates whose everyday struggle to survive in New York is complicated by the intestine-eating demon who haunts their apartment.

Leni was kidnapped and almost sacrificed to the devil as a child, but now she’s perfectly fine. Aside from the fact that she has three reflections in the mirror…and one of them wants her to poison people.

Emerson was a leading heart surgeon until The Incident that left his patient dead. Now he’s too sick to work, keeps finding severed fingers in his water bottles, and is followed around by a faceless Girl Scout with a creaky red wagon.

Jasper is a line cook with a criminal record, just trying to keep his chosen family together. Sure, he sees a man in the shadows who likes the taste of blood, but he’s very good at ignoring that. He would do anything for Leni and Emerson. Anything.

They’re fine. They’re normal. They’re roommates making it work in New York City. 

That is, until a demon leaves his sigil on their wall. 

Now, they have seven days to bring Sychar a sacrifice, or he’ll tear off their skin. Who knew demon-slaying wasn’t a valid excuse to miss work? Why are murder supplies so expensive? Just how is a low-income household supposed to afford a human sacrifice?

As their personal ghosts grow louder and Sychar’s deadline draws nearer, Leni, Emerson, and Jasper discover just how far they’ll go to protect each other.

Hell to Pay by Kylie Lee Baker is expected out March 30, 2027 from Hanover Square Press.

Why am I waiting on this book? From what I've read, this book is supposed to appeal to fans of Grady Hendrix and Stephen King. I have enjoyed reading both of those authors. I am hoping it will have a lot of humor as it is described as "darkly humorous and deeply strange." It certainly sounds weird and appealing from the synopsis. And just a little bit, it reminds me of the plot of King Sorrow by Joe Hill, which I also enjoyed.

What book are you waiting on? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever-growing TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Pants on Fire by Alex A. King

 

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

 The fifty-something principal, who was never an educator herself, has the complexion of an old leather canteen and the personality of razor wire. She's a person accustomed to finding fault in everything, including puppies and cake. As for children, mention kids and watch her inner Roald Dahl villain emerge. Any moment now Andreas expects her to present him with a massive chocolate cake and scream at him to eat until the plate is licked clean.(pp. 16-17)

Pants on Fire by Alex A. King was published May 9, 2025. It's part of the Women of Greece series. Each book can be read as a standalone. The series is a lot of fun and makes for great beach reading.

What are you reading?

Friday Favorites: Southern Cozy Mysteries

 

Southern Cozies are a favorite of mine at least in part because I live in the south. For the purpose of this post I am using the Census Bureau's definition of the south-- South Atlantic: Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, amd Delaware East South Central: Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee West South Central: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas.

What makes a southern cozy? It takes place in the South. The dialogue is generally polite, but can be sharp (Bless her heart.) There is usually nothing overtly graphic in the way of violence, gore, or sex. The murderer is always caught and brought to justice and harmony restored. The main investigator is usually a likable, female character. And the villain is despicable.

I like the easy, light reading of the southern cozy. The banter is usually good. Settings for the most part are pleasant. I found when I was out of town for an extended period, that the southern cozies helped with my homesickness. 

Murder on a Girls' Night Out is the first in the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George. This is one of my all time favorite series. The books take place in Birmingham, Alabama. Patricia Anne (aka Mouse) and Mary Alice (aka Sister) are the sleuths. There is a lot of humor to the writing as well. There are 8 books in the series.

Another humorous series is the Cherry Tucker series that takes place in Halo, Georgia. Cherry Tucker is a talented artist who ends up having a skill for finding trouble as well. She has 6 novels and 2 novellas according to Goodreads. Portrait of a Dead Guy by Larissa Reinhart is the first book in the series.

Another humorous southern cozy is The Liz Talbot series by Susan Boyer. It starts with Lowcountry Boil. I love the description of the plot of the first book on Goodreads. There are 11 novels and one novella. The novels take place in South Carolina. "Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names."

Some other humorous southern cozies include: The Finlay Donovan series by Elle Cosimano (Virginia), The Miss Fortune series by Jana DeLeon (Louisiana), The Southern Ghost Hunter series by Angie Fox (Tennessee), The Claire Malloy series and The Arly Hanks series by Joan Hess (Arkansas).

Two series that I have on my TBR list, but haven't gotten to yet are The Sarah Booth Delaney series by Carolyn Haines (Mississippi) and The China Bayles series by Susan Wittig Albert (Texas).

Do you have a favorite southern cozy series? Or does one of these appeal to you? Share in the comments. Happy Reading!

(All links open in new tabs and come from Goodreads.)