Teaser Tuesday: Death Masks by Jim Butcher

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!

My eyes were getting heavy and I had aches in places where I hadn't known I had places. Sleep sounded like a great idea, and with so many things going on, the smart option was to get lots of rest in order to be as capably paranoid as possible. (Chapter 5 of Death Masks location 20065 on my Kindle)

Death Masks is book 5 in the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. This particular edition contains the first 6 books and was available through my county's library. Death Masks was originally published in 2003 by Roc. The collection was published in 2006.

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 Raven's Tale by Cat Winters

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Edgar Poe counts down the days until he can escape his foster family—the wealthy Allans of Richmond, Virginia. He hungers for his upcoming life as a student at the prestigious new university, almost as much as he longs to marry his beloved Elmira Royster. However, on the brink of his departure, all his plans go awry when a macabre Muse named Lenore appears to him. Muses are frightful creatures that lead Artists down a path of ruin and disgrace, and no respectable person could possibly understand or accept them. But Lenore steps out of the shadows with one request: “Let them see me!”

My thoughts:

Edgar Allan Poe longed for the freedom to follow his muse wherever she leads him in terms of writing. His foster father most definitely was opposed to this and at every turn discouraged Poe's writing and encouraged him to adapt to a sensible life of working for him.

This book covers a little more than a year in the life of Poe -from just before he enters university up to the publication of his first pamphlet of poems. It covers the arrival of his gothic muse and how she affects him. And his struggles are documented at university, home, and in between. I found myself frustrated with how his adopted father treats him. You'd like to say he meant well, but he might not have had Poe's best interests at heart at all times.

Lenore fights to inspire Poe and to be seen. The other muses have cautioned her against the latter, but still, she persists. And it is, at times, almost her undoing.

I was impressed by the amount of research that Cat Winters put into the book. The author's note and resources listed at the end give some idea to what all she looked into in preparation for this book. Also, I was impressed that she penned lines in Poe's style to give some idea as to how he responds to his muse.

Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's well-written, creative, and interesting. It gives a window into what Poe may have been like at that tender age of 17. I recommend it particularly for fans of Poe, but it is also a good book to read as a historical, gothic piece. It's definitely worth the read.

The Raven's Tale by Cat Winters was published April 16th, 2019 from Amulet Books.

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

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #282: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

"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.

From Goodreads:

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads.

When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past—both the green magic of the woods and the dark things that rest in its heart.

The expected publication date of Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh is June 18th, 2019 from Tor.

Why am I waiting on this one? I like the way the Wild Man sounds. He makes me think of a variation of a Green Man. And I like the mystery and suspense that seems to come with Henry Silver.

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: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

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!

This time, as she leafed through the fading pictures with their yellowed coverings, this time there was no sense of wonder or nostalgia. This time, she felt as if she were plunging down a rabbit hole into the past. (87% through on my Kindle)

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware was published May 29th, 2018 by Gallery/Scout Press.

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 #281: Small Kingdoms & Other Stories by Charlaine Harris

"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.

From Goodreads:

A new collection of linked short stories from Charlaine Harris, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse books, the basis for HBO’s True Blood, and the Midnight Crossroad series, the inspiration for Midnight, Texas on NBC.

Principal Anne DeWitt knew her past could catch up with her, but she didn’t expect it would make her late for school. Killing a man does take time though; so does disposing of the body . . . if you do it right.

After three relatively quiet years at Travis High School, it seems Anne is in danger of being exposed—even the baseball coach knows more about her former life than she ever imagined. Now, she must find out who else holds her secrets and who wants her to pay for them. . .without letting it make her tardy again. Anne still has a school to run, parents to manage, and a few students who might benefit from her unique—and deadly—experience.

Collected together for the first time in Small Kingdoms and Other Stories, “Small Kingdoms,” “Sarah Smiles,” “Small Chances,” and “Small Signs” are sure to delight fans of Charlaine Harris.

Small Kingdoms and Other Stories by Charlaine Harris is due out May 28th, 2019 from JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.

Why am I waiting on this one? I like the way Charlaine Harris writes. And I enjoy short fiction. So this book seems to be a perfect marriage of things.

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: The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware

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!

If anyone can pull this off, it's you.

The thought flitted treacherously through the back of her mind as she crossed to the opposite pavement, and she shook her head, trying to ignore it. But it was hard. Because if anyone had the skills to turn up at a strange house and claim a woman she'd never met as her grandmother, it was Hal. (7% through on my Kindle)

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware was published May 29th, 2018 by Gallery/Scout Press.

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: Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis

Helen Ellis believes in following the code: "If you don't have something nice to say, say something not-so-nice in a nice way." In this collection of essays, this works well for her most of the time. And it can be pretty funny.

 For me though, it wasn't all funny. I found the essays to be a mixed bag. Some were funny, some not at all. There were definitely some good lines, but not enough for me to love the collection. I liked it, but didn't love it. I gave it 3 stars out of 5. It's worth a read. It's entertaining, but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it again. For me, the synopsis from Goodreads was funnier than the book. It might tickle you differently.

