The Library of the Dead
By T.L. Huchu
Week of April 5th, 2021
Book Review:
Hollow Kingdom
By Kira Jane Buxton
Every once in a blue moon a book comes along that makes you want, no, not want, need to scream its praises from the rooftops. Hollow Kingdom is one such book. Read this book!
Buxton starts her story off with a unique enough concept: what would a domesticated crow make of a human zombie apocalypse?
*See my full review...
Week of March 29th, 2021
Book Review:
Nameless
(6-Book Series)
By Dean Koontz
When it came to Dean Koontz’s Nameless, I opted for the Audible version, which is a compilation of six short stories. Edoardo Ballerini did a fantastic job of narrating this collection of stories revolving around a man with no name.
The beauty of the Audible version of Nameless was how Ballerini’s narration enhanced the atmosphere.
*See my full review...
Week of March 22nd, 2021
Book Review:
Heroes
By Stephen Fry
Sometimes you just know that a book is exactly what you want and need. Stephen Fry’s narration of his own book, Heroes, hit the spot.
This wasn’t a book about creating something new, a unique story unlike anything people have read before. Stephen Fry created nothing new. This was a book of presentation and Fry’s presentation of these well-known stories was immaculate.
*See my full review...
Week of March 15th, 2021
Book Review:
Bubba Ho-Tep
By Joe R. Lansdale
Now this is what a short story is supposed to be!
Lansdale kept it simple and shocking with Bubba Ho-Tep. Two protagonists and some real toilet bowl humor. I laughed my whole way through this story.
The concept was brilliant. I won’t get into the details, that’s for the synopsis, or I would spoil the whole thing.
*See my full review...
Week of March 8th, 2021
I love a good archaeological adventure; they always bring me back to my dreams of being Indiana Jones: pursued through the jungle while recovering a long-lost talisman from the past. These stories allow for all of the convenience and setting of a modern story with a connection to our past. The Lost Spear brings us back to the world of Genghis Khan.
*See my full review...
Week of March 1st, 2021
Book Review:
The Scarred Woman
By Jussi Adler-Olsen
I’ve now completed book seven in the Department Q series, it really speaks to the strength of Adler-Olsen’s characters that I’m still so invested in the series; I find all too often with a series that it will go stale over time, but these characters are continually refreshed, with back-ground secrets still just around the next turn.
*See my full review...
Week of February 22nd, 2021
Book Review:
The Sanatorium
By Sarah Pearse
The Sanatorium had all the makings of a great story: an isolated location with a serial killer on the loose, a broken detective trying to put herself back together again, more suspects than you can shake a stick at. Unfortunately, I felt nothing.
*See my full review...
Week of February 16th, 2021
New Release:
The Minders
By John Marrs
In the 21st century, information is king. But computers can be hacked and files can be broken into - so a unique government initiative has been born. Five ordinary people have been selected to become Minders - the latest weapon in thwarting cyberterrorism. Transformed by a revolutionary medical procedure, the country's most classified information has been taken offline....
*Read more...
Week of February 8th, 2021
Book Review:
Lore
By Alexandra Bracken
With a gaggle of Greek gods and comparisons to some fantastic YA stories, Lore looked like it was written for someone just like me.
It’s funny how on paper a book can look like a perfect fit, but once you get into it something strange happens: it doesn’t work, you get annoyed at things, you find yourself saying, “That wouldn’t happen!”
*See my full review...
Week of February 1st, 2021
Book Review:
Darling Rose Gold
By Stephanie Wrobel
Some books are adventure stories, more about the “what” than the “who.” I love immersing myself in the adventure, the action and all that goes along with that; but there is something special about stories that revolve solely around the interaction of characters. It takes a talented author who can keep their audience captivated without distracting them with all of the action. Stephanie Wrobel did exactly that!
*See my full review...
