Where Is Your Bookmark? (The Woman in the Window and Best & Worst of 2017)

I am in the middle of reading The Woman in the Window, as I race to finish it for the final day of the Strict portion of the COYER Winter Switch challenge. I think I will make it. It seems to have a lot of positive buzz around it, and I have to admit I am enjoying it quite a bit. It has  Girl on the Train sort of feel, but is different enough to make it something else entirely.

What did she see? It’s been ten long months since Anna Fox last left her home. Ten months during which she has haunted the rooms of her old New York house like a ghost, lost in her memories, too terrified to step outside.

Anna’s lifeline to the real world is her window, where she sits day after day, watching her neighbours. When the Russells move in, Anna is instantly drawn to them. A picture-perfect family of three, they are an echo of the life that was once hers.

But one evening, a frenzied scream rips across the silence, and Anna witnesses something no one was supposed to see. Now she must do everything she can to uncover the truth about what really happened. But even if she does, will anyone believe her? And can she even trust herself? [Goodreads Summary]

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the wonderful Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

Her husband's almost home. He'll catch her this time.

My thoughts: What will he catch her doing? Who is he? Who is she? All of these questions came to mind when I read the opening paragraph. I was hooked immediately.

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

I too am a PhD. I too can be ruthlessly logical. 

Next move.  [56%]

My thoughts: Sounds like the ante has just been upped. Game on.


What do you think? Does this sound like something you would be interested in reading? 

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Everyone has a favorite and then we also have something we dislike. Like a coin, there are two sides to every question. Each week, Carrie at The Butterfly Reads and Laura from Blue Eye Books ask participants to list what they like and don't like about that week's topic.

This week's topic is Best/Worst Book Read in 2017

Five books earned my top rating last year and to choose a favorite of those five would be torture impossible. How do I choose between them?! I was able to narrow it down to three, which was tough enough, but I just cannot bare to pick one top favorite. All three of these books moved me immensely when I read them. You can read my reasons why in my 2017: Year in Review post.

The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas

The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Of all the books I read last year, my least favorite was A Brave New World. I even rated the David Sedaris book, Holidays on Ice,  half a point higher, and I did not care for that one either. I listened to the audio version of Aldous Huxley's novel, narrated by Michael York, after being unable to read a print copy despite multiple efforts. At least this time I finished it.

What was your best and worst book read in 2017?

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© 2018, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (05/23/2017)

I am about half way through Sarah-Jane Stratford's Radio Girls, historical fiction, at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it. I have had to stop several times to make notes of names of well known historical figures in history for further research. I feel like I'm apart of something big while reading this book. To be a fly on the wall! Maybe I can temp you with a teaser or two or perhaps three . . .

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

She ran, weaving in and out of the startled pedestrians, but her pursuer was still close on her heels.

All their meticulous planning, all that work in spinning the web and catching all these flies, but they hadn't factored in this possibility, the chance that the papers in her bag were worth so much that someone would chase after her to get them back. 

Chase after her with a gun. 

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from 27% of Radio Girls:

"Well, that's a turnup," he said, echoing the unspoken sentiment. "I'd have pegged you for the type who faints at the sight of blood."

"Yes," Maisie agreed. "And I'd have pegged you for a gentleman. Some surprises are nicer than others." 

and

from 29% of Radio Girls: 

There were moments when Maisie felt the chill of walking shadows, all those vanished people under poppies. Sometimes, she was sure others felt them too, even the brightest and most beautiful, glancing nervously over their shoulders. Maybe we're all trying to outrun something, like me outrunning the kids in Toronto. They'd wanted to beat her till she broke, and not just her bones. The suffragettes had put themselves forward for breakage, hadn't they? That would be something, being the person who could put herself in harm's way for a cause.

What about this one from 33%:

Maisie had never owned a book and couldn't imagine rereading anything when time was so short and the libraries so full.  

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

As I mentioned earlier, I am really enjoying Radio Girls so far. The opening certainly caught my attention--who is she running from? What are on those papers?

