The Poison Garden

Do you like psychological thrillers, suspense, and plenty of twists and turns? If yes, then my next read is for you! I recently read 'The Poison Garden' by A.J. Banner and it did not disappoint. I have read and loved every book that A.J. Banner has written. She is amazing at keeping you guessing until the very last page. It's wonderful!

'The Poison Garden' is a story about a woman named Elise who is struggling to figure out if she really ever knew her husband, after discovering some secrets about his life before their marriage. She catches him in some lies and acts of betrayal and those start her down the path of discovering who he is and what he has been hiding. Elise is a sleepwalker and that plays into the plot as well. What is she doing in the middle of the night and who else knows?  Her ex husband, her neighbor, and a few other minor characters all help to unravel this puzzle...but not too soon. I was so shocked by the ending! I should know better, though, A.J.'s books always leave me at a loss at the very end. 

I not only recommend this book by A.J. Banner, but also her other books- 'The Good Neighbor', 'The Twilight Wife', and 'After Nightfall'. You will not be disappointed! If you read any of these books, please let me know what you think! I was sent this advanced reader copy in exchange for my review. This book is currently available for pre-order and will be released on October 22, 2019. 

Happy reading, friends!

One Day In December

You guys, I am on a roll! Two blog posts in two days AND I have finished 4 books this week! This is so fun!

My latest book is 'One Day In December' by Josie Silver. I absolutely loved this book! It was funny and at times, cringe worthy. The story is about a woman named Laurie who sees a man from a bus window and is convinced that she has just experienced love at first sight. She feels very strongly that the man also felt the same connection, without ever speaking. She tells her best friend and roommate, Sarah, about him and they go on a year long search for "bus boy". He never turns up and she starts to try and move past the image of him and what could have been. Then Sarah brings home her new boyfriend the following Christmas....guess who?! Bus boy, AKA Jack, meets Laurie and instantly knows that is the women he saw on the bus a year ago. Neither of them say anything to Sarah and they both move forward trying to forget it. This book spans years in their lives and they all grow and change, as do their relationships. All the things that happen to the characters feel so real. The author did an outstanding job of making this realistic and plausible.

The vibe of this book was at times like Bridget Jones and at times, Notting Hill with a dash of My Best Friend's Wedding. It was just such a fun read. I whizzed right though it and was left wanting more.

I hope you get the chance to read this! Let me know what you think, if you do! This would be the perfect beach read!

Happy reading, friends!

Slacker Book Review Round Up

Holy moly! I have not blogged for awhile. Life. It happens. This post will be a little long as I attempt to review (probably briefly) 6 books. I don't feel like I have been that busy reading but I guess these all caught up to me. I do feel like I have found my way back to my reading mojo this past week or so. I am encouraged! That being said, here we go!

First up is, 'They Call Me the Cat Lady' by Amy Miller. I chose this book on a whim because of the fun title and description. I'm glad I did. It's a story about a quirky lady named Nancy Jones and her quiet and secluded life. She has a lot of cats, both inside her house and out, that she cares for. She doesn't let people get close to her for fear of letting down the walls she has built around her heart. Eventually, she meets people who help her see her life for what it is and what it could be. Huge changes and leaps of faith create a new reality for Nancy. No spoilers but I love how it ended. I know that I loved this book because of the ways that it reminded me of 'A Man Called Ove' and 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine'.

My next book, 'The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper' by Phaedra Patrick actually reminds me a lot of 'A Man Called Ove'. Arthur Pepper is a widow who has survived the first year after his beloved wife's death. He decides to finally take the step to clean out some of her belongings in the closet and donate them. As he is cleaning them out, he finds a charm bracelet that he has never seen before. He wonders what the charms meant to his wife and where she got them. So, he goes on an adventure to discover where they came from and why. The journey is not all fun and happiness, though. He learns a lot about his wife and the person she was before they met. As always, no spoilers. But if you are looking for a good read full of emotions and also humor, I suggest this!

