Musings of a Bookish Kitty: June 2021

Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Death at the Crystal Palace / Incense and Sensibility / The Art of Drowning

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Death at the Crystal Palace (Kat Holloway Mysteries #5) by Jennifer Ashley
Release Date: July 6, 2021 by Berkley

Intrepid cook Kat Holloway puts aside her apron to delve into Victorian London’s high society and catch a killer in this thrilling new mystery from the New York Times bestselling author of Murder in the East End.

While attending an exhibition at the Crystal Palace, young cook Kat Holloway is approached by a woman in distress. Lady Covington is a wealthy widow convinced that her entire family is trying to kill her. Kat feels compelled to help, and she escorts the lady home to discover whether she is delusional or in true danger.

It is quickly apparent that the threat is all too real, and Kat promises aid. Her charming confidant Daniel McAdam is busy infiltrating a plot against the Crown, and she worries he will not have time to lend his sleuthing expertise. This might be for the best, as Kat fears her growing emotional entanglement with Daniel can only lead to disaster. But soon, Kat faces a more serious threat when her involvement in both investigations plunges her into peril. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Of course I want to read this one! It's one of my favorite historical mystery series. I cannot wait!!!

Incense and Sensibility (The Rajes #3) by Sonali Dev
Release Date: July 6, 2021 by William Morrow

The author of Recipe for Persuasion—“not only one of the best but one of the bravest romance novelists working today” (Shelf Awareness)—adds an Indian American twist to Jane Austen's classic Sense and Sensibility in this delightful retelling that is a feast for the senses.

Yash Raje, California’s first serious Indian gubernatorial candidate, has always known exactly what he wants—and how to use his privileged background to get it. He attributes his success to a simple mantra: control your feelings and you can control the world.

But when a hate-fueled incident at a rally critically injures his friend, Yash’s easy life suddenly feels like a lie, his control an illusion. When he tries to get back on the campaign trail, he blacks out with panic.

Desperate to keep Yash’s condition from leaking to the media, his family turns to the one person they trust—his sister’s best friend, India Dashwood, California’s foremost stress management coach. Raised by a family of yoga teachers, India has helped San Francisco’s high strung overachievers for a decade without so much as altering her breath. But this man—with his boundless ambition, simmering intensity, and absolute faith in his political beliefs—is like no other. Yash has spent a lifetime repressing everything to succeed.

Including their one magical night ten years ago—a too brief, too bright passion that if rekindled threatens the life he’s crafted for himself. Exposing the secrets might be the only way to save him but it’s also guaranteed to destroy the dream he’s willingly shouldered for his family and community . . . until now. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I really enjoyed the first book in the Rajes series, Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors. I have Recipe for Persuasion on my TBR shelf. I do not think I will be able to resist this one either.

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

I have an embarrassing number of unread books sitting on the shelves in my personal library. Carole of Carole's Random Life in Books has given me the perfect excuse to spotlight and discuss those neglected books in her Books from the Backlog feature. After all, even those older books need a bit of love! Not to mention it is reminding me what great books I have waiting for me under my own roof still to read!

The Art of Drowning by Frances Fyfield (Witness Impulse, 2013, originally published in 2006 by Little Brown)

Rachel Doe is a shy accountant at a low ebb in life when she meets charismatic Ivy Schneider, nee Wiseman, at her evening class and her life changes for the better. Ivy is her polar opposite: strong, six years her senior and the romantic survivor of drug addiction, homelessness and the death of her child. Ivy does menial shift work, beholden to no one, and she inspires life; as do her farming parents, with their ramshackle house and its swan- filled lake, the lake where Ivy's daughter drowned. As Rachel grows closer to them all she learns how Ivy came to be married to Carl, the son of a WWII prisoner, as well as the true nature of that marriage to a bullying and ambitious lawyer who has become a judge and who denies her access to her surviving child. Rachel wants justice for Ivy, but Ivy has another agenda and Rachel's naïve sense of fair play is no match for the manipulative qualities in the Wisemen women. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I came across this one in 2013 and added it to my TBR shelf and rediscovered it recently when looking through my e-reader. I cannot help but wonder about the Wiseme

n women.

