Teaser Tuesday: Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

The doors close, and once again I'm alone, my heart calms and the ache fades. I turn toward the mirrored wall and slowly lower the handkerchief to inspect my wound. Only there is none. There is no gash, no blood. There is nothing there at all.

I fall back a step, confused and a bit scared. But I saw the blood on the handkerchief - felt the sting of the cut. When I go to check the cloth, it's no longer in my hand. I spin, checking to see if I dropped it, but there is only the burgundy patterned carpet. (p. 137 - Audrey is in an elevator.)

Hotel for the Lost by Suzanne Young was initially published as Hotel Ruby. This edition was released October 4, 2016 by Simon Pulse. 

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #211: The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Gangs of New York meets Cassandra Clare in this debut YA fantasy set in 1882 Brooklyn

New York, 1882. A dark, forbidding city, and no place for a girl with unexplainable powers.

Sixteen-year-old Avery Kohl pines for the life she had before her mother was taken. She fears the mysterious men in crow masks who locked her mother in the Tombs asylum for being able to see what others couldn’t. Avery denies the signs in herself, focusing instead on her shifts at the ironworks factory and keeping her inventor father out of trouble. Other than secondhand tales of adventure from her best friend, Khan, an ex-slave, and caring for her falcon, Seraphine, Avery spends her days struggling to survive.

Like her mother’s, Avery’s powers refuse to be contained. When she causes a bizarre explosion at the factory, she has no choice but to run from her lies, straight into the darkest corners of the city. Avery must embrace her abilities and learn to wield their power—or join her mother in the cavernous horrors of the Tombs. And the Tombs has secrets of its own: strange experiments are being performed on “patients”…and no one knows why. 

The Tombs by Deborah Schaumberg is due out February 20, 2018 from HarperTeen.

Why am I waiting on this one? I find the "Gangs of New York meets Cassandra Clare" phrase intriguing. And I find myself hoping she masters her abilities quickly just from the description of what might happen if she doesn't.

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

Review: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

Mrs. Lola Woodby and her trusty companion and former cook, Berta are hired for the discreet retrieval of a stuffed rhinoceros head by Lord Sudbury. It seems like it will be an easy task with a big payoff. Plus the alcohol will be flowing freely at the mansion where the rhino's head is and Lola does enjoy a good gin and tonic.

Not long after they've arrived, the owner of the mansion turns up dead in what appears to be a suicide. Lord Sudbury retains their services asking them to look into Rudy's death. The ladies eat it up like chocolate and plunge in where angels fear to tread.

More death, gangsters, diamonds, and a dash of romance round out the plot. Not to mention that Lola is supposed to be sending out her sister's wedding invitations and picking a caterer for her.
There are gunshots fired, car chases, consorting with gangsters in a speakeasy, and plenty of prohibition era slang bandied about.

I have to say that I've enjoyed all the books in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. This is the third one and it's quite fun. There are a few good mysteries and plenty of humor. I will say Lola needs a better pair of shoes than t-straps for skulking around, but that's part of the fun as is her carting her dog Cedric everywhere they go.

If you enjoy mysteries with well developed quirky characters and twisty plots, then this would be a good book for you. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The mysteries are good. There is humor. And the main characters are entertaining.

Gin and Panic by Maia Chance is being released today, October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Teaser Tuesday: The Trouble with Twelfth Grave by Darynda Jones

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

So, yes, I could see them. I could also talk to them and arm-wrestle them and style their hair. But seeing the departed and convincing said departed to go into the light were two very different skill sets.(1% into the book on my Kindle)

You can read an excerpt from the book here. And read an interview with the author here. This is reportedly the second to the last book in the series at least for now.

The Trouble withTwelfth Grave by Darynda Jones is scheduled to be released on October 31, 2017 from St. Martin's Press. What a treat!

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Quickie Review: Crystal and Bone (Book One of the October Girls) by Scott Nicholson

Crystal & Bone by Scott Nicholson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As Halloween approaches, Crystal Aldridge is set to inherit the job of protecting the world from the things that can come through the orifice. Only problem is that Crystal has no interest in growing into that role. Instead, she studies for her GED, works at the video store, and dreams of a life somewhere far from where she is.

Her best friend Bonnie, aka Bone, is dead and comes back through the orifice from time to time to visit Crystal. Crystal isn't supposed to consort with the dead. And it looks like other things might be able to come through too.

Things become complicated when a guy named Dempsey comes to town with visions of filming a B-movie. Things go from bad to worse as he runs around town talking to the teens and spreading the word about his other films.

This is a very humorous story. It's told with a lot of sarcasm and one-liners. It's still horror, but it's funny. For me, that was the best part of the book.

I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It's a fun YA horror story along the lines of a B-movie with lots of humor. And while it can be read anytime, it makes a perfect October read.