'How To Walk Away' by Katherine Center was my next book. I had never read anything by this author either (new trend for me?) so I decided to give it a try. I absolutely loved this book! The main character, Margaret, was so funny! I laughed out loud in quite a few places as I read. The characters were all so relatable. The story opens with Margaret and her boyfriend heading out on a date that ends in a plane crash. She has a fear of flying, so naturally this doesn't end well. She ends up paralyzed and he walks away fine. The story revolves around her recovery and the new life she takes on. I really did not expect to like  this book as much as I did. I would have loved for it to become a series or even a two parter. But, we don't always have that luxury, do we? Anyway, I won't spoil anything for you but if you have a chance to read it, I suggest it! Also, if you read this, please tell me how much you loved Ian!

My next book was a new genre for me. I was browsing through the available books on my Libby app and this one caught my eye. It was 'All You Can Ever Know: A Memoir' by Nicole Chung. This book is about Nichole's life and the story of her adoption. When she is pregnant with her first child, she decides to finally take the initiative and find out about her birth family. An idea she has thought about doing for some time, but never wanted to actually do, for fear of hurting her adoptive parents or finding out something that may not be what she was looking for. I have no ties to adoption at all but this book intrigued me. I really enjoyed the way that Nichole told her story and how easy it was to follow the time lines of her life. I don't give away how books end, but this one ended on a happy note, which made me glad. Because this was a memoir and not fiction, I felt like there was more of a connection to the people in the story. That was a new thing for me! I recommend this if you are looking for something just a little different than your normal read.

Is there anyone else out there that completely loved 'Me Before You' by Jojo Moyes? I fell hard for that book. Louisa and Will are two of my favorite characters. I struggled with the second book in the series, 'After You'. I think it was because I was missing Will and also it seemed to go much slower for me. So, I have been dragging my feet for over a year about reading 'Still Me'. I am so, so glad I did. I felt like Louisa was more herself in this book. Which I guess is fitting since it's the story of her finding her own way, figuring out who she is, and what she really wants out of life. This book left me wanting more from this series. I want to know what she does next! In this book, Louisa moves to New York City to become a personal assistant to a very wealthy lady. She is dragged through the ringer trying to do her job. Reading about how the ultra rich live is always fun and also sad to me. Louisa's spunk and humor are the best. She is just such a fun character to read. I loved the friends she made in this book but I also loved that some of my favorites from the previous books made appearances also. Ultimately, the story ended in a really great way and I can't imagine it being done any other way. If you haven't read the series, I highly suggest it. Grab the tissues before you start reading tough. the emotions are real!

My last review for today is on 'The Upside of Falling Down' by Rebekah Crane. I wasn't sure what book to read next so I started looking around my Amazon Prime for free books that may spark my interest. This book was so funny! I'm glad I decided to take a chance on it. The story starts off with the main character, Clementine, waking up in the hospital, the sole survivor of a plane crash over Ireland. She has no memory of what happened or who she is. She assumes the name Jane and escapes the hospital with a man named Kieran. She hides away trying to avoid her dad, the press, and her fear of what her future will be like if she never regains her memory. How the story unfolds is really quite funny. I truly enjoyed this book! It's also a very quick read, just shy of 250 pages. If you are in the mood for something quick and light, try this one out!

So, lesson learned- do not wait so long to blog about books. Ha! I am super happy I got this post done today though. I have been thinking about it a lot the past week but I just never found the time to sit and type out my thoughts. School is winding down for the year which means I am almost done with work. Which also means I will have more time to read and also to review. That makes me happy!

I really appreciate each of you who reads this blog. This is such a fun outlet for me to talk about the things that I love! Thanks for hanging in there while I was away for so long- I am hoping to not have that long of an absence again!

As always, get in touch with me if you want to discuss these books (or others!) . I would love to hear your thoughts on these after you have read them. Happy reading, friends!!