Have you read The Art of Drowning? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

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Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: Island Queen / Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead / Dying Is My Business

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

Island Queen by Vanessa Riley
Release Date: July 6, 2021 by William Morrow

A remarkable, sweeping historical novel based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.

Born into slavery on the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat, Doll bought her freedom—and that of her sister and her mother—from her Irish planter father and built a legacy of wealth and power as an entrepreneur, merchant, hotelier, and planter that extended from the marketplaces and sugar plantations of Dominica and Barbados to a glittering luxury hotel in Demerara on the South American continent.

Vanessa Riley’s novel brings Doll to vivid life as she rises above the harsh realities of slavery and colonialism by working the system and leveraging the competing attentions of the men in her life: a restless shipping merchant, Joseph Thomas; a wealthy planter hiding a secret, John Coseveldt Cells; and a roguish naval captain who will later become King William IV of England.

From the bustling port cities of the West Indies to the forbidding drawing rooms of London’s elite, Island Queen is a sweeping epic of an adventurer and a survivor who answered to no one but herself as she rose to power and autonomy against all odds, defying rigid eighteenth-century morality and the oppression of women as well as people of color. It is an unforgettable portrait of a true larger-than-life woman who made her mark on history. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: How can I not want to read Island Queen after reading that synopsis? Dorothy Kirwan Thomas sounds like an amazing person.

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin
Release Date: July 6, 2021 by Atria Books

This hilarious and profound debut for fans of Mostly Dead Things and Goodbye, Vitamin follows a morbidly anxious young woman who stumbles into a job as a receptionist at a Catholic church and becomes obsessed with her predecessor’s mysterious death.

Gilda, a twenty-something, atheist, animal-loving lesbian, cannot stop ruminating about death. Desperate for relief from her panicky mind and alienated from her repressive family, she responds to a flyer for free therapy at a local Catholic church, and finds herself being greeted by Father Jeff, who assumes she’s there for a job interview. Too embarrassed to correct him, Gilda is abruptly hired to replace the recently deceased receptionist Grace.

In between trying to memorize the lines to Catholic mass, hiding the fact that she has a new girlfriend, and erecting a dirty dish tower in her crumbling apartment, Gilda strikes up an email correspondence with Grace’s old friend. She can’t bear to ignore the kindly old woman, who has been trying to reach her friend through the church inbox, but she also can’t bring herself to break the bad news. Desperate, she begins impersonating Grace via email. But when the police discover suspicious circumstances surrounding Grace’s death, Gilda may have to finally reveal the truth of her mortifying existence.

A delightful blend of warmth, deadpan humor, and pitch-perfect observations about the human condition, Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a crackling exploration of what it takes to stay afloat in a world where your expiration—and the expiration of those you love—is the only certainty. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: The title of this one first caught my attention and after reading the synopsis, well, I really want to read it!

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

Dying Is My Business (#1) Nicholas Kaufmann (St. Martin's Griffin, 2013)

Given his line of work in the employ of a psychotic Brooklyn crime boss, Trent finds himself on the wrong end of too many bullets. Yet each time he’s killed, he wakes a few minutes later completely healed of his wounds but with no memory of his past identity. What’s worse, each time he cheats death someone else dies in his place.

Sent to steal an antique box from some squatters in an abandoned warehouse near the West Side Highway, Trent soon finds himself stumbling into an age-old struggle between the forces of good and evil, revealing a secret world where dangerous magic turns people into inhuman monstrosities, where impossible creatures hide in plain sight, and where the line between the living and the dead is never quite clear. And when the mysterious box is opened, he discovers he has only twenty-four hours to save New York City from certain destruction. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I seem to have a lot of books on my Kindle that have been hiding there since 2013. This is one of them. It sounds like it will be a good one.

Have you read Dying Is My Business? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: In Royal Service to the Queen / The Return of the Sorceress / Skinner

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

In Royal Service to the Queen: A Novel of the Queen's Governess Tessa Arlen
Release Date: June 29, 2021 by Berkley

The revealing story of Queen Elizabeth II's beloved governess, Marion Crawford, who spent more than sixteen years of her life in loyal service to the royal family and was later shunned by those she has loved and served.

