WE LOVE BIG BOOKS AND WE CANNOT LIE

This is kind of crazy, I know who he is, but I couldn’t name any songs or anything specific about him.  So I went into this memoir like I was watching a movie, I had no idea what the ending would be. It absolutely made me a fan, I looked up all of his music, his movies and his other endeavors.  This is described as a raw and fearless memoir, and I couldn’t agree more.   Scott Mescudi experienced multiple deaths back-to-back, including his father’s at a young age and understan

reached out wanting to gift us some of their new book releases with @hyperionavebooks! First up is Seeing Stars, A Mashad Family Novel, by Candice Jalili! I just started this one and am already hooked! The first few chapters are so enchanting and entertaining and I can’t wait to finish it! Read the description below and tell me you aren’t excited! “Mona Mashad grew up on camera, with millions of fans around the world tuning in to see her every move. Nothing was off-limits: no

I must tell you, Familiaris by David Wroblewski is one of the longest books I think I’ve ever read, and you know I love big books! This is the kind of storytelling that I crave, it’s not rushed, but it doesn’t drag. It’s heartfelt and meaningful, but so clever.  Fall feels like the perfect time, to get cozy with a big book and really savor it.  I read The Story of Edgar Sawtelle years ago, and I didn’t remember much, but I remembered loving it.  This is a wonderful follow-up

author of Cider House Rules! Thank you @simonbooks for gifting us this arc! I feel compelled to say that this book was a bit of a slow starter for me. However, about 1/4 way in it started catching my attention! Queen Esther is a story about the life of a little orphaned Jewish girl in New Hampshire. When she is dropped off at the orphanage she knows two things for sure as a 3 year old, that she’s named after Queen Esther in the Bible and that she’s Jewish. As a teenager she i

Dead Line by Marc Cameron released in July so it’s already available! If you’ve read any of Marc Cameron’s Arliss Cutter books then you’re in for a treat because this is the latest book in the series! Arliss and his partner Lola are after a wanted killer who’s on the run in Alaska for a murder committed in Missouri. As they investigate known acquaintances something is clearly amiss. These people are afraid of someone and it’s not the Missouri fugitive…so who is it? Also in pl

I have always loved trains, and one of my favorite places to catch a train for easy transportation is in Japan! You know we love Lonely Planet and whenever we travel we always use their books as a resource! This beautiful book Epic Train Trips of the World by Lonely Planet has trains all over the world! I even found some trains I’ve used before! Check this out! “From luxury services such as southeast Asia’s Eastern and Oriental Express to the scenic Rocky Mountaineer line in

It’s perfect for this time of year and it’s a page turner! Hayley has dealt with more tragedy in the past few years than most people survive in a lifetime. Her parents died in a suspicious fire and her sister died of an overdose shortly after…under a cloud of suspicion that she set the fire that caused her and Hayley’s parent’s deaths. When she meets Brandon at her sister’s funeral she decides to throw caution to the wind and goes all in. However when Brandon learns that he h

Especially a historical one! Murder at Somerset House by Andrea Penrose delivers on all fronts! You guys don’t want to miss out on this one, it releases soon so keep an eye out! It’s the 1800’s in London. Wexford and Charlotte are approached for help when Wexford’s brother-in-law is accused of murder. As they investigate they soon find that there is much more going on than just your average run of the mill murder… Thank you so much @kensingtonbooks for gifting us this advance

I’m not at all, but I do love a floaty and floating around. In the Deep End by Julie Mulhern, Ellie is enjoying her morning swim at the country club and shockingly finds a dead body.  The shock continues as she realizes she knows this woman, she’s her husband’s girlfriend. Yes, Ellie knows her husband has been stepping outside of their marriage, their love died long ago, and they mutually decided to continue living together for the sake of their daughter.  But Ellie knows thi

They’re always my fave! Especially this time of year! Ok this one was so much fun! Seven Secret Spellcasters by Lynn Cahoon! It wasn’t at all what I expected. This is actually book 7 of 7 in the Kitchen Witch Series! It did take me a minute to catch up, but so happy I did! Mia has a catering business and cooking school, in the small town of Magic Springs, Idaho! What a fun group of characters. I absolutely adore a book, when I like the characters. Mia has been mentored by her