Deborah Harkness Series Review

I love book series. I especially love book series that keep me wanting more! In February I started the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness and immediately fell in love. I have waited this long to review any of the books because I also read a stand alone by her, with a lot of the same characters in it. Reviewing these books all together felt like the right thing to do since the transition from book to book was so seamless.  I read somewhere that these books were like Twilight and Harry Potter mixed and that is exactly what I felt like they were! I loved them!

The first book in the series is called 'A Discovery of Witches'. It follows Diana Bishop, a historian and professor, in her quest to find a missing book that happens to be magical. She also discovers her powers as a witch and learns more about herself and her family history throughout the series. She meets Matthew Clairmont who happens to be a vampire. They set off together to find Ashmole 782, a historical text that all magical creatures are searching for, thinking that it holds the secret to life. Matthew and Diana race around the globe and encounter many creatures, both friends and enemies. By the end of the book they are inching closer to finding out the secrets of Ashmole 782 but there is a lot that stands in their way. Not surprising, they fall in love through the course of this book. I love a little romance mixed with historical aspects. Add a dash of magic and I'm happy! 

The second book in the series is 'Shadow of Night'. It starts out with Matthew and Diana time traveling back to Elizabethan London (my favorite!) in search of witches who can help her learn and harness her powers. They realize the success of finding Ashmole 782 lies in Diana's abilities. Her parents had spellbound her as a young child, before they were killed, so Diana never knew the extent of her powers. I loved all of the historical characters and places that were featured in this book. I have a deep love for historical fiction so this book really grabbed hold of me. I loved how Diana learned more about her powers and her family. I adored the love story between her and Matthew. Not only did they learn about each other's pasts and Diana's magical abilities, but they also learned how to create a life they love and can carry into present day. They have become two of my very favorite fictional characters. This book was so hard to put down- I spent an entire day reading it from cover to cover. (My family is super awesome for giving me a day to nerd out!)

In the third book, 'The Book of Life', Diana and Matthew are back in present day, armed with knowledge and power to find Ashmole 782. They go up against some of Matthew's family and Diana's past to forge through every kind of struggle you can imagine. Finding Ashmole 782 and learning its secrets are vitally important not only to Diana and Matthew, but to other creatures as well. Creatures with evil intentions. I won't spoil anything, of course, so I will stop there. Just know that the suspense is real in this book! I could hardly put it down at times as real life got in the way of reading. Deborah Harkness is a wonderful storyteller who knows how to create such an amazing magical connection to our own reality. 

Lastly, the stand alone book 'Time's Convert'. This book has a lot of the same characters that are in the trilogy but also introduces some new ones as well. This book focuses on Marcus MacNeil, one of Matthew's "sons" from the previous books. It is his story of his life before he met Matthew and how he became a vampire. Again, the story has a lot of historical fiction, as it takes place during both the American Revolution and present day, where Marcus and his love, Phoebe Taylor go through the process of making her a vampire as well. Phoebe chooses life as a vampire and goes through the process to become one. Meanwhile, Marcus must stay away for 90 days until Phoebe is no longer in her newborn phase. There are a lot of rules and traditions that take place and in the midst of them all, we learn all about Marcus and his personal history. I enjoyed this book, but not as much as the trilogy. I think it boils down to the American Revolution. It does not hold my interest as much as other time periods and historical events. I did love learning about Marcus and I loved reading more about the Clairmont family. 

I'm not even sure if this review does any of these books justice. If anything, I hope I have caught your attention to at least try it out. I hope that if you do,  you will tell me what you think. For me, this series will be one that I read again and again. I just love when you find books that become favorites!

Happy reading!

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Last week I read 'The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle' by Stuart Turton. It has taken me a few days to get around to reviewing it because life happens and also I'm not entirely sure how to put into words what I read. Ha! The book was really good and I gave it a 5 star review on Goodreads but it confused me so much at times!

So, let's see if I can do it any justice at all. The story is about a man, Aiden, who is caught in a time loop to try to figure out who killed Evelyn Hardcastle on the night of a party at Blackheath. The catch is that Aiden wakes up in the body of a different party guest each day. Then he has to figure out who he is that day and how they might be able to help figure out who the killer is. He is given eight days and eight hosts to try and solve the crime.

