How to Survive Your Murder - Danielle Valentine

How to Survive Your Murder is new from YA author Danielle Valentine. 

Okay, if you're a fan of slasher and teen horror movies, you're going to want to pick up this one. There are so many references to 90's film culture that I recognized or knew. 

Alice and her sister Claire go to a high school Hallowe'en party held at....wait for it....a cornfield. (What's rule one? Stay out of the cornfield and look out for chainsaws!) Well, Claire ignored that caveat and died. A year has passed and Alice is attending the trial of the killer. She is the lone witness - and the Final Girl. And then there's a Cinderella moment - Alice is knocked out and when she wakes, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer.

At first I wasn't totally sold on the Cinderella twist, but I quickly changed my mind and embraced it. There's a lot of leeway afforded to the plot with that twist. But best of all, the ropes keep coming and the choices for whodunit change rapidly. 

Valentine's dialogue and depiction of high school life, relationships, romance, teen culture and more rings true. (At least they do from my experience. ;0) 

And that ending? Did not see that coming! There's a couple of ways it could be interpreted and personally I would have liked a less nebulous finale. But I applaud the last page twist.

With Hallowe'en in the near future, this would be a perfect (and fun) seasonal read! See for yourself - read an excerpt  of How to Survive Your Murder. Just remember - stay out of the corn maze....or basement.....or check your backseat or....

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe - Jenny Bayliss

I can hear it now....A Christmas book? So early?! Well, technically, Christmas is only 92 days from today! Jenny Bayliss's latest book is Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.

Elinor (Nory) Noel is the lead character in this novel, but she is one of a large cast of players. There's a core of old school friends reuniting for a wedding. The wedding is taking place at the castle in the village. Many of those who live in the village are also part of that supporting cast.

There's a lot of baggage with this group - and I'm not talking suitcases. There's still a line between the haves and the have nots, after so long. Themes of friendship, duty, love, loss, family and more all bubble up to the surface over the week as old wounds, slights and hurts and more see daylight again. 

Nory is very likable as are her family, closest friend and her employee Andrew. Andrew and Nory work in Nory's second hand book store. I appreciated her love of second hand books and her ability to find just the right book for a reader. Definitely a store I would be frequenting!

On the flip side, there are some of the 'old gang' that are not so attractive. The bridezilla grew a bit tiresome. And there's one male characters that is truly horrible. I get that there always needs a negative player, but his behaviour is tolerated more than once, when I would be calling the local constabulary. 

'Nuff said.

I'm sure you'll guess the romantic thread if I mention that the castle has a handsome, single gardener on the payroll... I did enjoy this bit of the plot and thought it played out well.

Meet Me Under the Mistletoe weighs in at 432 pages, which is quite long for this genre. I do think things could have pared down a bit. I've enjoyed Bayliss's books in the past. This one didn't grab me like those previous novels. It became somewhat repetitive. And I think that one male character's actions and the response left a sour taste in my mouth. 

While the title promises a Christmas read, it's not as Christmassy as I expected - if that makes sense. 

See for yourself - read an excerpt of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe.

The Wish - Nicholas Sparks

Get out your tissue box - Nicholas Sparks' new book, The Wish, has just released!

Do you remember your first love? Was it just a high school fling or the real thing? In 1995 for sixteen year old Maggie Dawes, Bryce Trickett was the real deal. 

It's now December 2019 and Maggie finds herself grounded in the gallery she runs. A sobering medical diagnosis has her reliving and recounting her past to the young man who is her assistant.

The past takes us to the North Carolina island of Okracoke - a real place I would love to visit. It is here that Maggie goes to live with her aunt and finish up her school year. She's fallen behind, so Bryce is hired as her tutor... Uh huh, they become friends and more. Sparks does a great job building the relationship in a thoughtful, caring manner. And it was easy to see how the two fell in love. The setting is absolutely wonderfully drawn as well. The supporting cast on the island are people you'd want to have in your own life - Aunt Linda especially. 

Sparks flips the narrative from past to present, with Maggie's story slowly coming to light. And just when you're totally caught up in either past or present, the time frame changes. A guaranteed way to keep me up late turning pages. Now, the present is not a static time. Christmas is around the corner and Maggie and Mark decorate and take in events and experiences, many of them based on Maggie's memories of Okracoke. Which made me want to start decorating already!

Now, you just know that Sparks is going to play on your emotions - and yes, I bawled my eyes out in the last few chapters. And I was pretty sure I knew what the final pages (and I was right.) But, I really enjoyed the journey there. Heartwarming and heartbreaking. 