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

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #280: The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox

"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.

From Goodreads:

For Southern girl Verity Long, friendship means sitting down to stories and sweet tea on the front porch. For her gangster ghost housemate, it means dragging Verity out to a remote haunted asylum during a raging thunderstorm to do a favor for a long-dead mob boss.

But Verity is always ready to help out a friend, even one as eternally eccentric as Frankie. And in the case of Mint Julep Manor, the stakes are too high to refuse. The criminally insane mob boss holds a secret to Frankie’s past, one that might set Frankie free. Do the favor—survive the favor—and they might change Frankie’s afterlife for good. Fail, and they might never leave the asylum.

The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox is due to be released April 25th, 2019 from Moose Island Books. It will be book #8 in the Southern Ghost Hunter series.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've enjoyed the other books in the Southern Ghost Hunter series. I like the characters in the books from Verity and Frankie to Verity's boyfriend Ellis and his eccentric family and beyond. If you enjoy a good paranormal mystery often blended with a normal mystery, then this is a good series for you to check 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: Spellsmoke by SM Reine

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!

"An impressive kill means an impressive killer." She shot a look at Lincoln, her cheek stretched back in the thin line of a smile. "This will be a glorious hunt."
Inanna was a glorious nutjob, as always. At least some things didn't change.

(31% through on my Kindle)

The above quotation is from Spellsmoke by SM Reine. It's book two in A Fistful of Daggers series. It was released July 25th, 2018.

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: Ararat by Christopher Golden

After an avalanche on Ararat reveals a cave with what's possibly Noah's ark inside, a newly engaged couple seeks to climb the mountain and do an archaeological dig on the premises. They succeed in being in charge of the project which involves many more people including academics, translators, archaeologists, an observer from the UN, and Ben Walker who isn't exactly what he seems or claims to be - a member of the National Science Foundation sent to investigate what's happening in the cave.

As the story progresses, the group finds a coffin within the remains of the ship. Inside is a grotesque skeleton of something with horns. Immediately people begin leaping to the conclusion that it is some kind of demon. Tensions arise among the group as a blizzard blows in and traps them in the cave. The longer they are there, the more certain everyone becomes that they are not alone. Something lurks in the cave and threatens their very survival and sanity.

Ararat makes a good horror story. It's part haunted house and part monster story. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written. The tempo increases as the story progresses. You get to know the people who are going to be in danger before things go haywire. And the end has a twist to it that I wasn't expecting at all. This is book one in the Ben Walker series and as such can be read as a stand-alone. It also won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 2017. If you enjoy a good horror novel, this is definitely worth a read. Ararat by Christopher Golden was published April 18th, 2017 by St. Martin's Press.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #279: Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron

"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.

From Goodreads:

From the New York Times bestselling author of There Was an Old Woman comes a novel about a professional organizer with a deadly problem she may not be able to clean up.

Emily Harlow is a professional organizer who helps people declutter their lives; she’s married to a man who can’t drive past a yard sale without stopping. He’s filled their basement, attic, and garage with his finds.

Like other professionals who make a living decluttering peoples’ lives, Emily has devised a set of ironclad rules. When working with couples, she makes clear that the client is only allowed to declutter his or her own stuff. That stipulation has kept Emily’s own marriage together these past few years. She’d love nothing better than to toss out all her husband’s crap. He says he’s a collector. Emily knows better—he’s a hoarder. The larger his “collection” becomes, the deeper the distance grows between Emily and the man she married.

Luckily, Emily’s got two new clients to distract herself: an elderly widow whose husband left behind a storage unit she didn’t know existed, and a young wife whose husband won’t allow her stuff into their house. Emily’s initial meeting with the young wife takes a detour when, after too much wine, the women end up fantasizing about how much more pleasant life would be without their collecting spouses.

But the next day Emily finds herself in a mess that might be too big for her to clean up. Careful what you wish for, the old adage says . . . now Emily might lose her freedom, her marriage . . . and possibly her life.

Careful What You Wish For by Hallie Ephron is expected to be published August 6th, 2019 from William Morrow.

Why am I waiting on this one? It sounds like a good emotionally charged mystery. I can picture the tension in those relationships. I like that Emily isn't perfect. And I wonder how she will get out of the dangerous trouble she finds herself in.

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: Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis

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 am the kind of woman who spends more money on a bottle of shampoo than on a bottle of wine; who adds three capfuls when the instructions read one; who writes self-affirmations in shower steam; who blow dries her hair an inch from a wall instead of untangling the cord; who looks at a sunscreen display like other women look at a Tiffany's window- and then applies that sunscreen like a meringue pie to the face." (97% through on my Kindle)

The expected publication date for Southern Lady Code by Helen Ellis is April 16th, 2019 from Doubleday. The above quotation comes from an ARC and may appear differently in the final edition.

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!