Week of January 25th, 2021
Book Review:
We Hear Voices
By Evie Green
We Hear Voices piqued my interest with the mysterious imaginary friend. Where does it come from? What is it? How bad will it get? These are all questions that came to my mind when I read the synopsis of We Hear Voices.
I’ve never read (or listened to) a story that needed a disclaimer like this one.
*See my full review...
Week of January 18th, 2021
Book Review:
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
By George R.R. Martin
Like many other readers, I have been waiting for Martin to return to Westeros, back to the world of the Targaryan’s, Lannister’s and Stark’s. I’m going to assume that you want to return to this world as well; if you have not read A Song of Ice and Fire up to A Dance with Dragons and you have never seen the series, you may find a few spoilers here.
*See my full review...
Week of January 11th, 2021
New Release:
Cruel Summer
By Wesley Southard
Genre: Horror
Melissa Braun is a broken woman. Only wanting what’s best for her family, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to mend her fractured relationship with her abusive boyfriend. In a last ditch effort, she hopes the sun and sand of a much-needed Florida vacation will bring them and her son closer together...
*Read more...
Week of January 4th, 2021
Book Review:
Red Hands
By Christopher Golden
I find myself in a bit of a catch 22 with this book. This is book three in the Ben Walker series. If you don’t know Ben Walker, he is a government agent / scientist / special forces type. The adventures I’ve shared with him include unearthing Noah’s Ark on the side of Mount Ararat in Turkey and opening Pandora’s Box in a buried city in Iraq.
*See my full review...
Week of December 28th, 2020
Well, 2020 is coming to an end…it has been a remarkable year. Tough year of reading for myself. Even with my Audibles on my daily commute, my reading is down. I found the distractions to be numerous, I’ve watched more press conferences in the past ten months than I have in my entire life prior to the pandemic. This is time that I should have been reading.
*See my list of top books of 2020...
Week of April 12/21
Mattie can't remember a time before she and William lived alone on a mountain together. She must never make him upset. But when Mattie discovers the mutilated body of a fox in the woods, she realizes that they’re not alone after all.
There’s something in the woods that wasn’t there before, something that makes strange cries in the night, something with sharp teeth and claws...
This week's list of new
releases is posted.
Let's read!
Have you ever read a book
that you didn’t want to put
down, but you knew that if
you kept reading it, it would
be over sooner, and you
didn’t want it to end? That’s
how I felt with Close
Enough to Touch. When
I wasn’t reading it, all I did
was think about the story
and the characters and wish
that I was curled up
somewhere reading it. I kept eyeing my Kindle, checking to see how much time I had left in the book. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to the characters. I could have easily read another three hundred or so pages. Yes, it was that good!
New Releases!
- Not Pretending Anymore – By Penelope Ward & Vi Keeland – Roommate romance!
Finding a good roommate through a classified ad isn’t as easy as it sounds.
I was starting to lose hope.
Until a knock at my door came and God answered my prayers.
Except…uh…wrong prayer, God.
I’d definitely requested the big guy find me a drop-dead gorgeous man on more than one occasion...just not as my roommate.
Declan Tate talked me into interviewing him anyway.
While he was amusing and charismatic, I wouldn’t have been comfortable living with a man, so I regretfully declined.
Then cupcakes showed up at my door—freshly baked by Declan and just as sinfully delicious as he was.
You could say he was persistent.
I eventually folded. It wasn’t like I had another viable candidate anyway.
Plus, I was interested in someone else. And Declan was into another woman. So it wasn’t like anything would happen romantically.
After he moved in, the two of us became the best of friends. We even started to give each other advice on getting our crushes to notice us.
Eventually, Declan concocted an idea: we should pretend to be a couple to make our love interests jealous.
I was hesitant, but went along with it anyway. To my utter shock, his crazy plan worked.
Now I was dating the supposed man of my dreams, and my best friend had the woman of his.
But there was one problem.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Declan.
Those feelings we were trying to fake?
Yeah…I wasn’t pretending anymore.