Marion Crawford can remember each of the wonderful years when she was governess to the little Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret Rose: included in their lives, confided in, needed, trusted, and loved. These memories will never dim, ever. In Marion's mind, she will always be their Crawfie.

But things become increasingly complicated as the young royals navigate adulthood. It is May 1945 and Princess Elizabeth--the heiress presumptive to the British throne--has fallen in love, and the only member of her family who is happy for her is her governess. No one in the young princess's life thinks that Prince Philip of Greece would be a suitable husband for the future Queen of England. No one that is, except for Marion Crawford.

Crawfie wholeheartedly supports Elizabeth in her determination to marry Philip. She too has fallen in love--and has convinced her fiance, George, that they must wait for Elizabeth and Philip to receive the King's blessing before she can leave her service to the Crown.

Over the next two years Crawfie is caught between loyalty to Princess Elizabeth; running the risk of alienating her royal employer, Queen Elizabeth; and losing the man she loves. But as Crawfie prevails to marry George and stands with him in Westminster Abbey on Elizabeth and Philip's wedding day, she is unaware that her troubled relationship with Queen Elizabeth is far from over. And just around the corner is a betrayal that will sever her bond with the royal family forever. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I have enjoyed Tessa Arlen's historical mysteries and would like to give her historical fiction about Elizabeth and Margaret's nanny a try. The royal family, betrayal, and love . . . It sounds very promising.

The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Release Date: June 30, 2021 by Subterranean Press

From the bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a magical journey of revenge and redemption.

Yalxi, the deposed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, is on a desperate mission. Her lover and confidant seized her throne and stole the precious diamond heart, the jewel that is the engine of her power. Yalxi sets out to regain her magic and find a weapon capable of destroying the usurper. But this will mean turning to unlikely allies and opening herself up to unpleasant memories that have been suppressed for many years. For Yalxi is no great hero, but a cunning sorceress who once forged her path in blood – and must reckon with the consequences.

Set in a fantastical land where jewels and blood provide symbiotic magical powers to their wearers, The Return of the Sorceress evokes the energy of classic sword and sorcery, while building a thoroughly fresh and exciting adventure ripe for our era. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Another novel in which the author alone was enough to make me stop and take a closer look at this one. And doesn't it sound good? I can't wait to read this one.

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

Skinner by Charlie Huston (Mulholland Books, 2013)

Skinner founded his career in "asset protection" on fear. To touch anyone under his protection was to invite destruction. A savagely effective methodology, until Skinner's CIA handlers began to fear him as much as his enemies did and banished him to the hinterlands of the intelligence community.

Now, an ornate and evolving cyber-terrorist attack is about to end that long exile. His asset is Jae, a roboticist with a gift for seeing the underlying systems violently shaping a new era of global guerrilla warfare.

At the root of it all is a young boy, the innocent seed of a plot grown in the slums of Mumbai. Brought to flower, that plot will tip the balance of world power in a perilous new direction.

A combination of Le Carre spycraft with Stephenson techno-philosophy from the novelist hailed by the Washington Post as "the voice of twenty-first century crime fiction," Skinner is Charlie Huston's masterpiece -- a new kind of thriller for a new kind of world. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: It has been a long while since I read a novel like this, but, boy, does it sound like a page turner, doesn't it? I added this one to my TBR shelf in 2013.

Have you read Skinner? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

Saturday, June 12, 2021

Weekly Mews: Making Way For Summer Heat and Good Books to Read

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date and a children's/middle grade version hosted by Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Summer is definitely making her presence known in my sliver of the world. The temperatures are rising, and it's supposed to reach 107F by Tuesday. If my coworker was here, he would brag that it will get up to 120 where he lives in Palm Springs next week. I might have to suggest he work out of the office then--it will be a little cooler. 😉

In reading . . .

Then

I seem to have been able to keep my reading dip from turning into a full blown slump, thank goodness. Kim Harrison's The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows #2) helped with that. I am hoping not to wait so long to read the third book, Every Witch Way But Dead, as I did between the first two books. I love the detail the author put into her world building of this urban fantasy series.

