By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968) Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence) We first met Tommy & Tuppence at the end of the Great War. Mr. Beresford had once had red hair. There were traces of the red still, but most of it had gone that sandy-cum-grey colour that red-headed people so often arrive at […]
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Revelations (2016) Lydia Sherrer (The Lily Singer Adventures) Book two finds Lily wanting to learn more about her family. Also, her cat decides to imbue himself with magic. Returning to her patch of sunlight and pile of papers, she was horrified to find Sir Kipling licking the clay fragment. “Stop […]
Butter, Sugar, Magic (2022) Jessica Rosenberg (Baking Up a Magical Midlife) Cassie wasn’t happy, exactly, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t thrown for a loop when she discovered her husband was divorcing her. Max, her father and my husband of almost twelve years, decided out of the blue he was moving out and we had […]
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: Beginnings (2016) Lydia Sherrer (The Lily Singer Adventures) Lily Singer is a wizard. She didn’t learn this until she went away to college, but she quickly acquired a mentor, and even a friend who was a witch (much to the chagrin of her mentor, as the witch is her nephew). […]
N or M? (1941) Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence) It’s 1940 and both Tommy & Tuppence feel useless. “Well, come on, out with it. Nothing doing?” “Nothing doing. They don’t want me in any capacity. I tell you, Tuppence, it’s pretty thick when a man of forty-six is made to feel like a doddering grandfather. […]
The Gorgon Agenda (2023) Lisa Shearin (SPI Files) I seem to have forgotten much of the previous book. But now I check the publication date, I bought it a the end of March 2021, so, yeah, that explains it. The Aegis–the mythical shield with Medeusa’s head head embedded in the center, has been stolen from […]
Partners in Crime (1929) Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence) A set of intertwined Tommy & Tuppence short stories. A Fairy in the Flat A Pot of Tea The Affair of the Pink Pearl The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger Finessing the King The Case of the Missing Lady Blindman’s Buff The Man in the Mist […]
Hide and Seek (2022) Josh Lanyon Andy was already headed home–to the small Maine town where his great uncle has his small antique store, but when he arrives, things are made even worse: his uncle was in the hospital after being badly beaten during a break in. It makes Andy’s reasons for running home seem […]
There Will Be Phlogiston (2014) Alexis Hall (Prosperity) Anstruther Jones is the Phlogiston Baron. Wealth beyond imagine from ignominious beginnings, he wants to be accepted not because he admires society, but because he wants to find companionship. Lady Rosamond Wolfram is on the marriage mart because it is expected of her. She will catch a […]
Legends & Lattes (2022) Travis Baldree Viv is read to retire from the life of an adventurer. She has her dream, and she has the treasure to make that dream come true, which is what leads her to Thune. After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. […]
Masters in This Hall (2022) K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) Set in England in 1899. John Garland might not have had everything, like his uncle and his cousin, but he was respectable and had a job he was good at. Until it all came crashing down. Now he is heading to his uncle’s house in hopes […]
Lessons for Survivors (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England in 1919. Jonty and Orlando both survived the war–although not without scars. “It would prove to me that everything was back to normal. That the last five years hadn’t spoiled the world forever.” They walked on in silence, each with his thoughts. “Do you […]
The Secret Adversary (1922) Agatha Christie (Tommy & Tuppence) The Great War is over, but things aren’t easy for those who served. I went out to France again, as you know. Then they sent me to Mesopotamia, and I got wounded for the second time, and went into hospital out there. Then I got stuck […]
The First Snow of Winter (2021) Joanna Chambers (Winterbourne) Set in England in 1814. Sam has returned to England missing both an arm and a direction for his life. And he doesn’t want the frivolity of the annual Christmas visit with his mother’s best friend. But his mother begs, so he remains. He does many […]
A Matter of Magic (1994) Patricia C. Wrede An orphan living on the streets of London, breaks into a caravan and is discovered not just to be breaking and entering, but also a girl masquerading as a boy! Girl eventually becomes the ward of her rescuer and falls in love with him! Now we have […]
Towards Zero (1944) Agatha Christie (Superintendent Battle) This one I remembered bits and pieces of. “It may be just by being somewhere— not doing anything— just by being at a certain place at a certain time— oh, I can’t say what I mean, but you might just— just walk along a street some day and […]
Murder is Easy (1939) Agatha Christie (Superintendent Battle) Luke Fitzwilliam has retired and is headed back to England from the Mayang Straits, wondering what he’s doing to do with himself. An odd exchange about murder with an old woman on a train had been easily dismissed. what was I saying? Oh, yes, somebody said that […]