Not long after he wakes up on the first day, Aiden is met by a person dressed as an old plague doctor, mask and all. He gives him clues of what to do and how to navigate this task he has been given. If Aiden can tell the "plague doctor" who the killer is by the eighth day, he is free to go back to his life. The only problem is he doesn't remember his life or how he got to Blackheath. As he goes along, Aiden realizes this may not be possible but he doesn't give up. All of his hosts know something that the previous one didn't. Aiden figures out a way to start keep tabs on hosts that can help him later and also how to give himself clues on what is coming next or progress that he made. This was the most confusing part for me. I lost track of what was going on so many times, I often had to reread to know what was happening in the story. That's not a bad thing, it's just not what I am used to. I told my husband that I hated not knowing who the killer was and being able to figure it out early on, as I am able to do most of the time. That was a great challenge for me!

As always, I don't like spoilers or even clues that can help you figure out what happens in the end. I will say this- if you love books with suspense and mystery, this is definitely for you. It is also great if you enjoy a good murder mystery or anything that involves time travel. This book basically covers a ton of likes and genres. Ha! For a debut novel, that is pretty good!

Look this book up if you are in the mood for something just a little bit different. If you do read it, let me know what you thought!

Happy reading!

The Library of Lost and Found

I recently finished 'The Library of Lost and Found' by Phaedra Patrick and really loved it. The story is about a librarian named Martha Storm and a mysterious gift she receives. When a book of stories that she had written with her deceased grandmother surfaces, Martha sets off to figure out who left it, who wrote it, and why the dedication to her, from her grandmother, is dated after she was already dead.

Martha Storm spends her life trying to help others, while her own life falls to shambles around her. Yet, she keeps going. At times, I cringed at how hard she tries to please the people in her life. I suppose we all have those moments, whether we care to admit them or not. As the story goes along, Martha discovers who she really is and what she should be doing with her life. She does this all while finding the missing pieces of her past that she sometimes didn't even know were there. The cast of characters in this book is so fun. Eccentric co-workers, domineering sister, care free grandmother, and an overly confident bookseller to name a few. I feel like a lot of people can relate to at least one of the characters in this book. They are all quirky in their own ways and it was the perfect mix of personalities. The story is funny, heartwarming, and a bit sad. There are a few pretty emotional topics that Phaedra touches on, but they are an absolute must in order to know Martha's full story.


The story goes back and forth between Martha's childhood and present day and I felt like the transitions were really easy. Sometimes, flash back stories feel disconnected but it wasn't in this case. 

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I can safely say I will recommend this book to my friends. I will also be looking for other books by Phaedra Patrick to read since I enjoyed this one so much. If you are in the mood for something light and fun to read, I highly suggest you try this one out! This book is available for purchase on March 26, 2019.

 Happy reading!

A Lily in the Light

Over the past weekend, I finished my seventeenth book of this year. I got 'A Lily in the Light' by Kristin Fields from Amazon as my March Kindle First Read choice. If you aren't familiar with Kindle First Reads, it's really a cool opportunity. Each month, Amazon chooses a handful of books that are set to come out the following month and offers them free or for $1.99 (depending on your Prime account) to read and be able to review before they are released. You can choose one book a month at the discounted price but are free to buy the others at their regular list price. I have loved choosing a book each month and one of my good friends and I often compare notes an discuss them together.

I really enjoyed this book, even though the story was really heavy at times. The story revolves around a family and how their lives change when the youngest child goes missing. I initially chose it because it sounded like a good mystery but I was pretty surprised by how it was more about what happens in the wake of a horrific family event and the grief that follows the characters around, years afterwards. It was very moving to read about the day to day struggles that the characters had as a result of this incident and I truly cannot imagine going through that myself. The way that Kristin writes is very forward and tangible. The emotions were raw and also incredibly vibrant at the same time.

I don't like spoilers for books (or movies) so that is all I want to say about the book. But, if you can get yourself a copy of it, I would highly recommend it.