The teasers that follow each caught my attention as I read, and I couldn't help but share them. Maisie is very innocent and naive at the start of the book, although she has quite an impressive backstory, I think.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (04/11/2017)

I just finished reading reading Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell, and thought I would share a few teasers with you today.

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

Have you ever wanted something so much, it's not a desire so much as a beacon? Have you ever prayed for it so hard, your fingernails curl into your palms and your eyes squinch shut and your whole body just hums?

My daughter is that simple, shining thing. Taken away from me under bright lights in a white room, my stitches still raw. I fought so much they put me in hard restraints. I screamed so loudly they shot me up with sedative.  

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from page 48-49 of Etched on Me:

Dizzy now, I crawled to the stall door and pulled myself by its latch. Staggered out to the sinks, my gait wobbly. I couldn't look in the mirror. Couldn't look down at the dribbly trail I knew I was leaving. All i could do was yank paper towels from the dispenser on the wall. Stupid of me, I know--I mean, if thick work wasn't stopping anything, rough little paper scraps were hardly going to save the day. But still I pulled and pulled, dabbed and dabbed, until my knees buckled under me and I fell to the floor.

and from page 53:

"Waste of drugs." His face and his voice were one massive sneer. "She's obviously fine with pain." 

My chin jerked from the tray to the doctor to Miss as my mind stuttered. Oh my God oh my God oh my God, they really are going to hurt me--. 

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

This book has taken me through a range of emotions. I think you can see why from the opening and teasers shared.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

Author Emily St. John Mandel wrote an interesting article back in October called "The Gone Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on the Train", in which she discusses the trend of "girl" in book and movie titles. Not all books with "girl" in the title are mysteries or or thrillers, of course, but quite a few are. While not meant as an academic piece, it is an interesting read. Taking a look at Goodreads data, Mandel found

A number of patterns emerged in our analysis: The “girl” in the title is much more likely to be a woman than an actual girl, and the author of the book is more likely to be a woman. But if a book with “girl” in the title was written by a man, the girl is significantly more likely to end up dead. 

Publishers are always on the lookout for ways to market their books, and having the word "girl" in the title seems to be one of the most recent selling trends the last few years. I have certainly read a number of books with "girl" in the title over the last several years. 

I decided to go in my own direction for this week's Top Ten Tuesday, and make a list of all the books in my TBR collection (books I own but have not read) that have the word "girl" or "girls" in the title. There are a lot. More than ten. *hanging head in shame*

The Girl in the Flammable Skirt: Stories by Aimee Bender
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham
Dead Girl Walking by Christopher Brookmyre
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
The Lost Girls of Rome by Donato Carrisi
The Last Girl by Jane Casey
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow
The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff
The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor
Mercer Girls by Libbie Hawker

Gasa-Gasa Girl by Naomi Hirahara

When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Anne Krentz
Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok
The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
The Girls Guide to the Apocalypse by Daphne Lamb
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
The Tattooed Girl by Joyce Carol Oates
California Girl by T. Jefferson Parker
Girl in the Dark by Marion Pauw
The Girl Who Knew Too Much by Amanda Quick
White Collar Girl by Renée Rosen
Radio Girls by Sarah-Jane Stratford
The Girl With the Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson


Now to read them all . . .

What other title trends have you picked up on over the years? 

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© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (03/21/2017)

I currently am reading The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens, which is about a college student, Joe, who decides to interview a man convicted of rape and murder for a class assignment. The subject of his paper is a war hero, having served in Vietnam. Could he really be a cold blooded murderer too? As Joe digs deeper for his assignment, he also must deal with his own present day drama--an alcoholic mother and an autistic brother who demand his time and energy as well.

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

I remember being pestered by a sense of dread as I walked to my car that day, pressed down by a wave of foreboding that swirled around my head and broke against the evening in small ripples. There are people in this world who would call that kind of feeling a premonition, a warning from some internal third eye that can see around the curve of time. I've never been one to buy into such things. But I will confess that there have been times when I think back to that day and wonder: if the fates had truly whispered in my ear--if I had known how that drive would change so many things--would I have taken a safer path? Would I turn left where before I had turned right? Or would I still travel the path that led me to Carl Iverson?

