Happy Book Birthday to Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd

 

We wish a Happy Book Birthday to Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd. It's the first in a new cozy series from Atria Books.

From the publisher:

From Jess Kidd, the bestselling author of Things in Jars who “is so good it isn’t fair” (Erika Swyler, nationally bestselling author), the first in a cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears.

I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret.

1954: When her former novice’s dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda’s letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent.

A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it’s time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind.

I've been waiting for this one to come out. I'm interested in how the sleuth will be written. And I'm wondering who all has the dark past they are trying to leave behind. This looks like a very promising series. It's on the TBR and review will follow.

Book Review: Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

 

From the publisher:

A woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia, where a conjuring meant to protect the community may have summoned something sinister in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother’s spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva’s magic may have conjured something far more sinister.

As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn’t leave behind.

My thoughts: I enjoyed the book. One of the things I liked about it is that the story was told from more than one perspective. Some chapters were from Lee's point of view and others from her daughter Meredith's  or another character. It was easy to follow the transitions since each chapter was labelled clearly. I also liked that it was four generations that were involved in the story.

All of the characters were very human. They  had their flaws and their strengths. Most of them had a strong family connection as well as a connection with the land. There were traditions for passing on the knowledge of the magic too.

Plot wise, I thought the story moved along at a good pace. I read it pretty fast because I wanted to know what would happen next. There was a twist towards the end of the book that surprised me, but worked pretty well.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written, but has minor faults just as the characters do. I don't want to go into detail because it would create spoilers. The book is definitely worth a read. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy witchy stories and magical realism. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.

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

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer was released August 6, 2024 from Atria Books.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #502: My Mother Cursed My Name by Anamely Salgado Reyes

 

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:

Three generations of fiercely strong and stubborn Mexican American women face grief head-on as they attempt to shed generational trauma and discover the true meaning of home in this lyrical novel that features magical realism in the tradition of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina and The House of the Spirits.

For generations, the Olivares women have sought to control their daughters’ destinies, starting with their names. In life, Olvido constantly clashed with her carefree daughter. Then teenage Angustias discovered she was pregnant and left her mother’s home in search of her own. Ten years later, Felicitas finally meets her estranged grandmother and is terribly disappointed when Olvido is nothing like a grandmother should be. She is strict, cold, and…dead.

Now, Olvido is convinced the only way her spirit will cross over is if she resolves her unfinished business—to make sure Angustias is in a better place regarding family, job, husband, and God, but maybe not in that order—and Felicitas is the only person who can see or hear her. Heartbroken about her mother’s passing and desperate to put Olvido’s tiny Texas home in her rearview mirror as quickly as possible, Angustias doesn’t understand why suddenly everyone in town seems to be conspiring to set her up with every eligible bachelor in town, offer her jobs, and invite her and Felicitas to church every Sunday.

As Olvido attempts to puppeteer her granddaughter to “fix” Angustias’s life from beyond the grave, Angustias tries desperately to find a better place for Felicitas, and Felicitas struggles to keep her ability to see the dead a secret from Angustias, all three Olivares girls are forced to learn how to actually listen to one another, to work to overcome generations’ worth of well-intentioned mistakes and learn the true definition of home.

My Mother Cursed My Name by Anamely Salgado Reyes is expected out July 30th, 2024 from Atria Books.

Why am I waiting on this book: I like stories with magical realism. I like the multigenerational aspect of this one as well. I want to know what happens to the three main characters.

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 TBR lists.Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #485: Strange Folk by Alli Dyer

 

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: A woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia and must embrace her own power to protect her family and community when a conjuring goes too far in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva’s world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother’s spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva’s magic may have summoned something dark.

As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn’t leave behind.

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer is expected to be released August 6th, 2024 from Atria Books.

Why am I waiting on it? I like the comparison to Alice Hoffman. I like books set in Appalachia. Lee sounds like an interesting character thrown into an interesting predicament. I want to know what happens to her and her family and community.

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: Succulent Wild Woman by SARK

 

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 richly connected by our stories.

Telling stories through letters, journals, books, by computer, or on the phone are all ways to connect with other creative souls.

Tell more stories! 

Your stories can teach, uplift, remind, give permission, reassure, inspire, give strength, allow humor. (p. 135)

Succulent Wild Woman : Dancing with Your Wonder-Full Self  by SARK was recently published in a 25th anniversary edition by Atria Books. The teasers come from that 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!

Book Review: Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

 

From the publisher: 

Meet Leda Foley: devoted friend, struggling travel agent, and inconsistent psychic. When Leda, sole proprietor of Foley's Flights of Fancy, impulsively re-books Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt’s flight, her life changes in ways she couldn’t have predicted.

After watching his original plane blow up from the safety of the airport, Grady realizes that Leda’s special abilities could help him with a cold case he just can’t crack.

Despite her scattershot premonitions, she agrees for a secret reason: her fiancé’s murder remains unsolved. Leda’s psychic abilities couldn’t help the case several years before, but she’s been honing her skills and drawing a crowd at her favorite bar’s open-mic nights, where she performs Klairvoyant Karaoke—singing whatever song comes to mind when she holds people’s personal effects. Now joined by a rag-tag group of bar patrons and pals alike, Leda and Grady set out to catch a killer—and learn how the two cases that haunt them have more in common than they ever suspected.

My Thoughts: 

I like the characters in the book, especially Leda and Grady. I like that they have a platonic working relationship. Leda also has good chemistry with her BFF Niki. The two women share a good sense of humor and nice banter. 

I also like that while Leda gets psychic clues, she isn't handed all the answers on a plate. She and Grady have to figure out what things mean. The Klairvoyant Karaoke is a cute way to show off her abilities.

The investigation moves along nicely. It follows a natural progression. There is an action sequence at one point that's nicely done.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. If you like your mysteries with a touch of the paranormal, it's worth reading. It's a good first book in a new series.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Teaser Tuesday: Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

 

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!

It had unnerved him, seeing what living alone could do to a man. He could wind up in a split level, surrounded by tiny, yippy dogs who were constantly trying to tunnel out to freedom like fuzzy little prisoners of war. If it’d happened to Jim after his wife had died, it could happen to anybody. (44% through on my Kindle)

Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest was published October 26th, 2021 by Atria 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!

Book Review: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

 

From the publisher: 

The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—not for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed into a ceiba tree, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings and powers. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, her descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Cordóva was published September 7th, 2021 by Atria Books.

My thoughts: 

This book is a wonderful piece of magical realism. Magic happens in the characters lives and they accept it as normal. It starts with how they receive their invitations to receive their inheritances and grows from there. It's very well done.

The point of view switches among characters. In the case of Orquídea, it also alternates between her past and present. I had no problem following whose eyes we were looking through at any particular time. 

The characters themselves are intriguing. And it was interesting to watch how they dealt with their inheritances and the danger when it presented itself. For some there is an outward sign of the inheritance. And I think all of them undergo some kind of transformation even if it only affects their world view.

The story is beautifully told. Overall I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy magical realism, you will probably enjoy this book. 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.