- All I Need (All of Me Duet #2) – By A.D. Justice
- Cocky Cruiser: A Hero Club Novel – By Nikki Sparxx
Releasing on April 13th!
- Second First Impressions – By Sally Thorne
Dazzle (n): Brightness that blinds someone temporarily.
Position Vacant: Two ancient old women residing at Providence Retirement Villa seek male assistant for casual exploitation and good-natured humiliation. Duties include boutique shopping, fast-food fetching, and sincerely rendered flattery. Good looks a bonus—but we aren’t picky.
An advertisement has been placed (again!) by the wealthy and eccentric Parloni Sisters. The salary is generous and the employers are 90 years old, so how hard could the job be? Well, none have lasted longer than a week. Most boys leave in tears.
Ruthie Midona will work in Providence’s front office, and be at the Parloni’s beck and call, forever. That’s sort of her life plan. If Ruthie can run the place in her almost-retired bosses’ absence, with no hijinks/hiccups, she has a shot at becoming the new manager. She might also be able to defend her safe little world from Prescott Development, the new buyer of the prime site. Maybe after all that, she can find a cute guy to date. All she needs to do is stay serious—and that’s what she does best.
Until, one day, someone dazzling blows in to town.
Teddy Prescott devotes his life to sleeping, tattooing, and avoiding seriousness. When Teddy needs a place to crash, he makes a deal with his developer dad. Teddy can stay in one of Providence’s on-site maintenance cottages—right next door to an unimpressed Ruthie—but only if he works there and starts to grow up.
Ruthie knows how this sweetly selfish rich boy can earn his keep—and be out of her hair in under a week. After all, there is a position vacant…
- The Good Sister – By Sally Hepworth - Thriller!
There's only been one time that Rose couldn't stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be...dangerous.
When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.
Fern's mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.
- My One Night (On My Own #1) – By Carrie Ann Ryan
Elise Hoover never expected this. She didn't want to go to another party, but when her friend pulls her in, she somehow finds herself hiding in a corner with...him. Dillon Connolly. The smirking, so-called good guy with the shadows in his eyes. A single glance, a sweet smile, and she lets herself have one night of giving in. Only she has to promise herself not to fall in love. No matter the cost.
Dillon never expected her. Elise haunts his dreams more than he cares to admit. He never thought he stood a chance--until she said yes. When a single night turns to two, he know he's in over his head, but somehow, she makes him believe he can have anything. Until the sun rises, and his past along with it. He thought he'd run from the problems that could hurt them both, but now he's falling for her and he can't stop. He knows he doesn't deserve her, but now he has to fight to keep her...or save her from himself.
- Bombshells – By Sarina Bowen
This is my last chance to ditch my playboy reputation and finally fulfill my potential. So I’ve made three rules for our biggest season yet: no boozing, no women, and no scandals.
Especially that last thing.
So who do I befriend on the very first day back at the rink? An amazing female hockey player. I want Sylvie in a way that’s more than just friendly. I crave her. But I have a championship to win, and so does she.
Then she gets her heart broken by my teammate, and I make the foolish mistake of comforting her in the best way I know how. Our night together sets off a string of sins.
Nobody can know about our affair, especially my overprotective teammate. I can’t let anyone see into my greedy little heart. Not even her.
The things I want from her, and the things we’ve already done? If anyone knew, there’d be bombshells.
- Near the Bone – By Christina Henry – Horror/Thriller!
- Mr. Smithfield – By Louise Bay
Wanted: American nanny for an adorable four-year old. Must be able to handle a moody, brooding, sexy British boss.
I'm a single father, a lawyer and some say the most serious man in London. I'm completely focused on raising my four-year-old daughter.
Since my wife walked out three years ago, the only woman who has ever caught my eye is the strictly off-limits sister-in-law of my best friend, Autumn Lumen.
But temptation is easy to resist because Autumn is only visiting London from Oregon.
Until she moves to London. The nanny quits. And she's the only woman for the job.
