Teaser Tuesday: Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

 

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!

 "You're another folklorist," said Tobias, trying to keep up.

 "A practical folklorist," said Mrs. Silver. "Vampires eliminated, ghouls laid to rest, fairies discouraged, and so on. It was my late husband’s profession and now it is mine." 

(p. 64)

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh was published June 18th, 2019 by Tor.

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: Life and Limb by Jennifer Roberson

Gabe and Remi grew up in very different places but with one similarity - the man they knew as Grandaddy. He taught Gabe to shoot and Remi to throw knives. And he told them things they would need to know that they would forget in the short term, but remember someday when they needed it most. He was preparing them for a coming war between good and evil.

Gabe and Remi are summoned to a bar in Northern Arizona where Grandaddy explains to the boys, now men, that they will be working together to fight in this war. On their path they will meet others who work for good as well as those who are ambiguous and others who are downright evil.

Grandaddy also explained that all of those fictional things from folklore, religions, and mythology are real - both good and evil. Among others they meet the Morrigan from Celtic mythology and an African god who talks to volcanoes.

I liked Gabe and Remi. Their struggles as they begin to work together make them sympathetic. I also liked the character of the Morrigan. She was no nonsense and just what they needed exposure to.

There is plenty of adventure. Plotwise it works well except for the occasional info dumps that slow things down a little. They have plenty of opposition to help them grow as characters.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It has an interesting premise. The main characters are sympathetic. I enjoyed the folklore and mythology bits. I liked the occasional humor as well. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, but not terribly so. I will most likely read the next book. I do want to know what happens. I recommend this book for fans of urban fantasy with a supernatural bent.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my opinion.

Review: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Synopsis from Goodreads: At a gala party thrown by her parents, Evelyn Hardcastle will be killed--again. She's been murdered hundreds of times, and each day, Aiden Bishop is too late to save her. Doomed to repeat the same day over and over, Aiden's only escape is to solve Evelyn Hardcastle's murder and conquer the shadows of an enemy he struggles to even comprehend--but nothing and no one is quite what they seem.

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton is like the old tv program Quantum Leap mixed with the movie Groundhog Day and an Agatha Christie novel. The author does mention Quantum Leap and Agatha Christie as influences at the end of the book.

For me, the book started out great, then slowed down for a while before picking up again. I had a really hard time during the slow part. In fact, I put it aside for a little while. But, once it picked up it really took off.

I thought the author did a great job with characterization. Aiden Bishop was jumping from body to body with a total of 8 possible hosts while trying repeatedly to solve the murder of Evelyn Hardcastle. The author managed to stay true to Aiden while dealing with the influences each host exerted on him - a growing influence with each jump.

Anna was another major character who was consistent in each of his jumps. She was interesting in that it was hard to determine if she was an ally or enemy. And while Aiden had one set of rules determining much of his efforts, Anna had a slightly different set. I would have liked to know Anna's rules sooner. The footman and the plague doctor are consistent like Anna but seem more aware of what's going on.

There were surprises and red herrings and twists to the plot. The 8 host characters were varied and not all nice. It was interesting to see how Aiden made each host's traits work for him. The ultimate ending was a surprise to me if a bit deus ex machina. It was still a satisfying ending.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's mostly well-plotted except for that pesky slow part. Characterization is great. And it's an original blend of mystery and science fiction. I would recommend it for lovers of both mystery and science fiction.



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Teaser Tuesday: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

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 people she passed on her way to SSS seemed locked in a dream, soft-eyed, faces turned to one another, steam rising off the cups of coffee in their gloved hands. She had the eerie sense that they were dreaming her, a girl in a dark coat who would disappear when they woke. (p. 8)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo was published October 8, 2019 by Flatiron Books.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

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!

How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home? This lost, I decide. Precisely this lost. (p. 5)

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton was published May 7th, 2019 by Sourcebooks Landmark.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: A Second Teaser from The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

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 believe that a person can become possessed by someone else - at least in part. That one life can slip inside another, giving it shape. In this way, I could judge Sadie's reaction before it occurred, picture an expression in the second before she shared it. It was how I could anticipate what she would do before she did it, because I believed I understood how she thought, and the push and pull that would lead her to any given moment - except her final ones.

(50% through on my Kindle)

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda was published June 18th, 2019 by Corvus.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

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!

Now each evening I'd walk by on my way to the guest cottage and catch sight of something that made me look twice - a blur of movement. Thinking for an awful, beautiful moment: Sadie. But the only thing I ever saw in the darkened windows was my distorted reflection watching back. My own personal haunting. (p.18 on my Kindle)

The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda was published June 18th, 2019 by Corvus.

