Kate Carlisle‘s Bibliophile series is always a good choice for a cozy mystery and this one involved an expert knife thrower, a mysterious copy of Rebecca, Scottish thugs, a scowling laird, hidden treasure, and lots of cats. Odd thing - this library book has a spot for comments in the back. One reader was disappointed there was no mention of litter boxes. Weird.

Came across this sweet bookmark today from the OG Litsy Goes Postal group. I made some awesome friends in that group but am not sure how many are still active on this platform.

This latest Janice Hallett book is responsible for an almost-all-nighter for me last night! Her style is not for everyone, and this one is just as unusually formatted, relying on text messages, VMs, email, etc to tell the story. The trivia night pub quizzes and the competition amongst teams added a fascinating structure but the main plot twist totally caught me by surprise.

My library haul today minus The Repair Shop: Behind the Scenes which the hubs promptly grabbed. Some fluff evened out by the meaty Ernest Becker.

Thank you Christine for the cute card featuring the Yule Cat (if you haven‘t seen the Icelandic Air ads with Yule Cat go find them right now and enjoy!). The info sheet about Yule customs is also such fun! @thebacklistbook and @TheBookHippie #yuleseasonswap

The Great Lakes states have been battered with high winds, snow, sleet & freezing rain for the past two days but I‘ve been fortunate in not losing power and having a warm home. This pic is near me, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario where waves are currently at 35 feet. Looking out at the lake between two ice-encrusted posts. Photo from meteorologist Eric Snitl.

Started this fun cozy mystery tonight. I am really enjoying the narrator!

Whew! It‘s been a busy day but I‘m finally settling down to enjoy this amazing #jolabokaflod package from the ever-awesome @Avanders Thank you ever so much for this book. Ghost stories on Christmas Eve? Oh yeah! Thanks to @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing! Now off to read with some cocoa and choc cashews!

I am taking a course in Medieval Illumination and have been enjoying reading up on the history.

Reason No. 1,000,004 why I love libraries: I saw this obscure Irish fairy story mentioned somewhere recently and my local central library actually had it on shelf! It is delightful!

This is my first Christmas as a retiree and I must admit I am loving the peaceful, quiet mornings with a cup of coffee, a cozy mystery, and the tree all lit up. Nothing is more comforting.

Chores are done for the morning, so settling down with some cookies, a cup of coffee, and this cozy little murder mystery. All under Ozzy‘s watchful eyes, of course.

A bit slow to start, but this dark academia is unstoppable once it picks up steam a couple chapters in. I adored the various collections of books & manuscripts described as well as the folklore elements. And the lake? The stuff of my nightmares!

Oh my, I received my #jolabokaflod package today from @Avanders and can‘t wait to open it on a super-cozy Christmas Eve. Thank you!

@MaleficientBookDragon thanks for organizing.

It‘s a Barbara Hambly/Benjamin January kind of night…

I keep reading these new Poirot books by Sophie Hannah thinking I will eventually like them and you know what? I think they‘re growing on me!!!

Book mail is the best mail!

What a treat! This comes out in March and will appeal to fans of Sarah Addison Allen. The magic is familiar - power of three and all that - but it‘s layered with a story of an Irish witch, her descendants, and a very interesting house. Plus, the writing is impeccable.

As usual, I forgot to take photos of my packages as I sent them out. All the same, my #yuleseasonswap and #jolabokaflod swap packages both went out today to Soldotna Alaska and Des Plaines Illinois. Both should arrive by December 8.

@thebacklistbook
@maleficientbookdragon

Cozy mystery readers will adore this latest entry in Ellen Byron‘s Vintage Cookbook series. There‘s extortion, hold-ups by Mr. Bongle, Mardi Gras Krewe Queen shenanigans and, of course, murder. See https://itsallaboutthebook.org for full review.

New one from Jaime Jo Wright takes me back to the gothic romances I devoured in the 70s. See https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2025/11/03/the-bell-tolls-at-traeger-hall-by-jaim... for more info.

What a treat opening my #AllHallowsRead package on this cold and rainy day! @MrsGagnonreads2024 thank you for these super-spooky books, the spooky resin ornament and the Butterfingers (which didn‘t make it into the pic!) and thank you @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing the swap again! Can you see that awesome wrapping paper? All silvery and spiderwebby!

Adding to #yuleseasonswap tip thread!

thebacklistbook @BookwormAHN
@BarkingMadRead
@bumpinthenight
@TieDyeDude
@forestandcrow
@TheBookHippie
@maich
@Blerdgal_Fenix
@MrsGagnonreads2024
@Born.A.Reader
@CrowCAH
@KadaGul
@chrissyreadit
@bookwormjillk

I adore an atmospheric, spooky, well-plotted mystery read on a stormy night and Elena Taylor delivered that in spades with this one! From the first page to the last, I was turning pages late into the night just to find out what happened next. See https://itsallaboutthebook.org

It‘s a rainy, cold morning here on the southern shore of Lake Ontario and I am thoroughly enjoying this entry in the Antique Store Detective series by Clare Chase!