Sparks is a consummate story teller and this newest only confirms that. See for yourself - read an excerpt of The Wish.

Happy New Year!

Well, it's been a year like no other for me. Here's hoping that we turn the corner in 2021. In the meantime, be kind to yourself and each other - and safe. Books continue to be my escape and in particular, audio books. Keep calm and read on.....

Happy New Year!

'Twas The Night Before Christmas - Clement Clarke Moore

" 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

I know Christmas is going to look much different this year. 

I hope you're able to connect with family is some way while staying safe. 

Wishing you health and happiness in the New Year.

Luanne

Happy, Merry, Joyful...

However you celebrate, I wish you all a wonderful, joyful time with family and friends!

Merry Christmas!!

Luanne

White Christmas Wedding - Celeste Winters

No, it's not too early to start your Christmas listening (and reading!) I'm starting off the season with White Christmas Wedding by Celeste Winters.

Beth has found the love of her life and decides to get married at her rural family home so that her grandmother can attend. Her best friend Jen is the wedding planner. She decides to turn the two family's barns into winter wonderlands. But winter also brings.....snow, lots of snow. And all their carefully made plans are falling apart.....

And it's not just the wedding plans that are changing. Love, from many different character's views, is explored. Beth's mother in-law to be is adamant that Beth sign a pre nup. She is so easy to dislike as she disparages the venue and more. Jen is also faced with the past - in the form of Jared, her old boyfriend. Are the sparks still there? Bridesmaid Destiny also finds herself questioning her decision to not go to New York to pursue her dreams. And a guest finds herself wondering the opposite - would life be better in a smaller locale? (And there's a few more!)

Winters does a great job exploring relationships from very different viewpoints. All are well written, believable and draw the listener into the story. I liked the large cast. When everything goes wrong for the wedding, I could imagine how they were feeling. And curious as to how things would be solved.

And of course things do work out in the end. And that's what I was looking for - a feel good listen with romance and a winter's tale to start the season. Entertaining, escapist listening.

The reader was Charlotte Penfield. She was a new to me narrator. I liked her voice - it was well modulated and clearly enunciated. She interprets the author's work well, adding emphasis and inflection where situations call for it. Her voice is pleasant to listen to with a soft undertone. I did find her speaking speed to be a bit slow for me, so I turned the speed up to 1.25 and I found this better for me and it didn't distort anything. Hear for yourself - here's a audio sample.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

2017 was a challenging year on many fronts for me personally. The best medicine for me? A good book! According to Goodreads, I read and listened to 147 books last year. I always say I'm going to cut back.....but it never happens. And I doubt it will this year either. There are some great suspense novels releasing these first few weeks..... Happy Reading!

Merry Christmas

Wishing you, your family

 and friends

 the best of the 

holiday season! 

Merry Christmas, 

Luanne

The Deal of a Lifetime - Fredrik Backman

Next up on the holiday reading/listening list is The Deal of a Lifetime by Fredrik Backman.

I really enjoy Backman's writing - his 'left of centre' characters and the situations he places them in.

In this novella, the lead character is a man who was driven all his life to succeed and excel at business. Where he failed was as a father. He narrates this tale, finally acknowledging his absence and shortcomings to his son. A chance meeting with a dying little girl gives him a chance at redemption. I'm not going to spoil things by telling you how that comes about. It's not quite what you would imagine at all.

"Hi. It's your dad. You'll be waking up soon, it's Christmas Eve morning in Helsingborg, and I've killed a person. That's not how fairy tales usually begin, I know. But I took a life. Does it make a difference if you know whose it was?"

Backman's writing always moves me. And he's able to do the same thing that he's done in his books as in this 'small' piece of work. I chose to listen to The Deal of a Lifetime. The reader was Santino Fontana. His voice is clear and he enunciates well. His voice suited the mental image I had of this businessman and his regrets. He provides believable voices for the other two characters in the book. He interprets the emotion of the story well. The Deal of a Lifetime was a short, sweet listen, perfect for this ruminative time of the year. The reader can't help but reflect upon their own life - what and who is important in your life? And what would you do to 'fix' things?

The title is clever - as you'll find out. Backman's introduction is just as poignant as the tale he tells. Listen to an excerpt of The Deal of a Lifetime. 

Books, Be Mine - Valentine's Day 2016 - Simon and Schuster Canada

Simon and Schuster Canada is running a fun Valentine’s Day event called Books, Be Mine.....and you're invited!

"Valentine's Day is meant to be spent with your one true love and we could not agree more, which is why we’re spending it with the light of our lives: books. Book lovers, unite!"