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: Murder Off the Page by Con Lehane

Raymond Ambler works as the curator of the 42nd Street Library's Crime Fiction Collection. He's also become a bit of an amateur sleuth.

One night after work, he and Adele (a fellow librarian) go to a nearby bar. They observe a woman being somewhat flirty then arguing with a group of men. The bartender, McNulty, gets her away from them and later walks her back to her hotel room.

A man is shot in her hotel room McNulty asks Ambler to look into some of the men in her journal as possible suspects. Ambler gives the list to his cop friend, Mike Cosgrove, but investigates on his own as well.

Not long afterward Shannon Darling aka Sandra Dean is shot in her hotel room and McNulty is the prime suspect. The more Ambler looks into it, the more it looks like McNulty would be the best possible suspect.

And the more Ambler looks into it, he begins to wonder if someone killed Sandra Dean or her alternate persona of Shannon. Sandra Dean was a successful dermatologist. Shannon went on trips to NYC and slept around when she wasn't looking into her mother's novels and work in the crime fiction collection.

Ambler, Adele, and their detective friend, Mike Cosgrove, all investigate. Ambler and Adele hope to find proof that McNulty is innocent. Cosgrove thinks that would be nice but is really just into solving the crimes and arresting the guilty party.

There are at least 2 subplots. One about the attraction between Adele and Ray Ambler. The other one is about Ray's grandson and Ray's son.

Overall I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The mysteries are interesting. I just have a bit of trouble with Ray's awkwardness at times, have a little trouble connecting with him. Sometimes I find it hard to like him. I like Adele better.

Murder Off the Page by Con Lehane was published November 19th, 2019 by Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not influence my review. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Teaser Tuesday: Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer

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!

"We are all a story," she told him. "I'm a character in your story; you're a character in mine. And we're both part of the story of New York, along with eight million other people. It's all fiction, it's all true, and just like you were taught as a child, there's a world of possibility on each new page. Once you accept that, there's only one question worth asking."

"What's that?" he said.

"What kind of story do you want to live in?"
(p. 235)

Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer was released April 9th, 2019 by 47North.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: The Other Wife by Claire McGowan

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!

"No more trips to London for a while, I think," he said, and I found myself agreeing with him, the suggestion that I should no longer go anywhere by myself. This is how easy it was to lock your own jail cell, from the inside. (p. 147)

The Other Wife by Claire McGowan was published on October 24th, 2019 by Thomas & Mercer. This book kept me turning pages for the twists right up to the end. I gave it 5 stars.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman

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 had loved his father and had been in awe of him, but he had never felt as close to him as he did right now. You are the man I admired most of all, Julien would say to him if he could, if they were lying side by side watching the universe expand around them. (p. 284)

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman was published September 24th, 2019 by Simon & Schuster.

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!

Teaser Tuesday: Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen

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!

"Everyone's crazy in their own way. What makes two people compatible is finding someone whose crazy complements yours and vice versa." (p. 255)

Relatively Normal by Whitney Dineen was published in September 2019 by 33 Partners Publishing. It's the first in the Relatively 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!

Teaser Tuesday: The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian

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!

Seven years ago, Coronado disappeared for six weeks. Afterwards, he'd sequestered himself in his home in upstate New York, leaving only to go walking a dog almost as big as himself. The mystery of what had caused him to hide away and reject the writing that had been his lifeblood was greater than anything he'd written into his adventure novels.

Nobody knew what had happened to Rick Coronado when he disappeared.

(18% through on my Kindle)

The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian is the sixth book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series. It was published November 12th, 2019 by Henery 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!

Review: The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Lucie Montgomery attends a Thanksgiving weekend party at the Avery's castle. Prescott Avery, the 95-year-old family patriarch, invites her into the wine cellars for a discussion. He wants to buy some historic Madeira that her family is rumored to own at any price. Lucie has never heard of it and suspects her father either drank it or sold it. Prescott reveals that the history of it is particularly important to him and the Masons.

Lucie later discovers her phone is missing and returns to the cellar. She finds Prescott dead. Who could have killed him in such a short time? As Lucie investigates the focus turns to what Prescott might have discovered and away from who killed him.

I give this mystery 4 out of 5 stars. It's part of a series but can be read as a standalone. While there is more than one mystery, the bulk of the book is spent on the historical mysteries. There's nothing wrong with that, but I kept wondering when we would learn more about Avery's death. Otherwise, it is a well written, holiday-themed historical mystery. It's great for readers who enjoy history and the Virginia Wine Country.