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from page 67 of The Life We Bury:

"He didn't do it," Vigil [sic] snapped. "He pointed to the phone number on his card. "You call me. We'll talk."

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

I could not help but wonder what would cause our main character to doubt his choices in that opening paragraph. It certainly hooked me instantly.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's  Top Ten Tuesday Top Ten Books Read In One Sitting Theme. It's rare that I have time to read a book in a day anymore. It's been rare for years now. Not for lack of wanting to, but because, well, life. In the spirit of today's theme, I went with the shortest books I've read in the last four years that certainly could be read in one sitting, even if you lead a busy life.

1.

Monstress, Volume One: Awakening by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda ~ I haven't posted my review of this one yet, but it was awesome. It is a graphic novel, so perfect for when you have an hour or two to spend reading.

2.

Rebecca Chastain's gargoyle series make perfect bite sized reads if you are short on time. And there are three of them (Magic of the Gargoyles, Curse of the Gargoyles and Secret of the Gargoyles)! I have only read two so far, but I have the third ready to read soon.

3.

While not exactly a quick read, if you want something short, beautiful and sad, I highly recommend The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam.

4.

The Ocean At the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman has a nice mix of mystery, horror and fantasy. It was impossible to put this one down when I started reading it.

5.

Rebecca Walker's Adé: A Love Story is beautifully written and unforgettable.

6.

Paradise Drive by Rebecca Foust is a collection of interconnected poems. I not only read this once in one sitting--but twice. It was that good.

7.

Duke City Split by Max Austin is a fun crime fiction novel that is action packed from the start, and doesn't let up until the end.

8.

If I Stay by Gayle Foreman was a surprise hit for me. I didn't except to like it as much as I did.

9.

The Wanderer in Unknown Realms by John Connolly was my first taste of the author's work and what a taste it was! Horror is a genre I can be very picky about and this story won me over instantly.

10.

Royal Enchantment by Lia Davis ~ A romantic fantasy novel that swept me off my feet from the start.

What are some short books that would make perfect one sitting reads?

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© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (02/07/2017)

One of the books I am in the middle of is Tessa Arlen's A Death By Any Other Name, the third book in her Edwardian mystery series featuring Lady Montfort and her housekeeper, Mrs. Jackson.

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

Coming home after a holiday is almost as enjoyable as the holiday itself, Edith Jackson surveyed the familiar comfort of her bedroom and parlor, her eyes lingering over her beloved objects that she had collected over the years. Here it all was, just as she had left it: her small library in one corner, a pretty writing bureau by the window that she had been given by Mr. Hollyoak, the butler, to celebrate her appointment from first housemaid to housekeeper  ten years ago. She sat down in a deeply cushioned wing chair, a present to herself four years ago: a fireside chair that offered deep comfort for long winter afternoons with a good book. However humble or simple these simple objects appeared to be they nevertheless made her homecoming a welcome one.

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from page 6% of A Death By Any Other Name:

Mrs. Jackson said nothing, knowing that there was more to come, but she tilted her head in sympathetic encouragement. 

"The reason why I have come here, Mrs. Jackson, is that I don't believe it was accidental food poisoning at all."

and at 13% of A Death By Any Other Name: 

She flipped her notebook shut, but kept a finger in place, in case she might need to refer to her notes again. And Mrs. Jackson remembered that whenever Lady Montfort wanted to forestall any arguments in the process she intended to take with an investigation, she always cited Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as if she had just had a conversation with him on the telephone. 

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

I just love this series, especially Mrs. Jackson. She isn't ever thrilled to be dragged into these investigations of the Lady Montfort's, but she's quite good at gathering information.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

For this week's  Top Ten Tuesday I am going with my Top Ten Secondary/Minor Characters I Wish Could Have Their Own Books.

1. Mma Makutsi from Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series ~ I am not caught up in the series by a long shot, but every book in the series in which she appears, Mma Makutsi steals the spotlight. She starts in the agency as a secretary and works her way up to assistant detective. She is diligent, loyal and hard working.