Took a tumble a couple days ago & banged up my shin and knee so totally getting into the Sunday #hygge thing tonight with this pretty little Christmas mystery. #hyggehourreadathon @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

Old grudges die hard but some never die at all. New entry in the Claudia Rose Forensic Handwriting series. Review at https://itsallaboutthebook.org

And my #AllHallowsRead package arrived today! Can‘t wait to see what‘s inside @MrsGagnonreads2024 thank you! @MaleficentBookDragon thanks for hosting

Just mailed my #AllHallowsRead swap package (and labelled it wrong as “HauntedHollow swap” which is par for the course for me lately. @MaleficentBookDragon sorry about that snafu, but the package is on its way to the correct person nonetheless. 🙄

Gigi Pandian‘s books just keep getting better! I have been a fan of the Accidental Alchemist series for years so was thrilled to get an early copy of this one. Dorian the gargoyle and Zoe the alchemist do not disappoint! Overall, this is a solid mystery – well-plotted and paced with good descriptive narrative. I do recommend reading the previous books in the series before you open this one though.

A new Jimmy Perez story? YES PLEASE!

As usual, Cleeves deliver a wonderfully intricate story full of colorful characters, this time set in the Orkney islands versus Shetland. Readers get to know a whole new landscape and set of people, steeped in folklore and emotions.

Fans of historical mysteries will appreciate Moray‘s seamlessly blended research with well-developed characters who will make your skin crawl. The story will suck you in right away and keep hold as you plow through the plot because you have to know what happens and who gets their comeuppance. There are some gross descriptions, but overall this is a good one. Out Oct 17.

This came today. I‘m going to be up all night reading and planning what I‘ll cook first!

If you‘re looking for a feel-good heart-warmer, this is your book. Just a gentle, lovely read

As I read the first chapter, I found myself thinking “oh, this is another magic school derivative. Boring.” That notion, however, was immediately removed from my mind when I got to The Girl chapter. That scene made me sit up and take notice that THIS book was something different. To be sure, there are traces of other dark academia books throughout, but this story is something special.

Reissue from Poisoned Pen Press Out in October - new, fun mystery that‘s a bit like a cross between The Secret Adversary and Albert Campion. https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2025/09/03/murder-at-holly-house-by-denzil-meyric...

Historical mystery fans, seek out The Face Stealer by Sarah Rayne for a whopper of a tale involving Catherine the Great. New post at https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Just started this one. Not caught but I‘m hoping it just hasn‘t set the hook yet. Sorrynotsorry for the fishing lingo but this has been The Summer of the Fish!

I have a whole day with no commitments! It‘s silent in my home, warm outside, the bees are busily collecting pollen from the garden & I‘m going to open this one from my ancient Goodreads TBR. Life is good today.

While I think the author wants us to see her as a brave whistleblower ( and she is), she must certainly bear some of the blame for the heinous things she describes. You don‘t live and work like that for so long without being complicit. Overall, I was deeply disappointed and often horrified at the ridiculous behavior and dangerous decision-making that results when ordinary people acquire an unimaginable amount of money and power.

Filled with imaginative and fluid illustrations in muted colors, the spare text draws you from page to page as you follow the active play of a set of siblings. This isn‘t the old “noogie” play with older siblings, but a wonderful set of words and images which depict rough but respectful play. Everyone in this rumble is an equal part of the sometimes rough play. Https://itsallaboutthebook.org

Schwab is one of the more literate authors writing today. Her narrative is always beautifully rendered and this book is no exception. However I am just so done with vampire stories. And really, Anne Rice wrote this story 50 years ago. Not a favorite read for me but I imagine it will be a blockbuster.

I swear, the last 3 of the Mary Russell books have been some of the best of the series, which is so hard to do when said series is so long. The addition of Russell‘s uncle to the cast makes for very entertaining reading!

#Chatterday Made sauce for Sunday lasagne, watched and listened to a wild, extended thunderstorm, played with the pup a lot, and read some more of this really, really good book.

Had she known about the Seabrink curse, she might not have gone.
#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

This new book from actor Kelsey Grammer recounts the shocking murder of his younger sister and his own experience with heartrending grief, anger, and loss. Told in a sort of stream of consciousness, not all readers will like the jumpiness of the narrative. Having lost people to violence, I felt like Grammer conveyed the absolutely unhinged way you feel in the aftermath of such an horrific event. This is a very emotional read.

I‘m working my way thru my Goodreads “Want to Read” list and picked this one up. Enjoyed the first half but had to put it down when it got super gruesome. Not a fan.

Peter Lovesey‘s recent death has prompted me to read some of his books. He is credited as the 1st mystery writer to set a whole series in the past with his Inspector Cribb series. I‘m reading his Peter Diamond series now. This one was about Chaucer!

The newest entry in Shelton‘s Scottish Bookshop series continues with same delightful cast of characters and this time explores the Picts. As usual, an awesome story!

Folklore fans will love this imaginative look at Jenny Greenteeth, one of the many water “monsters” that show up in British folklore. O‘Neill spins a tale about Jenny combined with some Arthurian lore. Great fun. Pic from my favorite book Faeries by Froud!