Can't-Wait Wednesday: Is She Really Going Out With Him?

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

Is She Really Going Out With Him?

Sophie Cousens

Expected publication date: November 19, 2024

A hilarious love story about a disillusioned divorcée who agrees to let her children play matchmaker.

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love? - from Goodreads

Nonfiction November 2024: Choosing Nonfiction

 

It's week two of Nonfiction November!  This week is hosted by Frances at Volatile Rune and is all about how we choose our nonfiction reading - "What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you?"

When I think about different genres or areas of nonfiction, I can kind of pinpoint things that don't super interest me - business, self-help (to a degree), religion, health/wellness.  So on the surface, I think most of my nonfiction reading veers towards history.  I was a history major in college (and worked as a historian for many years), so it's always been a subject that interested me.  I love learning about people, events and even buildings/structures, both big and small.  But history is such a vast subject - are there areas I'm more drawn to?  I took a look through my last few years of nonfiction reading to see if there were any patterns that stood out.

  

  

  

These are just a few of the books I've read and enjoyed, and there is definitely a focus on survival stories or people who have faced great challenges.  Royalty is also a big draw for me, as well as famous buildings.

Other subjects I enjoy are space and politics (which is really surprising, since I am not a political person at all!).  Although, my political reading tends to lean more on the personal side.  Kate Andersen Brower is a particular favorite author of mine in this area.

  

I don't follow many nonfiction authors, but Erik Larson has become an auto-buy favorite after reading my first book of his many years ago.  His narrative nonfiction style has brought so many areas of history to life for me.

 

 

What kinds of nonfiction are you drawn to?

Month in Review: October 2024

 

October was a busy month for us!  We went to Family Day at Tom's work - it was so crowded, but we all had a fun time.  Tom and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary (and 21 years together!).  We spent a Saturday with some of my family, going to a brewery (and yes, all the kids came, too - they have a great outdoor area!) and then back to one of my brother's houses for pizza and s'mores.  Henry continued with his music classes - it's so fun to hear him sing the songs he's learning when we're at home!  My stepmom hosted her annual Halloween party for the grandkids - she packs so much fun into one afternoon!  Lots of crafts, snacks, and costumes!  For Halloween this year, Henry is being Spiderman, but the Miles Morales/Spin version from Spidey & His Amazing Friends, one of his favorite shows.

The Books

Mexican Gothic // Ready or Not // Ghost Station // Haunt Sweet Home

The Night Guest // The Night Swim // Bride // The House on Biscayne Bay

Vampires of El Norte // The Golden Spoon

The Posts and Reviews

Can't-Wait Wednesday: From Here to the Great Unknown

Fiction/Nonfiction Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #57

Quick Reviews

Guest Blogger: My Favorite Audiobooks #2

Can't-Wait Wednesday: Christmas With the Queen

Quick Reviews

Michele's Monday Picks #58

Spooky Quick Reviews

Nonfiction November 2024: My Year in Nonfiction

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Author's Guide to Murder

How are you doing?

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Author's Guide to Murder

Can't-Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings and helps us spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

The Author's Guide to Murder

Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams & Karen White

Expected publication date: November 5, 2024

Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote meets #MeToo in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.

There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for this literary American show-off (or Americans in general), finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists. 

The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky, sexy erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book a historical novel about the castle’s lurid past and its debauched laird, who himself ended up creatively murdered. But the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious. 

Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? Is the murder of the long-ago laird somehow connected with the playboy author’s unfortunate demise? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death? 

A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it! - from Goodreads

Nonfiction November 2024: My Year in Nonfiction

 

We might officially still be a couple days away, but it's time to start celebrating Nonfiction November!  Last year I skipped this blogging and reading event because I barely read any nonfiction.  This year I wanted to make a point to read more nonfiction, since I really do enjoy it, so I made a goal at the beginning of the year to read 6 nonfiction books - I know, it doesn't really sound like that much, but it was a good starting point!  I've read 10 nonfiction books to date this year, with plans to read a few more in November, of course!  The first week of Nonfiction November is hosted by Heather at Based on a True Story and is all about our year in nonfiction - what we've read, what were some of our favorites, etc.

My year in nonfiction has been pretty great, with reads ranging from 3.5 to 5 stars!  Most fall in the 4 star category.  As far as topics, they really run the gamut, from celebrity memoirs to royalty to space to the ancient and natural worlds.  Here are some of my favorites from the year so far:

 

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World // The Wave

 

Being Henry // Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come

 

The Third Pole // The Six

My goals for Nonfiction November are to see what everyone else is reading, find some more interesting books for my TBR, and to celebrate the genre of nonfiction!  I might not stick solely to reading nonfiction this month, but here are some I definitely want to get to:

  

The Demon of Unrest // The Big Bang Theory // The Palace

What are some of your nonfiction highlights from this year?

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Spooky Quick Reviews

A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (2023)

Sam is excited to spend some time with her mom, but when she arrives, something is off - her mom has lost a lot of weight, made odd changes to the house, and seems very anxious.  As Sam tries to figure out what's going on, she makes some startling, and frightening, discoveries.  This was a quick read with plenty of gory and spooky moments, although not everything worked for me.  I appreciate the length and pacing of this novel - it kept the action moving with very little filler.  We are thrust pretty quickly into this unnerving old home and can see right away that something is off with Sam's mom, although she tries to play it off.  There is a lot packed into it, sometimes to its detriment - it often felt like there were too many things going on, between bugs and roses and haunted houses and vultures and witches and mother-daughter relationships and family secrets.  Sam was another issue for me - her attempts at humor felt lame, like she was trying too hard.  I'm sure some people will find her funny and charming, but I didn't.  But, I don't read a ton of horror and there were some good moments of that here.  3.5 stars

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes (2024)

Dr. Ophelia Bray, amidst personal and professional issues, joins a space exploration team during a visit to an abandoned planet.  Bray researches an illness called ERS, which is a space-based illness that can have disastrous effects.  She wants to work with the team to prevent further problems, but the crew is more concerned about exploring the alien planet and figuring out what happened to the previous research team - and hiding things from Dr. Bray.  Barnes' previous space horror novel was a hit for me, so I was excited for this one.  Although I felt the pacing was very slow, I still enjoyed this one.  I love stories set in space - it just makes everything feel more tense, and the abandoned nature of the planet only adds to this.  As we learn more about Dr. Bray, she does come across as somewhat of an unreliable narrator, as if she can't even trust herself.  The other team members are not as well fleshed out, which is kind of a bummer since the real action of the story takes so long to happen.  Once it does, though, it moves along very quickly, and I was swept up in finding out what would happen to the crew.  It does get a bit gory at times, so be wary of that.  4 stars

* This post contains affiliate links; I earn a small commission on qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.

Michele's Monday Picks #58

Angela is so generous to let me pop in with my little series, Michele’s Monday Picks!  I’m not a blogger or bookstagrammer, but I love getting excited about new releases with the rest of you.  Here I’ll be sharing new books I’m really looking forward to!

****************************************************************************

 

Where the Library Hides

By Isabel Ibanez

Expected Publication: November 5, 2024

From Goodreads:

The stunning conclusion to the story that started in What the River Knows. A lush immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, and a rivals-to-lovers romance like no other!

1885, Egypt

Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

What the River Knows was a fantastic read and I have high hopes for this sequel - do you think you’ll be picking this one up?