The Geek Who Saved Christmas (2021) Annabeth Albert Gideon Holiday loves Christmas. He loves all the holidays, but he especially loves Christmas. Paul Frost is the neighborhood grump. He doesn’t check the neighborhood Whatsapp group, and he doesn’t decorate for Christmas. But the neighborhood collections donations from people who drive through, so Gideon has a […]
A Bump In Boohail (2022) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) Why? Because it’s silly and fun. Cinnamon is probably my favorite character in tise series, or that could just me identifying with her because I also hate being scared. Stone scraped against stone. I turned, and the Gargoyles had moved from their sitting position to freeze […]
Soul Taken (2022) Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson) Book Thirteen. I’m still preordering Patricia Briggs books, but after Wild Sign I was a little hesitant to start this one. I can only handle so much trauma happening to characters before I have to bow out. Although Mercy was hurt in this book, it was the usual […]
Murder by the Book (2018) Lauren Elliott There was a lot happening in this story. “The first incident was almost a year ago. My fiancé, David, was murdered in our apartment in Boston.” “About six months ago, my father was killed in a car crash, not far from here, actually. Pen Hollow, just down the […]
The Holiday Trap (2022) Roan Parrish Greta has had it with her family. She may love them, but that doesn’t change things. “I know it’s Chanukah and I know your family, but I must introduce you to my friend Boundaries, and her best friend, Also Boundaries.” Truman needs to get away. “I left. Excuse me […]
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929) Agatha Christie (Superintendent Battle) As threatened at the end of The Chimneys Lord Caterham has let Chimneys to those who would like to stay there. While Sir Oswald and Lady Coote were there, one of their visitors, Gerald Wade, died unexpectedly, at the same time the other young visitors were […]
Posthumous Education (2022) Drew Hayes (Fred, the Vampire Accountant) Fred, the Vampire Accountant, Book 8 This series remains a delight. As usual there are five sections, each a full story but all intertwined. An Unexpected Enrollment An Eventful Guest Lecture An Impromptu Field Trip A Hectic Homecoming The Commencement That’s right–Fred is going back to […]
The Secret of Chimneys (1925) Agatha Christie (Superintendent Battle) Honestly, I have absolutely no memory of this book. I read only a handful of the Poirot books, and I remember some of the Tommy & Tuppence books, but this? And Superintendent Battle? The only thing that was familiar was the title (and I actually thought […]
Spectrum Women: Walking to the Beat of Autism (2018) edited by Barb Cook & Michelle Garnett A collection of essays where autistic women describe life from a female autistic perspective, and present empowering, helpful and supportive insights from their personal experience for fellow autistic women. Prologue: Barb Cook Chapter 1: Finding Your Tribe by Maura […]
Taking Charge of Adult ADHD: Proven Strategies to Succeed at Work, at Home, and in Relationships (2021) Russell A. Barkley and Christine M. Benton I skipped around a lot in this book. First, I skipped the entire first section, since I was reading this book after a diagnosis of ADHD. I also looked for sections […]
We’re Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation (2021) Eric Garcia This is book where I jumped from section to section, looking for bits that were pertinent to what I needed at the time I picked it up. It is one of many books I need to reread more thoroughly, now I’ve had time to process […]
Knowing Why: Adult-Diagnosed Autistic People on Life and Autism (2018) Autistic Self Advocacy Network This is an anthology of essays from a diverse group of adult-diagnosed autistic people. Introduction by Elizabeth Bartmess Emerging From Burnout by Erin Human Being the Dictionary: On Passions, Diagnosis, and Integration by A.J. Odasso Sensory Issues and Social Inclusion by […]
Uniquely Human: Updated and Expanded: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015) Barry M. Prizant I get why this was the first book the doctor recommended to me. Really, I do. The diagnoses were a lot to take in (at any age, but especially this late in ones life) and there is always stigma attached […]
Delilah Green Doesn’t Care (2022) Ashley Herring Blake (Bright Falls) Delilah left Bright Falls and said she would never look back. But although her photography is slowly taking off, she can’t turn down a (well-paid) request to spend two weeks photographing her step-sister’s wedding. It was a reflex, this feeling, left over from a childhood […]
Paranormal Bromance (2014) Carrie Vaughn What happens with three Gen-X slackers are turned against their will? They become roommates. After being turned, I had been terribly disappointed to learn that vampires still had to do laundry, that we didn’t have some supernatural power that kept our clothing ageless and immortal as well. That bit goes […]
Wonton Terror (2019) Vivien Chien (A Noodle Shop Mystery) It seems I had read the first book in this series, and was no more impressed by that book than with this one. First, there were several instances of a wrong word being used, which ended up completely confusing me. I’d toiled all night with the […]
