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.
pickA 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!!!
pickWhat 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.
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@maleficientbookdragon
pickCozy 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.
pickNew 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!
pickI 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
pickOld 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. 🙄
pickGigi 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.
pickA 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.
pickFans 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!
pickIf you‘re looking for a feel-good heart-warmer, this is your book. Just a gentle, lovely read
pickAs 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.
pickReissue 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...
pickHistorical 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.
so-soWhile 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.
pickFilled 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
so-soSchwab 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.
pickI 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
pickThis 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.
so-soI‘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!
pickThe 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!
pickFolklore 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!
Halfway through this book about 4 ancient cities and how they were abandoned. Biggest surprise so far is the extreme perviness of Pompeii. That and the proliferation of phallic imagery in the ancient world.
pickUber creepy modern fairy tale set in an abandoned amusement park. What could go wrong? New YA horror/fantasy out in May. Review at https://itsallabouthebook.org
pickFans of Anne Cleeves and Val McDermid will enjoy this new one from the creator of Broadchurch. Begins with a gruesome & weird death.
pickI adore Elizabeth Penney‘s cozy mystery series and found this new one, set in an ancient castle turned into a B&B on the Yorkshire coast, just as fun. See my thoughts here - https://itsallaboutthebook.org
Vibing on cozy mysteries. This one‘s pretty good but, jeesh some of them are SO BAD! Who are some of your favorite cozy authors?
pickFinished this collection of short stories and posted about it at https://itsallaboutthebook.org. There are some excellent stories here!
Just started this delightful Italian mystery. The writer has a wonderful vocabulary and uses language beautifully.
I‘ve been retired a month and am finally getting back into my reading groove! The last few months have been packed with lots of activity complicated with plenty of emotion as I prepared to end a 44 year career in libraries. I‘m enjoying this anthology of mystery/suspense stories a lot!
Retirement Goal: Reading in a comfy chair with a goat on my lap! 😂😂
Finally remembered to post my #hyggehour tonight! Comfy cozy with John Larison.
@TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @AllDebooks
This unseasonably warm, windy & wet day in western NY calls for some relaxing, cozy audio-stitching! Have been thoroughly enjoying Agatha Christie audiobooks narrated by Hugh Fraser.