2. Jane from The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys ~ She is such an interesting character, a lost soul as she waits for news about her boyfriend to come back from the war. She loves with all her heart.

3. Laura Wheeler from Last Words by Rich Zahradnik ~ I am quite fond of Laura Wheeler, another reporter, who, unfortunately, because of the time period, isn't being taken as seriously as her skills and intelligence deserve. She is very capable, however, and part of me hopes she shows up that patriarchy that holds women back in future novels in the series. Yes, I know she's not the main character in the series.  But one can hope.

4. Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling ~ I nearly went with Luna Lovegood because she's one of my favorite characters from the series, and I really would love a book featuring just her (with secondary roles by other familiar characters, of course). But Neville Longbottom won my heart early on in the series as well. A bit clumsy and bullied--he is a character I think many can relate to. And yet by the end of the series, he is a formidable wizard and friend. 

5. Alosha from Uprooted by Naomi Novik ~ Time spent with the mage and sword-master Alosha is too short in Uprooted, if you ask me. I want to know more about her character, where she came from and what she's been through. She seems to have a level head and sees beyond the obvious. She's a heroine I could get behind.

6. Kylie from The Gargoyle Guardian Trilogy by Rebecca Chastain ~ She's Mika's bestfriend and a journalist who knows how to wield her magic. She's a loyal friend and not afraid to jump into the fray when needed.

7. Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling ~ She's my favorite character after Hermione, and I wish there had been more of her in the books. I would love to spend more time with Luna and get to know her. She is both curious and brilliant and seems to see the world in a very Luna sort of way.

8. Noeme from Slaying Dragons by Sasha L. Miller ~ Noeme plays a major role in Slaying Dragons, and so I am not sure "minor" or even "secondary" is the most appropriate label for the character. Still, Devi is more at the forefront, and I would really like to know more about Noeme who loves her books and is always ready with a smile.

9. Any character--or even a new character!-from The Fairwick Chronicles by Juliet Dark. Please? Why hasn't the author written more set in this world?! I love the world Juliet Dark has created in this fantasy series. It's light and fun and there really needs to be more books!

10. Mycroft Holmes, brother to the famous fictional Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ~ a brilliant mind and a mystery himself, working for the government. There's much more I would like to know about him.

What secondary characters would you like to see in their own books?

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© 2017, Wendy Runyon of Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

Where Is Your Bookmark? (& Top Ten Books I Want For Christmas)

Help me decide what to read next year! I am looking for your book recommendations: Vote here!

This will be my first year participating in Sheila of Book Journey's annual First Book of the Year 2017 event. On the 1st of the year, I will be posting a photo of the book that will be starting off my year. I haven't settled on a book yet--so many choices! Will you be joining it? I hope so!

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I just started reading All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Masstai, which is about a man from an alternate future who travels through time, ripping the very fabric of the universe and changing the future's course, falls in love, and must decide if he wants to fix the mistake and return to the Utopian world he came from or stay in the crazy world we call home today. (For a much more complete synopsis, the cover below is linked to the book's Goodreads page.)

Every Tuesday Diane from Bibliophile By the Sea First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where participants share the first paragraph (or a few) of a book they are reading or thinking about reading soon. It is also where I share my first impressions about the book I am sharing.

So, the thing is, I come from the world we were supposed to have. That means nothing to you, obviously, because you live here, in the crappy world we do have. But it never should've turned out like this. And it's all my fault--well, me and to a lesser extent my father and, yeah, I guess a little bit Penelope.

Every Tuesday, Ambrosia from The Purple Booker hosts Teaser Teaser at which participants grab their current read, open to a random page, and share two or more sentences from that page while avoiding any spoilers.

Teaser from page 28 of All Our Wrong Todays:

I remember, as a kid, when I first understood that only half of every tree is visible, that the roots in the soil are equal to the branches in the sky, that a whole other half is underground. It took me a lot longer, well into adulthood, to realize people are like that too.

What do you think? Would you keep reading?  