View all my reviews

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #210: Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A stunning new collection of short stories from the World Fantasy Award– and Newbery Medal–winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
 
From award-winning, New York Times bestselling author Kelly Barnhill comes a stunning collection of stories, teeming with uncanny characters whose lives unfold in worlds at once strikingly human and eerily original.
 
 When Mrs. Sorensen’s husband dies, she rekindles a long-dormant love with an unsuitable mate in “Mrs. Sorensen and the Sasquatch.” In “Open the Door and the Light Pours Through,” a young man wrestles with grief and his sexuality in an exchange of letters with his faraway beloved. “Dreadful Young Ladies” demonstrates the strength and power—known and unknown—of the imagination.  In “Notes on the Untimely Death of Ronia Drake,” a witch is haunted by the deadly repercussions of a spell. “The Insect and the Astronomer” upends expectations about good and bad, knowledge and ignorance, love and longing. The World Fantasy Award–winning novella The Unlicensed Magician introduces the secret magical life of an invisible girl once left for dead—with thematic echoes of Barnhill’s Newbery Medal–winning novel, The Girl Who Drank the Moon.
 
By an author hailed as “a fantasist on the order of Neil Gaiman” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), the stories in Dreadful Young Ladies feature bold, reality-bending invention underscored by richly illuminated universal themes of love, death, jealousy, hope, and more.

Dreadful Young Ladies and Other Stories by Kelly Barnhill is due out February 20, 2018 from Algonquin Books. 

Why am I waiting on this one? I find myself interested because of the award-winning status of the author as well as the comparison to Neil Gaiman. The descriptions of the stories are intriguing as well.

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

Teaser Tuesday: October Girls by Scott Nicholson

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here it came. The lecture. About all the generations of Aldridges who had guarded the Orifice before her, who had boiled and bubbled and toiled and troubled and rhymed and spelled, all to stop the untelling horrors from slopping over into this world. (13% through on my Kindle)

October Girls by Scott Nicholson was released January 10, 2014. The cover on the left is from the edition on Amazon that I'm reading.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Cold as Ice by Julie Mulhern

Ellison Russell's life is in a bit of an uproar. Detective Anarchy Jones and Ellison's mother both wish she would break her habit of finding bodies. But more than that, there's a problem with the bank that is her daughter's legacy. And Grace has taken up with a boy that Ellison doesn't really feel comfortable with her seeing. He might be of the right social strata, but there is something about him that strikes her as untrustworthy. Julie Mulhern weaves these things together into the sixth Country Club Murders mystery.

I enjoy Ellison Russell and her passionate affair with Mr. Coffee. She is smart, but still makes mistakes, so very human. And she has a lovely, snarky sense of humor. The interplay of Ellison with her teenaged daughter Grace is believable. It stands along with her relationship with her own mother. It's nice to have the 3 generations interact. I like the ways that they ultimately show concern for each other.

The setting being the 1970s makes things interesting as well. No cell phones for one thing. The country club society almost becomes a character in itself. It certainly affects how characters react to things.

The mystery is well done. Ellison has her close calls which have Anarchy up in arms. Ellison isn't unperturbed, just the opposite. She tries to manage things with a minimum of upset, but there's only so much you can do when you find a body.

Julie Mulhern manages to balance the interpersonal interactions with the mystery. There is also just the right amount of sarcasm and humor. I enjoyed the sixth outing in The Country Club Murders and look forward to reading more in this series. I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy a good cozy with humor, you will most likely enjoy this one. Cold as Ice by Julie Mulhern is due to be released October 17, 2017 by Henery Press.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This in no way affects my freely given review.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #209: The Curses by Laure Eve

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

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Picking up the pieces after the chilling events of the previous year isn’t easy, but the Graces are determined to do it. Wolf is back after a mysterious disappearance, and everyone’s eager to return to normal. Except for Summer, the youngest Grace. Summer has a knack for discovering the truth—and something is troubling her. After a trail of clues leads her to what could be the key to both her family’s mysterious past and the secret of Wolf, she’s determined to vanquish yet another curse. But exposing secrets is a dangerous game, and it’s not one Summer can win alone.

At Summer’s behest, the coven comes back together, reluctantly drawing their erstwhile friend River back into the fold. But Wolf’s behavior becomes unpredictable even as Fenrin’s strength fades, and Summer must ask herself whether the friend she so loves is also planning her family’s ultimate, cursed demise.

This riveting sequel to The Graces is saturated with magic, the destructive cost of power, the
complications of family, and the nature of forgiveness.

Why am I waiting on this one? I enjoyed the first book in the series, The Graces. There was definitely room for a continuation. I am surprised that it says River is drawn back into the group, but I'm sure that makes for good storytelling. I want to know what happens next in this series, so I will read on. The Curses by Laure Eve is due out January 9, 2018 from Amulet Books.

