Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #252: Bells, Spells, and Murders by Carol J. Perry

"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.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Someone's spreading deadly holiday cheer through Salem, Mass . . . 

Lee Barrett has landed her dream job at Salem's WICH-TV. As the new field reporter, she'll be covering events live as they're unfolding. Next on her holiday checklist is an interview with the beloved chairman of a popular walking tour through Salem's historic districts. But it may be his ghost walking this snowy Noel season after Lee finds him murdered in his stately offices, bloody Santa hat askew.

With her police detective boyfriend working the case and a witch's brew of suspects--including some bell-ringing Santas--Lee chases down leads aided and abetted by her wise cat O'Ryan and some unsettling psychic visions of her own. When a revealing clue leads to another dead body, not even a monster blizzard can stop Lee from inching closer to the truth . . . and a scoop that could spell her own demise this killer Christmas.

Bells, Spells, and Murders by Carol J. Perry is expected out September 25th, 2018 from Kensington Publishing Corporation. This is book #7 in the Witch City Mysteries series.

Why am I waiting on this one? Even though I haven't read any of the other books in the series, I find myself intrigued by this one. I enjoy books about Salem, Mass. And I enjoy books about witches and good mysteries. This sounds like it hits all 3 of those things. It might even lead to my reading the series from the beginning. Have you read any of the books in this series yet?

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: Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett

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 kept laughing. "You know, I almost believe you, you and your holy-crusade talk. But if you really are as noble and honest as you sound, Captain Dandolo, you won't live long. If there's one thing this city can't tolerate, it's honesty." 31% on my Kindle. 

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett was published August 21st, 2018 by Crown. It's the first book in the Founders series.

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: The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire

While book one in the Ghost Roads series was good, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown surpasses it. It continues the story of Rose who has been 16 now for 60 some odd years. She's the phantom prom date, the girl in the green silk gown. She travels the highways and byways in the lands of the living and the dead.

But Bobby Cross, the one responsible for her death, is out to get her now more than ever. He struck a bargain with the Crossroads for eternal life and youth, but he needs to feed souls to his car. And he's aching to feed Rose to it. Bobby finds a way to toy with Rose, bringing her back to life. She is more vulnerable as a living human being than she was as a ghost. And she is whinier in a funny way.

Rose needs help and fast. She needs to be able to traverse the roads of the living and the dead in order to get back to the death she's come to know.

This book is smoother reading than the first book, less jumping around, more coherent. It's also pretty suspenseful. Many times it seems just when things can't get worse, they do. It works well keeping your attention. And it makes it something of a page-turner.

On the cover, there are symbols for both Rose and Persephone whose blessing she has on her back as a tattoo; now she must seek more. The mythology in the book is complex, well thought out, and easy to follow. It's a nice blend of urban legend, Greek mythology, and the unique lore of the world Rose lives in.

I found I really disliked Bobby Cross. I don't feel any sympathy for him. That might change if he is ever remorseful, but that's for book 3 to see. He makes an excellent villain.

I give this book 4 stars out of 5. Book two in the Ghost Road series definitely surpasses book one even though both are good. The Girl in the Green Silk Gown by Seanan McGuire was published July 17th, 2018 from DAW.

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

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #251: Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis

"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.

Goodreads' Blurb:

The bestselling author of American Housewife ("Dark, deadpan and truly inventive." --The New York Times Book Review) is back with a fiercely funny collection of essays on marriage and manners, thank-you notes and three-ways, ghosts, gunshots, gynecology, and the Calgon-scented, onion-dipped, monogrammed art of living as a Southern Lady.

Helen Ellis has a mantra: "If you don't have something nice to say, say something not-so-nice in a nice way." Say "weathered" instead of "she looks like a cake left out in the rain." Say "early-developed" instead of "brace face and B cups." And for the love of Coke Salad, always say "Sorry you saw something that offended you" instead of "Get that stick out of your butt, Miss Prissy Pants." In these twenty-three raucous essays, Ellis transforms herself into a dominatrix Donna Reed to save her marriage, inadvertently steals a $795 Burberry trench coat, witnesses a man fake his own death at a party, avoids a neck lift, and finds a black-tie gown that gives her the confidence of a drag queen. While she may have left her home in Alabama, married a New Yorker, forgotten how to drive, and abandoned the puffy headbands of her youth, Helen Ellis is clinging to her Southern accent like mayonnaise to white bread, and offering readers a hilarious, completely singular view on womanhood for both sides of the Mason-Dixon.

Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis is expected out April 16th. 2019 from Doubleday Books. 

Why am I waiting on this one? It looks like a lot of fun. I live in the South and I think that will make it even funnier to me. But, I think it will appeal to anyone who enjoys a good humorous essay.

 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: Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep

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! 

He huffed. "And I've also told you time and time again that Lady Luck is a fickle bitch. You might make your own luck with all your planning and preparation, but never forget that she can screw you over at any moment. Just because she can. Just because she feels like it. Just because she wants to see you squirm." (19% on my Kindle) Fletcher talking to Gin in a memory/dream.

This is my second teaser from this book. I'm enjoying it and if you like urban fantasy, you might enjoy this series as well.

Venom in the Veins was published June 12th, 2018 by Jennifer Estep. It's the 17th book in the Elemental Assassin series.

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 #250: Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton

"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.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice.

Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest.

Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early.

Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out. 

Strange Grace by Tessa Gratton is expected to be released September 18th, 2018 from Margaret McElderry Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I just love the way it sounds. I especially like the line about how the devil they find is not the one they expect and that it will turn everything inside out.

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: Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep

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! 

I grinned. "You really want to get into a knife fight with me? Go ahead, sugar. You just go right ahead." (location 98 on my kindle)

Venom in the Veins was published June 12th, 2018 by Jennifer Estep. It's the 17th book in the Elemental Assassin series.

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 #249: How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen

"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.

Blurb from Goodreads:

Fantasy legend Jane Yolen (The Emerald Circus, The Devil’s Arithmetic) delights with this effortlessly wide-ranging offering of fractured fairy tales. Yolen fractures the classics to reveal their crystalline secrets, holding them to the light and presenting them entirely transformed; where a spinner of straw into gold becomes a money-changer and the big bad wolf retires to a nursing home. Rediscover the fables you once knew, rewritten and refined for the world we now live in―or a much better version of it.

How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen is expected out November 5th, 2018 from Tachyon Publications.  The table of contents is available on Goodreads. 

Why am I waiting on this one? I really enjoy fairy tales and retellings. And it's Jane Yolen. It's a perfect pairing.

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!