I really like the premise of this novel and am looking forward to reading it. From the little I've read so far, the novel seems to be written in a narrative memoir form. The opening is very conversational, I think. It got me curious about what our narrator means about being the reason the world turned out the way it did. What could Tom have possibly done?

I chose the teaser and random, but I rather like it.

What are you reading at the moment?  Is it anything you would recommend?

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Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely ladies at Broke and Bookish.

This week's  Top Ten Tuesday Ten Books I Wouldn't Mind Santa Leaving Under My Tree. All ten of these books are on my wishlist, some for longer than others. I would love to unwrap any of these on Christmas Day! What are the chances though? Someday . . .

1. Love and Freindship: And Other Youthful Writings (Penguin Classics) by Jane Austen, Christine Alexander ~ Jane Austen, folks. 'Nuff said. (Anyone else do a double take on the spelling of the title just to be sure it wasn't wrong?)

Goodreads Summary: 

Jane Austen's earliest writing dates from when she was just eleven years, and already shows the hallmarks of her mature work: wit, acute insight into human folly, and a preoccupation with manners, morals and money. But it is also a product of the eighteenth century in which she grew up - dark, grotesque, often surprisingly bawdy, and a far cry from the polished, sparkling novels of manners for which she became famous. Drunken heroines, babies who bite off their mother's fingers, and a letter-writer who has murdered her whole family all feature in these very funny pieces. This edition includes all of Austen's juvenilia, including her 'History of England' - written by 'a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant Historian' - and the novella 'Lady Susan', in which the anti-heroine schemes and cheats her way through high society. Taken together, they offer a fascinating - and often surprising - insight into the early Austen.

2. Ink and Bone (The Great Library, #1) by Rachel Caine ~ I enjoyed the author's Weather Warden series and think this will be even better. I mean, the Great Library!

From Goodreads: 

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. 

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service. 

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

3. Sorcerer to the Crown (Sorcerer Royal #1) by Zen Cho ~ I can't remember when I first heard about this book, but I have had it on my radar every since. I can't resist a novel with magic in it, and this one sounds really good.

Goodreads Summary: 

At his wit’s end, Zacharias Wythe, freed slave, eminently proficient magician, and Sorcerer Royal of the Unnatural Philosophers—one of the most respected organizations throughout all of Britain—ventures to the border of Fairyland to discover why England’s magical stocks are drying up.

But when his adventure brings him in contact with a most unusual comrade, a woman with immense power and an unfathomable gift, he sets on a path which will alter the nature of sorcery in all of Britain—and the world at large…

4. Truthwitch (The Witchlands, #1) by Susan Dennard ~ I was drooling over this book when it first came out and it's a miracle I haven't yet run out and bought it myself. This books has my name written all over it.

Goodreads Summary:

In a continent on the edge of war, two witches hold its fate in their hands.

Young witches Safiya and Iseult have a habit of finding trouble. After clashing with a powerful Guildmaster and his ruthless Bloodwitch bodyguard, the friends are forced to flee their home.

Safi must avoid capture at all costs as she's a rare Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lies. Many would kill for her magic, so Safi must keep it hidden - lest she be used in the struggle between empires. And Iseult's true powers are hidden even from herself.

In a chance encounter at Court, Safi meets Prince Merik and makes him a reluctant ally. However, his help may not slow down the Bloodwitch now hot on the girls' heels. All Safi and Iseult want is their freedom, but danger lies ahead. With war coming, treaties breaking and a magical contagion sweeping the land, the friends will have to fight emperors and mercenaries alike. For some will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

5. The Mother by Yvvette Edwards ~ Although a difficult topic to read about--a parent's worse fear--I sometimes find myself running to books like this--or running away. This one intrigues me and I am anxious to read it.

Goodreads Summary:

The unimaginable has happened to Marcia Williams. Her bright and beautiful sixteen-year-old son Ryan has been brutally murdered. Consumed by grief and rage, she must bridle her dark feelings and endure something no mother should ever have to experience: she must go to court for the trial of the killer—another teenage boy—accused of taking her son’s life. 