All Lessons Learned (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England and France in 1919. The war they said would end all conflicts. Only time would tell if that were true, that never again would Europe march into battle, but plenty of lives had been invested in trying to test the supposition, young men laid […]
Make a Scene (2020) Mimi Grace Besides battling with the new gym next to her bakery about staff parking, things have been going well for Retta. But when her cousin and ex-boyfriend announce their engagement, she decides something needs to be done–namely, finding a boyfriend to take to the wedding. “All right, so this crisis—” […]
Blitz (2022) Daniel O’Malley (The Checquy Files) This is the third book in The Checquy Files series. The story is split between London in (probably) 1940 and modern London (set perhaps a year after Stiletto, which was set maybe six months of the Rook, so ~2013) in (seemingly) unrelated stories. You of course know the […]
A Restless Truth (2022) Freya Marske (Last Binding) Set in England prior to The Great War, around 1907 or 1908. Maud Blyth went to America to find Elizabeth Navenby and warn her she is in danger. Unfortunately, barely before the have left port, Mrs Navenby is killed, and Maud feels partially to blame. Luckily, her […]
The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side (1962) Agatha Christie (Miss Marple) One had to face the fact: St. Mary Mead was not the place it had been. In a sense, of course, nothing was what it had been. You could blame the war (both the wars) or the younger generation, or women going out […]
Good Enough to Eat (2015) Alison Grey & Jae (The Vampire Diet) After nearly killing someone on New Year’s Eve, Robin has decided to give up drinking for good. But for a vampire, drinking is what keeps her alive, so looking for support, she ends up at an AA meeting. Alana gave up everything for […]
Crown Court Killer (2022) Dahlia Donovan (London Podcast Mystery) Dannel and Osian are once again pulled into a murder mystery, when their friend (and defense soliciter) Wayne is accused of murder. “Barristers tend to specialise in certain areas of the law. They’re often brought in on complicated cases to handle matters in court.” Bradley spoke […]
Loud and Clear (2016) Aidan Wayne Another mental hug for me. Jaxon was getting the feeling that was his default way of coping with the world. Blanking himself out when things got tough. Jaxon used to do the same thing but with anger, till he’d gotten better ways to cope. If he wanted to do […]
Jericho Candelario’s Gay Debut (2018) R. Cooper I just needed the mental hug. Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble was rough on my mental well-being. He and Jerry had argued once, in their way, about the difference between Lincoln working for his dream and doing what he loved, and why Jerry might be tired at […]
Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble (2022) Alexis Hall (Winner Bakes All) I should not have read this book. Main character with an undiagnosed anxiety disorder (that does get diagnosed), on-page panic attack, hospital stay due to panic attack, treatment plan for anxiety disorder discussed, emotionally unavailable parents, very graphic swearing, cyberbullying, religious and racial […]
Miss Vee and the Lecherous Lawyer (2020) Delilah Knight This has the bones of a good story. However, the editing was poor enough that paragraphs seemed out of order, and there were continuity errors. And I am pretty sure the police didn’t have grounds for arrests, which made that part of the story problematic. Additionally, […]
The Doctor (2022) C.S. Poe (Magic & Steam) Set in alternate US in 1882. Gillian Hamilton has been caught. He has been exposed as Simon Fitzgerald, the Butcher of Antietam. And he is now on Blackwell’s Island at the Asylum for the Magically Insane. “Why are you helping a criminal?” Barrie wiped his nose again. […]
Proper Scoundrels (2021) Allie Therin (Roaring Twenties Magic) Set in England in 1925. Me: I really liked this first series that this book is a spin-off of. Obviously I should not read it. (Repeat time and again for author after author) Sebastian de Leon spent the past three years enthralled, and forced to do terrible […]
The Pride of Garnet Run (2022) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run) This is a Garnet Run story set between Best Laid Plans and The Lights on Knockbridge Lane that came out this fall. Cameron returned to Garnet Run after unable to work as a musician. He works as a barista because he never quite figured out […]
The Rivals of Casper Road (2022) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run) This is the fourth book in the Garnet Run series (actually the fifth, because there is a novella in there as well) and the characters from those stories all make appearances here. Every year, the residents of Casper Road have a Halloween house decorating contest. […]
Witchmark (2018) C.L. Polk (The Kingston Cycle) Set in a world somewhat like England after WW I, but not really. Miles Singer escaped his family and ended up in the war between Aeland and Laneer, his medical schooling put to terrible use. Now he works as a psychiatrist in a veteran’s hospital, and is trying […]
Deadbeat Druid (2022) David R. Slayton (Adam Binder) This is the third book in the Adam Binder series, and unlike book two, does not end on a cliff-hanger. I’ll be honest, I was reading with a eye on the percent done, worried I’d get another cliffhanger. Luckily, it ended cleanly. This might be the final […]