Now

Currently, I am reading Colleen Oakley's The Invisible Husband of Frick Island and also working my way through my first issue of Oh Reader. I am not a big magazine reader, to be honest (they tend to pile up and sit unread), but I could not resist when I heard it was a magazine written by and for readers--not about books specifically (although there is plenty of book talk), but about reading and readers themselves.

Next

Next up on my TBR pile is this month's TBR List poll winner. Thank you to all who voted! I am also eying Murder in the East End (Kat Holloway Below Stairs Mysteries #4) by Jennifer Ashley, which is calling my name and I hope to start soon.

Mouse and I finished reading Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan earlier in the week. I think I mentioned before how different the book is from the TV series. The focus in both is on three best friends who discover a magic cookbook in one of the girl's attics. As they begin trying out recipes, they quickly learn that each spell they cast with the recipes has consequences beyond what was intended--the law of returns. The book and TV series diverge significantly from there. I think both Mouse and I agree we like the show more, but we did see it first so that may be part of the reason. Mouse has seen it multiple times actually. That isn't to say we did not enjoy the book--because we liked it too. The series is a bit darker and aimed at a wider audience age-wise, I think, than the book. And the magic is more subtle in the book. My daughter and I agree the highlight of the book for us was the friendship between the three girls.

Although Mouse and I were reading Magic Misfits (#1) by Neil Patrick Harris separately, we did finish it around the same time and had a nice bedtime discussion about it last night. As I expect from anything Neil Patrick Harris does, the novel is a bit quirky with a large dose of wit. I could hear Mouse laughing out loud as she was reading. She loved that the narrator was writing directly to her, the reader, offering funny sidebars as well as directions on how to do magic tricks. It's a cute book about an orphan boy who runs away from his con-artist uncle and winds up in a town where a visiting carnival has set up shop. He meets three friends who share his love for magic tricks. The friends come to realize the carnival boss and his crew are up to no good and they put their talents together to thwart him. I love that Leila's adoptive parents are a gay couple, something I wish we would see more of in middle grade fiction. Magic Misfits was funny and cute. There was a bit of mystery and action mixed in. For those willing to do the work, there is even a secret message for the reader to decode. I bet the novel would be even better in audio format with Neil Patrick Harris narrating.

Mouse and I are now reading Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday (Dork Diaries #13) by Rachel Renée Russell together. This continues to be one of Mouse's favorite series. On her own, Mouse just started Magic Misfits: The Second Story by Neil Patrick Harris. She is excited about this installment of the series because it features her favorite character, Leila, the escape artist. And, of course, the entire misfits gang play prominent roles as well.

What I Have Been Watching . . .

My family and I finished off season 5 of Lucifer--which had quite the ending, I have to say. We are all curious what direction the show will go in its final season. After a recent High School Musical movie marathon (at my daughter's request), we were curious about The High School Musical: The Musical series, which is a mockumentary musical drama about a high school theater department putting on a version of the original movie musical. We liked the first episode enough (especially my husband) to continue, and so we have put a couple of episodes on (each being a half hour long) in the evenings. Except for on Loki night, of course. Now our Wednesday TV time is dedicated entirely to Loki. The show has gotten off to a very promising start. Tom Hiddleston does such a good job in the role.

Off the Blog . . .

It was quite the week! It started with my husband's birthday. We stretched it out over two days--a quiet family celebration one day and then a visit to California Adventure and Disneyland the next. We had received passes as a gift the Christmas before last and decided to take advantage of the lower capacity requirement in the parks while it was still in place (and before the passes expired). During our visit, only California residents were being allowed in the parks and masks were required at all times (except for when eating in designated areas--no indoor dining) along with social distancing. We had a great time although we were exhausted when we got home. You can bet we slept well that night!

Other than that, our week was rather ordinary. Mouse had dance and rehearsal and attended a day of the summer camp program. She is determined to earn her en pointe letter and has been working hard in her ballet and pre-pointe classes. Her favorite dance class this year though is jazz, followed by musical theatre. Both classes have been working on their dance routines for the Summer Showcase, which she will be taking part in alongside the musical.