- Every Time I Fall – By Lexi Ryan
- Devil’s Lair (Molotov Obsession 1) – By Anna Zaires – Dark/Mafia romance!
- Hot Copy – By Ruby Barrett – Office romance!
Corrine Blunt knows what people think of her—she’s an icy, unapproachable executive. It’s the price she’s had to pay to get to the top. But there’s knowing you have a reputation in the office, and there’s hearing your new intern laugh when someone calls you “Blunt the C*nt” in the elevator on his first day.
She’d hoped to finally find an ally in Wesley Chambers, but she’s not about to let him off the hook for joining the office boys’ club. Taking refuge in the professional boundaries between them, she relegates Wes to assistant work—which would do the trick, if he weren’t so eager to prove he’s a decent human being.
Wes is sincerely apologetic, insisting it was a misunderstanding, and to her surprise, Corrine believes him. Being forced to work together was one thing, but long hours at the office with what turns out to be a kind, thoughtful man soon has their business relationship turning personal, and things get complicated—fast. Could this be something more serious than either of them dared to hope for? Or is their relationship just playing into the harmful power dynamics Corrine’s had to endure her entire career?
- A Battle of Blood and Stone (Chronicles of the Stone Veil #4) – By Sawyer Bennett
- The Glass Slipper: A Cinderella Novel – By K. Webster
- When the Stars Go Dark – By Paula McLain
Anna Hart is a seasoned missing persons detective in San Francisco with far too much knowledge of the darkest side of human nature. When unspeakable tragedy strikes her personal life, Anna, desperate and numb, flees to the Northern California village of Mendocino. She spent summers there as a child with her beloved grandparents, and now she believes it might be the only place left for her to heal. Yet the day she arrives, she learns a local teenage girl has gone missing. Anna is in no condition to become involved with the search--until a childhood friend, now the village sheriff, pleads for her help.
Then, just days later, a twelve-year-old girl is abducted from her home. The crimes feel frighteningly reminiscent of the most crucial time in Anna's childhood, when a string of unsolved murders touched Mendocino. As past and present collide, Anna realizes that she has been led to this moment. The most difficult lessons of her life have given her insight into how victims come into contact with violent predators. As Anna becomes obsessed with these missing girls, she must learn that true courage means getting out of her own way and learning to let others in.
- Broderick (Sabine Valley #2) – By Katee Robert
- Kobe, Bad Blood (Blood Roses #1) – By Danielle Norman
Releasing Later This Week!
- April 15 – Falling Out of Hate with You (The Hate-Love Duet #1) – By Lauren Rowe
I’ve tried to like Adrian Savage, the mercurial frontman for Fugitive Summer, while serving as his band’s opening act on tour. We’re stuck together for three months, after all. And I’m well aware I’m lucky to be here.
But it’s proved impossible. He’s far too rude and dismissive a guy to get along with. And way too good at getting under my skin. In fact, at this point, I think it’s fair to say I downright hate his guts.
Global thirst trap that he is, though, I’m finding it extremely difficult not to want to jump Savage’s bones, despite how much he infuriates me. I hate myself for it. But my body is going rogue on me. It doesn’t matter, though. I’m determined to resist him.
In fact, what I’ve decided is that, as long as I’m here and stuck with him, I’m not only going to give Savage the sound tongue lashing nobody else around here has the balls to deliver, I’m going to bring that bad boy to his knees.
- April 15 – For the Love of Easton – By A.M. Hargrove - Sequel to For the Love of English.
- April 16 – The Virgin Rule Book (Rules of Love #1) – By Lauren Blakely
- April 16 – The Love Interest – By Kayley Loring – Slow burn/Age Gap/ Professor-Student romance!
Happy Reading!
What he's reading!
What she's reading!
Greg's Dailyish Blog
Shelley's Daily Blog
2 Book Lovers Reviews
How Sweet It Is
By Dylan Newton
Week of April 12/21