Join this event if you’re going to be snuggling up with a book on February 14th just like me. Be sure to check the Facebook page daily for reading recommendations, excerpts, and other fun, bookish things! See you there!  #ValentinesDay2016

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

My True Love Gave to Me - Stephanie Perkins

You've heard me say it before - I love reading Christmas fiction in the days leading up to the 25th. Life is incredibly busy right now, so the 12 holiday stories in My True Love Gave to Me were just perfect. I could get my fix in short bursts.

Zoom in on the cover - twelve best-selling YA authors contributed to this collection, edited by Stephanie Perkins. You love their novels, so you just know you're going to love these stories. Perkins has drawn from diverse writers so the tales range from contemporary to fantasy and magical realism.

I must admit - I had two favourites - and they're two of my fave YA writers as well - Rainbow Rowell and Gayle Forman. Rowell's story has two friends slowly inching towards more over the course of four New Year's Eves. Clever back and forth bantering and an engaging pair of characters had me crossing my fingers as each New Year drew closer to twelve. Gayle's story has a pair of students who aren't quite fitting in at their college meeting at a holiday event and realizing that they may have found more than a new friend.

Matt De La Pena was a new to me author and I'll be hunting down more of his work. His story of a shy cat-sitting guy alone over the holidays - until he meets the girl who lives above - was charming in its simplicity.

This collection was actually a great way to sample some new authors for me as well. Love romance? Love the holidays? Then My True Love Gave to Me is a gift you'll want to buy yourself or any YA fan. I'll be re-reading this one again next year. Read an excerpt of My True Love Gave to Me.

Keeping Christmas - Dan Walsh

Dan Walsh's new (and timely) book is Keeping Christmas.

I love reading Christmas fiction in the weeks leading up to December 25th. Keeping Christmas was especially timely for me.

Judith and Stan Winters are empty nesters. But, for the first time, none of their three children can make it home for the holidays - Thanksgiving or Christmas. This affects Judith greatly - she has no interest in putting up a tree, listening to Christmas music or any of their usual traditions. Stan is not as affected - but he is worried about Judith as weeks go by and she is still uninspired - and depressed. Supportive friends Betty and Barney are also concerned.

Walsh has penned a story with it's roots in reality. It is incredibly hard to celebrate when family is scattered across the country. (Personally I thank goodness for Facetime!)

Through Judith's story, Walsh explores finding your Christmas spirit despite disappointments, finding new ways to celebrate and connect and thinking of others.

"What he did say was for those who loved the holidays to be mindful of those who found it harder to celebrate, and to do what they could to cheer them up. And he urged those who struggle to try to keep their minds on the 'reason for the season' rather than focusing on all the things that tend to bring them down during the holidays." Good words to take to heart.

Without giving much away, Keeping Christmas is also a love story and an exploration of friendship and family.

Keeping Christmas won't overly surprise you - the plot is somewhat telegraphed. What it will provide is food for thought, perfect for contemplating the coming holidays and how each of us can reach out and share the Christmas spirit.

It's a quick, easy read, at just over 200 pages. A heartfelt, heart-warming read, with a bit of a fairy tale ending.  Read an excerpt of Keeping Christmas.

Review AND Giveaway - The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge - Charlie Lovett

Have you started your holiday reading yet? No? Well, here's one to add to your list - The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett. (And I have a copy to giveaway as well as a bonus book!)

You read that right - further adventures. Lovett imagines what might have occurred after Scrooge was visited by the three ghosts and changed his outlook on Christmas - and life - in Charles Dickens' book A Christmas Carol.

Well, Scrooge is celebrating year round - wishing everyone he meets a Merry Christmas each day of the year. But those who benefitted from Scrooge's change of heart twenty years ago have also lost their way. Partner Bob Cratchit is a workaholic, nephew Freddie ignores the plight of those around him and Scrooge's creditors can't see the human side of his largess, only the debts. So one summer's day, Scrooge calls upon the ghosts to help them as they did him so many years ago.

Lovett writes in the style of Dickens (sometimes employing phrasing and referencing Dickens' other works) to recreate the tenor, tone and message of A Christmas Carol.

The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a lovely reminder that "...scores and hundreds understood the ways of wealth and money and even of philanthropy, but their hearts lacked the true wealth of love, of family, of Christmas joy, which, he now saw, might have been theirs all the year round."

The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge is a quick little one night read - here's an excerpt.  Guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit - hopefully year round! You can connect with Charlie Lovett on his website as well as on Facebook and on Twitter.