It was another busy week at work for both my husband and me. My managers announced the proposed schedule for my office as things continue to open up throughout the county and state. California is lifting most of its COVID restrictions this next week on the 15th, although some will remain in place. It looks like I will continue to work a hybrid schedule, only working a couple days in the office than I am now, but still mostly from home. If approved, the new schedule will start in July.

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your week?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

My TBR List is hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Saturday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month. My review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).

This is the first time I think I have had a poll where one book received no votes! Poor Kate Atkinson and Life After Life. In the end it came down to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue came away with 10 votes and The Midnight Library won with 14. Thank you again to all who voted! I look forward to reading The Midnight Library this month. So many people I know have enjoyed it!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!

Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Waiting to Read Wednesday: In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced / The Perfect Ruin / Questions of Travel

The New

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by the marvelous Tressa at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss upcoming release we are excited about that we have yet to read.

In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced Justine Bothwick
Release Date: June 22, 2021 by Agora Books

Set against the lush backdrop of early 20th-century India, In the Mirror, a Peacock Danced – the debut novel from Justine Bothwick – is the moving story of one woman’s journey back to herself.

Agra, 1938: Eighteen-year-old Florence Hunt has grown up riding horses past the Taj Mahal and chasing peacocks through her backyard under the critical gaze of her father. Increasingly enamoured with his work on the booming railway, Florence yearns to know more, but finds herself brushed away, encouraged only to perform the more ladylike hobbies of singing and entertaining guests. So when a dazzling young engineer walks into her life, she finds herself not only gripped by secret lessons in physics but swept entirely off her feet.

Portsmouth, 1953: Fifteen years later, Florence finds herself pregnant and alone in post-war England – a far cry from her sun-drenched existence in India. Struggling to cope with the bleakness of everyday life in a male-dominated world, Florence is desperate to find the woman she used to be. But when someone from her past reaches out, Florence might just have a chance to start over.

Soaring from the shimmering heights of the big top to the depths of heartbreak, can Florence find the happiness, independence, and passion she once had in order to start living again? [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: The above synopsis raises so many questions for me--I am definitely intrigued and want to know more about Florence and her life. How did she get to where she is and will she become the woman she longs to be?

The Perfect Ruin by Shanora Williams
Release Date: August 3, 2021 by Dafina

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams comes a tale of revenge served ice cold—and a warning to be careful what you scheme for . . .

A brutal tragedy ended Ivy Hill’s happy family and childhood. Now in her twenties and severely troubled, she barely has a life—or much to live for. Until the day she discovers the name of the woman who destroyed her world: Lola Maxwell—the mega-wealthy socialite with a heart, Miami’s beloved “first lady” of charity. Accomplished, gorgeous, and oh-so-caring, Lola has the best of everything—and doesn’t deserve any of it. So it’s only right that Ivy take it all away . . .

Little by little, Ivy infiltrates Lola’s elite circle, becomes her new best friend—and plays Lola’s envious acquaintances and hangers-on against her. But seducing Lola’s handsome, devoted surgeon husband turns into a passionate dream Ivy suddenly can’t control. And soon, an insidious someone will twist Ivy’s revenge into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and betrayal that Ivy may not wake up from . . . [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: Be careful what you wish for . . . This sounds like a twisty page turner of a thriller.

Does either of these books interest you? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to reading?

★ ★ ★

The Old(er)

Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser (Little, Brown and Company, 2013)

A mesmerising literary novel, Questions of Travel charts two very different lives. Laura travels the world before returning to Sydney, where she works for a publisher of travel guides. Ravi dreams of being a tourist until he is driven from Sri Lanka by devastating events.

Around these two superbly drawn characters, a double narrative assembles an enthralling array of people, places and stories - from Theo, whose life plays out in the long shadow of the past, to Hana, an Ethiopian woman determined to reinvent herself in Australia.

Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser illuminates travel, work and modern dreams in this brilliant evocation of the way we live now. Wonderfully written, Questions of Travel is an extraordinary work of imagination - a transformative, very funny and intensely moving novel. [Goodreads Summary]

Why I want to read this: I added Questions of Travel to my TBR shelf in 2013, likely drawn to dual narrative story and setting. I had actually forgotten about this one until I was going through my Kindle. It still sounds like something I would enjoy.