….where have you been all my life??? This book is absolutely one of the most entertaining books I’ve read recently Merry is a retired CIA agent who now runs a girl scout troop. When enemy agents start turning up dead in her small town, she wonders if her cover has been blown… enter her fabulously handsome previous handler Riley…and her equally fabulously handsome new policeman neighbor. Hilarity ensues and we get to watch as Merry tries her best to juggle dead bodies while tr

Mine’s reading. I read from the moment I get to my seat to the moment we touch down! So when @simonbooks gifted us The School For Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan, I snatched it up for my next plane ride! This one has great reviews and I love a Read with Jenna book pick! ~Frida makes a horrendous mistake with her toddler daughter. She leaves her unattended and the police were called. Overworked, overstimulated, recently divorced, Frida just can’t catch a break. The state says s

I haven’t, I only have an idea of what it is from movies and TV.  The main thing I think of is Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman when she goes with Richard Gere the opera makes her emotional. I loved learning about the ultimate diva, the greatest diva who ever lived, Maria Callas, called La Divna.  I brought this book to Italy, but I didn’t visit the opera house there, I sure hope to next time! “Jerome Charyn’s Callas springs to life as the headstrong, mercurial, and charismatic

by Catherine Lloyd.  This is my first book in this series and I adored it! This is a cozy mystery set in Regency England, and I know I’ll be picking up the rest of the series ASAP! Lady Caroline is employed by Mrs. Frogerton who is energetic and lively older lady.  They are quite the team as a sudden and disturbing murder happens right in their own house!  They are determined to find out the truth and get right to sleuthing! What I really enjoyed was learning about that perio

We went to the Louvre in Paris a couple years ago and did see the Mona Lisa.  We left impressed and kind of confused.  I don’t know much about art, so I don’t think I understand it very well. But I love this title and can’t resist a book set in 2 of my favorite places! NY and Italy! The Sinking of the Leonardo da Vinci by Deborah Jeanne Weitzman is exactly what I need! “An impossible love. An impossible choice. It is 1976, in New York. Joanna, a dreamy and sensitive young wom

I have to say, I adore anything Italian! I’ve never considered there could be a murder while there. However I am hyper aware of pick pocketers! Murder in an Italian Piazza by Michael Falco is book 3 in a 3 part series! This is my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read the other ones! I could tell I was missing parts of the bigger picture, but this read great as a stand alone too! When the famous opera singer Carlotta Incantaro comes home to Positano for a small co

I do! There is something about this specific genre, I’m not even sure what it’s called, but it’s my favorite!  It mixes humor and a mystery with kind of a nutty main character. The only other books I’ve read like this are the Finlay Donovan series. I was thoroughly entertained reading Bundle of Trouble by Diana Ograin.  A body is found in the San Francisco Bay, but Kate Connelly is busy giving birth, so she’s trying to stay focused, even though the authorities believe the bod

I’m still hanging onto the summer days, but in the Seattle area, the weather changes quickly! This is the perfect book as we head into the changing season. What a story, Slanting Towards the Sea by Lidija Hilje.  This heartbreaking story about love is as beautiful as the cover.  Ivona meets the love of her life in school, and her biggest nightmare is the possibility of losing him. It consumes her. I loved reading about Croatia, I’ve only been there once and it was stifling ho

I’m always excited to see an Amazon package! This is a fascinating story about a mailman in Appalachia. It’s a memoir unlike any other. Some people know their mailman, but many don’t. I’ve never talked to mine, but what if they were your lifeline to the outside world? Here’s more about Mailman by Stephen Starring Grant! “Steve Grant was laid off in March of 2020. He was fifty and had cancer, so he needed health insurance, fast. Which is how he found himself a rural letter car

I would not. A private island with only one boat to ferry you back and forth sounds terrifying. And it was in the book too! Windclyffe by Joe Hart, is a gothic thriller/mystery. I knew the book sounded interesting when I first heard about it. But I was so hooked, as soon as I picked it up! It’s one of those books you just can’t put down. Mira Caine, lost her parents in a car crash, leaving her and her brother alone for Mira to take care of. When she’s given the offer to stay