How could her son be dead? Ryan should have been safe—he wasn’t the kind of boy to find himself on the wrong end of a knife carried by a dangerous young man like Tyson Manley. But as the trial proceeds, Marcia finds her beliefs and assumptions challenged as she learns more about Ryan’s death and Tyson’s life, including his dysfunctional family. She also discovers troubling truths about her own. As the strain of Ryan’s death tests their marriage, Lloydie, her husband, pulls further away, hiding behind a wall of secrets that masks his grief, while Marcia draws closer to her sister, who is becoming her prime confidant. 

One person seems to hold the answers—and the hope—Marcia needs: Tyson's scared young girlfriend, Sweetie. But as this anguished mother has learned, nothing in life is certain. Not any more.  

7. Jane Steele by Lynday Faye ~ If it isn't obvious from the description why this one appeals to me, well, let me tell you that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite all-time novels.

From Goodreads:

Reader, I murdered him. 

A Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. 

Like the heroine of the novel she adores, Jane Steele suffers cruelly at the hands of her aunt and schoolmaster. And like Jane Eyre, they call her wicked - but in her case, she fears the accusation is true. When she flees, she leaves behind the corpses of her tormentors. 

A fugitive navigating London's underbelly, Jane rights wrongs on behalf of the have-nots whilst avoiding the noose. Until an advertisement catches her eye. Her aunt has died and the new master at Highgate House, Mr Thornfield, seeks a governess. Anxious to know if she is Highgate's true heir, Jane takes the position and is soon caught up in the household's strange spell. When she falls in love with the mysterious Charles Thornfield, she faces a terrible dilemma: can she possess him - body, soul and secrets - and what if he discovers her murderous past?

7. Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande ~ This book comes highly recommended by many of you. I have never shied away from the topic of growing old (even though I don't like revealing my age) or dying. They are facts of life. As I watch my mother grow older and remembering all my father went through, I can't help but want to read this book.

Goodreads Summary:  

In Being Mortal, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending.

Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury, and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.

Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession’s ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.

8. The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge ~ Ever since seeing the movie this book was based on, I have wanted to read the book. What a nice treat it would be to receive this one in my stocking?

Goodreads Synopsis: 

When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she’s entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort—a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it—and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own life story a happy ending. But what can one solitary girl do?

A new-fashioned story that is as wonderful as the best fairy tales.

9. Planetfall by Emma Newman ~ This is the first in a science fiction series that called to me from the first time I heard about it. I enjoy reading science fiction, but don't read enough of it.

From Goodreads:

Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown.

More than twenty-two years have passed since Ren and the rest of the faithful braved the starry abyss and established a colony at the base of an enigmatic alien structure where Suh-Mi has since resided, alone. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony's 3-D printer engineer, creating the tools necessary for human survival in an alien environment, and harboring a devastating secret.

Ren continues to perpetuate the lie forming the foundation of the colony for the good of her fellow colonists, despite the personal cost. Then a stranger appears, far too young to have been part of the first planetfall, a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Suh-Mi.

The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And its revelation might tear the colony apart…

10. Moriarty: Anna Kronberg Bundle by Annelie Wendeberg ~ I love stories about women masquerading as men in order to do something relegated only to men. Add in Sherlock Holmes and I'm sold.

Goodreads Summary: 

Europe, late 19th century. Antibiotics have yet to be invented, and germs take a death toll that lets the number of murders appear negligible. But when a cholera victim is found floating in one of London's drinking water supplies, Dr Anton Kronberg - England's best bacteriologist - is called upon to investigate. He crosses paths with Sherlock Holmes. The detective immediately discovers Kronberg's secret - a woman masquerading as a man in order to practice medicine - a criminal deed that could land her in prison for years to come. The two highly analytical minds provoke and annoy each other at once. Eventually, they must team up to unravel a spiderweb of murder, espionage, and bioterrorism that spreads across continents. Compiles the first three books in the Kronberg Thriller Series: The Devil's Grin, The Fall, & The Journey

Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them? What books would you like to find under the tree this year?

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