Have you read Questions of Travel? Does this book sound like something you would like to read?

Saturday, June 05, 2021

Weekly Mews: May, the Month We Bought a Lot of Books & Maybe Did A Little Reading / June's TBR List Poll (Please Vote!)

I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer and The Sunday Salon (TSS) hosted by Deb Nance of Readerbuzz where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking It's Monday! What Are you Reading? hosted by Kathryn of Book Date where readers talk about what they have been, are and will be reading.

As part of my monthly wrap up, I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post and Stacking the Shelves hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently.

What I Am Reading: I felt a little reading ~~slump~~ dip coming on after finishing Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev the beginning of June. I ended up loving the book, but since then I have had trouble settling on a book. At the urging of a friend, I recently picked up the second book in the Hollows series by Kim Harrison, The Good, the Bad, and the Undead. I am hoping that will reignite my reading flame. I really liked the first book in the series, which I read a few years ago.

Mouse and I are still working our way through Just Add Magic by Cindy Callaghan and will likely finish it this week. It is very different from the television series, which we really liked. Mouse has been distracted with other books, reading more on her own than with me recently (my working longer hours hasn't helped). We are also both reading The Magic Misfits (#1) by Neil Patrick Harris, although separately. It is kind of like having our own little book club!

My daughter is anxious to jump into the 13th Dork Diaries novel by Rachel Renée Russell, Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday, and I have a feeling we will be reading it together as soon as we finish Just Add Magic. She probably would have dived in by now, but she knows I enjoy the books too. Next up for me . . . As always, I am on the fence. At the moment, I am leaning toward either Joani Elliott's The Audacity of Sara Grayson or The Invisible Husband of Frick Island by Colleen Oakley.

What I Am Watching: My husband and I finished re-watching the final season of Angel and now have moved on to the second half of season 5 of Lucifer. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the show. I hadn't been sure I would like it when I first began watching, but it grew on me fairly quickly. We binge watched Shadow and Bone one weekend. Neither one of us have read the books, but we did enjoy the show. I still would like to try Leigh Bardugo's series at some point, although it likely will not be soon. I have also been working my way through Teen Wolf. I am in the middle of the 4th season. It's pure guilty pleasure, but it makes for good background television, although sometimes a little too distracting. Our family enjoyed the finale of the Masked Singer season--such a silly but entertaining show.

We are looking forward to seeing the first episode of Loki this next week. Is anyone else planning to watch it?

Off the Blog: May was a full month. It was the final month of virtual school for Mouse. I had not expected to feel so emotional about it, the weight and the overwhelming-ness of it all crashing down mixed in with relief. We got through it. The whole work/life balance was blurred for so many months there, and I never felt like I was doing enough for anyone, including myself. I still don't, but at least I am beginning to feel like I am on firmer ground again. Somewhat, anyway.

Mouse is attending a summer program a couple times a week and continues to participate in her dance classes and rehearsals for the summer show. Her Girl Scout troop had their last official meeting of the season this past Friday. It was the first time they had met in-person since the beginning of March 2020. Our Council was very strict about following state guidelines this Girl Scout season and only allowed in person meetings the past couple months. Even then, social distancing and masks have been required. This meeting was more of a movie party--the perfect end to the season. They are planning some summer activities for the girls. Perhaps we will be able to join in.

I finally had my ultrasound appointment and the results came back clear. I have another test/procedure coming up in July that will take me off work for a couple days. Hopefully that news will be good too.

My husband's birthday is this coming week and we will be celebrating in style. If my daughter and I have our way, there will be cake. I mean, how can there not be cake?!

New to the Shelves in May:

My family and I visited our local Barnes and Nobles twice in May. My daughter has not had much of a chance to do much in-person shopping (none of us have, really) in over a year , and so we might have gotten carried away. I generally pay for the books Mouse gets, but this time she wanted to spend her own money (although I did buy some of these for her anyway).