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby was published November 5th, 2019 by Minotaur Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.


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Teaser Tuesday: The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian

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 remnants of history that have survived might not be dramatic in and of themselves, but the stories they tell when assembled can be miraculous. People who lived long before us had similar hopes and dreams, and their messages could reach us across the centuries and continents. In a world that can feel simultaneously connected and divided, history can show us our common humanity through the ages. (location 296 on my Kindle)

The teaser might seem a little dry, but it's true and I guarantee things pick up. 

The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian is the sixth book in the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series. It was published November 12th, 2019 by Henery 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!

Teaser Tuesday: The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby

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!

"And if Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare," Quinn said, "that would be a bombshell. Those documents would be worth a fortune."

(54% through on my Kindle)

The Angels' Share by Ellen Crosby was published November 5th, 2019 by Minotaur Books. It's the tenth book in the Wine Country Mysteries 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: Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter

Jane Yellowrock, a shape-shifter, has retreated to the Appalachian Mountains not far from Asheville, NC. She’s sick and in serious pain from a magical cancer, but she can’t outrun danger. The younger Son of Darkness is after Jane because he wants some of the magical things she owns and a little revenge against the Queen of Darkness. He’s not above attacking and manipulating friends and acquaintances of Jane to get what he wants. Jane must find a suitable shape strong enough for her to fight him and his minions – one that has less of the magical cancer hopefully than her human form.

Shattered Bonds by Faith Hunter is the 13th book in the Jane Yellowrock series. It was published October 29th, 2019 by Ace.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It’s an action-packed adventure for Jane and company. Circumstances in the story test Jane’s limits. The Son of Darkness is a particularly nasty vampire. It gets kind of intense in parts. I found occasionally I had to put it down for a few minutes before I could return to the story. On the other hand, I stayed up most of the night to finish reading the book.

It still has the same snark and interactions between characters that we’ve grown to love. A good portion of the action is Jane-centered. And it mentions events that take place in the Soulwood series also by Faith Hunter. Some of the characters overlap between the two series.

I would recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy. It’s a must-read if you’ve been following Jane Yellowrock. I would not read this as a stand-alone. The events were set in motion in previous books. The series is definitely worth a read though.

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

Review: Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein

Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Ivy and her sisters have been brought up to keep the secret that their Great Aunt Maeve is really Adela Martin who wrote Ivory Apples. Maeve is a recluse hiding away from fans and refusing to answer their letters. Instead, the girls' father takes care of correspondence and business.

One day though while the girls are at the park, they meet Kate Burden. At first, all is fine, then Kate starts insinuating herself into their lives. Kate wants more than friendship. She wants something from Maeve. Something that Ivy already has.

The story takes some dark turns. Kate isn't the person she pretended to be. Ivy spends some time in despair. And magic of sorts is real.

Most of the book moves along at a good pace. There are a couple of spots where it is less show and more tell; and it slows the momentum. It is also a pretty dark fantasy. In some ways, it reminds me of The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert. Magic is real, but it's not for everyone. And it always has a price.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's good. It's well written except for a couple of slow spots. Kate is a good villain. And you will hope for the best for the girls. It's also so dark in a couple of places I had a little trouble reading on. It turned out to be a good October read. I'd recommend this book to fans of urban fantasy, magical realism, and dark fantasy.

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



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Teaser Tuesday: Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein

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!

A great forest stretched out in the distance, a forest I'd never seen or heard of before, and a mist lay over the tops of the trees, turning the leaves gray and the trunks the color of bone. More trees lined the shore, nodding to their reflections in the water; they had leaves of red and gold, the fiery colors of autumn, though it was still summer, as I said, and the leaves near Aunt Maeve's house were mostly green. (3% through on my Kindle) 

From Goodreads: Ivy and her sisters have a secret: their reclusive Great-Aunt is actually Adela Martin, inspired author of the fantasy classic, Ivory Apples. Generations of obsessive fans have searched for Adela, poring over her letters, sharing their theories online, and gathering at book conventions. It is just a matter of time before one fan gets too close.

So when the seemingly-perfect Kate Burden appears at the local park, Ivy knows that something isn’t right. Kate has charmed the entire family, but she is suspiciously curious about Ivory Apples. And Ivy must protect what she and her Great-Aunt share: magic that is real, untamable, and—despite anyone’s desire—always prefers choosing its own vessel.

Ivory Apples by Lisa Goldstein was published September 17th, 2019 by Tachyon Publications.

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!