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

Teaser Tuesday: Gin and Panic by Maia Chance

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

"There was something to be said for those old-fashioned men, Mrs. Woodby. One felt there were adults in charge of things. It was, if nothing else, reassuring. Nowadays when I read the newspaper, I have the sense that enormous moody toddlers are running the show." (17% through on my Kindle)

Gin and Panic by Maia Chance is due to be released October 24, 2017 from Minotaur Books. It's the third book in the Discreet Retrieval Agency series. The above teaser is from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition. There is currently a Giveaway on Goodreads from the publisher. It's a mystery that takes place in the prohibition-era 1920s and is full of humor as Lola Woodby and her cook attempt to solve it.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

The 2017 Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers

The 2017 winner is The Book of Ivy by Amy Engel. Honor Books are When by Victoria Laurie and Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli.

I know this isn't very new news, but somehow I missed seeing the announcement when the winner and honor recipients are chosen. I apologize.

I saw an article yesterday that they are making a movie out of Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda which is supposed to be titled simply "Love, Simon" to be released in March of 2018.

Did you expect these books to win?

Nominees for the 2018 award have been listed on the website as well at this point. Check out the nominees and cast your vote at georgiapeachaward.org/

Voting closes on March 15, 2018. The winner and honor books will be announced Monday March 20, 2018 at the Kennesaw State University Conference on Young Adult Literature.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #208: The Fissure King by Rachel Pollack

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

This week I'm waiting on The Fissure King: a Novel in Five Stories by Rachel Pollack. I won't have to wait long until it's available. It's due out October 10, 2017.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In the classic noir tradition of -Have Gun, Will Travel, - Rachel Pollack--one of the world's foremost authorities on the Tarot--gives us the tale of Jack Shade, an occult shaman for hire. Jack Shade has a secret, and this hidden part of his past sends him on a journey through time and space and a great number of metaphysical doorways. From the cozy poker table in the eleventh-floor apartment of the Hotel de Reve Noire to the ethereal Forest of Souls to the faded houses along the Gold River, Jack flows in and out of this world. Even when his own duplicate hires him to kill himself, Jack is mercury in motion. Jack the Nimble. Jack the Quick. 
The Fissure King: A Novel in Five Stories collects the four existing Jack Shades novellas and shows us Jack's final trick--one last story that finally reveals Jack's true nature. 
Only Rachel Pollack, one of the world's greatest authorities of tarot and an award-winning novelist and comic book writer, could dream of someone as mischievous and mythopoeic as Jack Shade. The King is dead. Long live the King.

Why am I waiting on this one? The format intrigues me. And the description of the main character as mischievous and mythopoeic interests me. 

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

Teaser Tuesday: Cold as Ice by Julie Mulhern

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

She crossed her arms over her chest. French nobles being led to the guillotine looked happier. Two disgruntled teenagers. My work was done. (15% through on my Kindle)

The above quotation is taken from an ARC and may appear differently in the final version. Cold as Ice by Julie Mulhern is expected to be published October 17, 2017 from Henery Press. It's number six in The Country Club Murders series. There's currently a Giveaway from the publisher available for it on Goodreads.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!

Review: Haunted Nights edited by Ellen Datlow and Lisa Morton

Haunted Nights is a perfect October read. It's a collection of Halloween themed horror short stories edited by Ellen Datlow and Lisa Morton. From a haunted house to wandering Jack to the far-flung future of Halloween, there is enough variety to suit anyone. Lisa Morton, a well-known expert on Halloween, writes the enjoyable and informative introduction to the book.

Of the 16 short stories included in the collection, I really liked all but about 2 of them. I think as far as anthologies go, that's a pretty good success rate. My favorites were about the wandering Jack with the fiery turnip. Yes, there was more than one about Jack, but they were nothing alike. I also enjoyed the uniqueness of "The Seventeen Year Itch" by Garth Nix.

I liked that in addition to Halloween, some of the stories also dwelt on what was termed the time when the veil between the worlds thins, The Day of the Dead, All Souls' Day, and Devil's Night. The variety really made the collection a joy to read.

If you enjoy your horror with a taste of Halloween and other related themes, then this is a good book for you. The quality of the writing is there. The chills are present. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Review: The Ninja's Illusion by Gigi Pandian

The Ninja's Illusion by Gigi Pandian

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed The Ninja's Illusion. As with her other Jaya Jones mysteries, Gigi Pandian makes the country the characters are visiting, its culture and pertinent history accessible and interesting.

There are 2 different mysteries at play. One involves the magicians; the other involves history. Each mystery is captivating in its own way. The mysteries begin even before Jaya has left the States for Japan. I found myself caught up in the book. There were a few lulls, but overall there is more action than not. Even during the lulls, the plot is moving forward, which is as it should be.

The characters are interesting and likable. And there is a good variety of characters. The story about the kitsune who has become a magician's assistant brings an exotic flavor to the plot. I liked that it was up in the air for much of the book as to just how much of a mischevious spirit fox she really was.

Overall, it's a well-written mystery made even better by Pandian's treatment of the location and culture. The history that is blended in makes the reading a richer experience. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.



View all my reviews