And thanks to Viking Books, I have a copy of The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge AND A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens to giveaway to one lucky reader. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Open to US only, no PO boxes please. Ends November 28/15.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Great Christmas Knit-Off - Alexandra Brown

You might just be saying to yourself - Christmas books already Luanne?! Well, I've had snow at my place already. And yes, I'm going to say it.....only nine weeks 'til Christmas. I absolutely adore reading Christmas stories in the weeks leading up to the 25th.

And here's one feel good read you absolutely need to put on your Christmas reading list - The Great Christmas Knit-Off by Alexandra Brown.

Sybil's life has unraveled - she's been jilted, left at the alter by her ex-fiancee - who took off with her twin sister - at work, she may be the one responsible for a large amount of missing money, transferred with a mistaken key stroke - and more. When her bestie takes over running a wee little pub in the village of Tindledale, Sybs decides to visit and get away from her life for a weekend.

Uh huh, you know what's coming don't you? Warm, wonderful, friendly, quirky characters inhabit the village of Tindledale and Sybs is immediately welcomed. When she discovers a wool shop, she knows she's found a kindred spirit in Hettie, the aged owner. But Hettie's nephew is determined to put her in a home and take over her property. Oh, and did I mention the handsome (single) village doctor?

Sybil is a character the reader is immediately drawn to - she's someone you'd love to have as a friend. The reader can't help but cheer her on as she starts to reclaim her life and move forward. There's a lovely sense of community as the residents work together to save Hettie's store. Romance of course figures into the plot - with the requisite missteps, mistakes and miscommunication. Good and bad (that nasty nephew) battle and there are many poignant moments with Hettie as her past is explored and revealed.

Me? I'd love to be part of the knit and natter group. (There's also a pattern included at the back of the book for one of Sybil's projects.) Or settle in for a pint at the Duck and Puddle and catch up on the latest. Make yourself a warm cup of tea - or better yet a cup of cocoa - and settle in for a perfect, heartwarming Christmas read. (This is the first book in Brown's new series set in Tindledale.) Read an excerpt of The Great Christmas Knit-Off.

Alexandra Brown began her writing career as the City Girl columnist for the London Paper. She wrote the weekly column—a satirical diary account of her time working in the corporate world of London—for two years before giving it up to concentrate on writing novels and is now the author of the Cupcakes at Carrington's books. Set in a department store in the pretty seaside town of Mulberry-On-Sea, the series follows the life, loves and laughs of sales assistant Georgie Hart. The Great Christmas Knit-Off is Alexandra's fourth book and the first in a new series set in the fictional village of Tindledale, following the lives of all the characters there. Alexandra lives in a real village near the south coast of England with her husband, daughter and a very shiny black Labrador retriever. Find out more about Alexandra at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.

Christmas Bliss - Mary Kay Andrews

Mary Kay Andrews is an author whose books have passed over my library counter many times. But I had yet to read one. That changed with her latest release - Christmas Bliss. I snapped up the audio version when it came in - it's the time of the year when I love to read seasonal stories.

Andrews sets the story in Savannah, Georgia with two recurring characters featured in three previous 'Savannah' novels - Weezie Foley (an antiques dealer) and her best (and very pregnant) friend Be-Be Loudermilk. Weezie is set to be married on Christmas Eve, but her fiancée Daniel has been working in New York as a guest chef. Weezie decides to surprise him with a visit, leaving the rest of the wedding planning to her over the top friends and mother. Be-Be and Harry (baby daddy) are facing lots of changes in their lives as well.

Andrews writing style is light, breezy and chock full of southern charm. Christmas Bliss was a perfect holiday listen for the trip back and forth to work this week. Troubles are easily solved, there's a strong sense of family and friendship and despite setbacks you just know everything will work out fine - just in time for Christmas.

What I really liked however were Weezie's junk store tales of treasure and finds.  I too love pawing though old boxes at junk stores, auctions and flea markets. When reading about Andrews, I discovered the reason Weezie's junking  is so lovingly detailed. From Andrews's bio on her home page... "As a lifelong “junker” the author claims to know the location of every promising thrift store, flea market and junkpile in the southeastern United States, plus many parts of Ohio.

Kathleen McInerney was the reader. She had a lovely, gentle voice with a sweet Southern accent. I thought she really captured the setting and characters well. Listen to an excerpt of Christmas Bliss.

Great literature? No. Fun, fluff read to set the mood the week before Christmas? Yes!  Read an excerpt of Christmas Bliss.

Fans of Fannie Flagg's southern novels would enjoy Mary Kay Andrews. You can find Andrews on Facebook and on Twitter.