My new books:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

The Last Watch (The Divide #1) by J.S. Dewes

Mouse's Books:

Ghost Friends Forever (#2) by Monica Gallagher, illustrated by Kata Kane

The Stonekeeper (Amulet #1) by Kazu Kibuishi

Mouse's Books:

Be Wary of the Silent Woods (The Weirn Books #1) by Svetlana Chmakova

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

Mouse's Books:

Summer Lifeguards (#1) by Elizabeth Doyle Carey, illustrated by Judit Mallol

Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor ( #1) by Ally Carter

The Truth About Stacey (Baby-Sitters Club Graphic Novel #2) by Raina Telgemeier & Ann M. Martin

Mouse's Books:

Tales from a Not-So-Happy Birthday (Dork Diaries #13) by Rachel Renée Russell

Tales from a Not-So-Best Friend Forever (Dork Diaries #14) by Rachel Renée Russell

The Second Story (Magic Misfits #2) by Neil Patrick Harris

The Minor Third (Magic Misfits #3) by Neil Patrick Harris

My husband came across a Humble Bundle that he thought might interest me. Humble Bundle is a website that sells digital content like games, software e-books by partnering with other businesses and then giving part of the proceeds to charity. They recently ran an offer for a bundle of 20 mystery/thrillers called Murder by the Book. The cost? Whatever I chose to pay! Anjin didn't have to ask twice. Of course, I said, "Yes, please!" A portion of the money went to First Book, a charity that supports equal access to quality education. Here are the books that came in the bundle:

Come and Get Me (Caitlin Bergman #1) by August Norman

Beijing Red (Nick Foley #1) by Alex Ryan

Last Girl Gone (A Laura Chambers Mystery #1) by J.G. Hetherton

The Coroner (Coroner's Daughter's Mystery #1) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

All That's Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums

Lies She Told by Cate Holahan

Dark Turns by Cate Holahan

One Little Secret by Cate Holahan

The Widower's Wife by Cate Holahan

When She's Gone by Jane Palmer

Heaven's Crooked Finger (An Earl Marcus Mystery #1) by Hank Early

In the Valley of the Devil (An Earl Marcus Mystery #2) by Hank Early

Echoes of the Fall (An Earl Marcus Mystery #3) by Hank Early

House of Ashes (Haunted Bluffs Mystery #1) by Loretta Marion

Storm of Secrets (Haunted Bluffs Mystery #2) by Loretta Marion

Best Kept Secrets by Tracey S. Phillips

Crossroad by W.H. Cameron
#FashionVictim by Amina Akhtar
Mother Knows Best by Kira Peikoff
When You Find Me by P.J. Vernon

Have you read any of these books? What books did you add to your TBR this past month?

Here is what I finished reading in May:

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
A Peculiar Combination (Electra McDonnell #1) by Ashley Weaver
Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers
Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black

My reading quantity fell drastically in May. Not all the books I read were quick reads, whether because of content, size or both. With my daughter and I not reading as many middle grade novels together as we had been, that made a difference too. I am not complaining though. It was a good reading month quality wise. I finally fit in another nonfiction book! I am lagging behind in that challenge. I managed to get some reviews written and posted but am still behind.

Challenge Progress:

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge ~ 8/5
Nonfiction Reader Challenge ~ 2/6
Poetry Challenge ~ 5/3
Spring COYER ~ 14/8
Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge ~ 12/6

This Past May In Reading Mews:

Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your May? Do you have anything planned for this month?

Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:

I actually planned to have you vote on another set of three books, but then these three came to mind and I could not stop thinking about them. So, I did what I often do when I am on the fence about something and asked my husband for this thoughts. He will be surprised to know that I actually am going with his suggestion this time around (usually I go with a completely different option than the ones I had been considering). I have been wanting to read all three of these books since I first heard about them. Admittedly, there has been a lot of hype around each one of them, which always raises my expectations and often gives me pause. Will I like them too? I sure hope so! Which of these three books do you think I should read next? They all sound so good!

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war.

Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can - will she? [Goodreads Summary]

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name. [Goodreads Summary]

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

In The Midnight Library, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place. [Goodreads Summary]

Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week and a month of June!
Happy Reading!