Book Critic
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Review: Killer Kung Pao (A Noodle Shop Mystery #6) by Vivien Chien
How is it that we are already on the 6th book in this series? It feels like I just started reading it a few months ago….but I haven’t. I read the very first book before it came out and fell in love with this series. I adore Lana Lee and all the murdery goodness of the Asia Village not to mention every book I read leaves me craving Chinese food and I don’t even like Chinese food but I would kill for some noodles about three chapters in to every single book! Every time I see that Vivien Chien has a new Lana book coming out, I just automatically add…
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Review: Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin
I have been looking forward to this book all summer long. It has been on my radar since the spring and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it and start reading. I absolutely love the Brontes and a book like this just sounded so incredible! Not to mention that cover is totally giving me all the heart eyes. What I was most excited for in this novel was that it would explore the story of the Bronte’s brother rather than the famous and talented sisters. It screamed new and exciting for me and since this is the author’s debut novel, it was just begging to be read and…
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Review: The Girl from Vichy by Andie Newton
Last year I read Andie Newton’s debut novel, The Girl I Left Behind, and I loved it. After reading that debut, I was so excited to see what she came up with next. Newton is a strong and rising voice in the historical fiction genre so when I saw this was her next book, I couldn’t wait to check it out! Not only is this cover absolutely stunning, but the summary sounded incredible. Obviously I am a big fan of historical fiction and I am always looking for a new and exciting author’s to watch and this author is right up there at the top of my up and coming…
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Special Feature and Author Interview: Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
If Lovecraft Country hasn’t been on your radar by now, it should be. Not only is it about the be a big HBO series, produced by some big names like J.J. Abrams, but it’s also incredibly relevant to current events and racial climate in our country. Tomorrow night is the premier and you better believe I am watching it tomorrow night after the kiddo goes to sleep! What really catches my eye about this one is that it’s a horror story set in Jim Crow America. Having officially made horror part of my regular reading rotation, this book came at just the right time for me. With themes of racism…
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Review: A Little Bit of Grace by Phoebe Fox
I had no idea what this book was going to be about. I mean sure it had a summary of course, but in the sea of women’s fiction, many of the summaries as well as the covers tend to blend together. That’s what was happening for me with this book. The cover was cute but didn’t really stand out for me, the title also cute but didn’t grab me, and the summary sounded nice but not memorable. But let me tell you what was memorable—-the little notecard that came with the ARC stating ‘be a peacock not a pigeon’. It brought the biggest smile to me face and I immediately…
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Review: Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon (Audible Edition)
I’ve seen this book off and on my social media the last couple of months but I wasn’t entirely sure about it. I mean I grew up playing The Oregon Trail game on the computer (best game ever!) and since I live in Oregon I have studies the Oregon Trail extensively and frontier culture especially for my masters. But for whatever reason this book just didn’t grab me right away when it came out. But after a few dud books I really wanted to read some thing that I was sure would catch my interest and feel different. I decided to bite the bullet and download the Audible edition as…
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Review: The Last Mrs. Summers (Her Royal Spyness #14) by Rhys Bowen
I have been a long time Rhys Bowen fan and I have been trying to get caught up on the Royal Spyness series for the last year. I have been reading the later mysteries out of order but going back and trying to read the earlier ones so I can have a better appreciation for the characters and their back stories. I love Georgie and all the quirky characters in this series and when I saw another book was coming out I couldn’t wait to check it out even though I wasn’t entirely caught up with the series over all.
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Review: Paris Never Leaves You by Ellen Feldman
It’s so hard for me to turn down a story set in Paris. There’s a reason that Paris is called the city of romance and I simply love it and can hardly pass it up when a book comes around set in Paris, especially war time Paris. This one sounded so incredibly promising that saying yes to it was easy. I love duel timeline narratives and this one sounded like it would be such a fun escape read. This is a new to me author but she has written a few other books that I had heard of and I was eager to pick this one up and start reading.
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Review: The First to Lie by Hank Phillippi Ryan
I only just discovered Hank P Ryan last year when I read, The Murder List. I absolutely loved The Murder List and couldn’t wait to read more by this incredible author! Not only is she a wonderful writer but she is also a sweet, thoughtful, and kind person! I have loved getting to know her over this year and I was even more excited to read this book when it came up for review. I had to restrain myself when this book arrived. I was so tempted to toss aside whatever I was reading at that time and start this one instead but I held off until it was closer…
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Review: The Enforcer Enigma (San Andreas Shifters #3) by Gail Carriger
Last month I had the pleasure of reading one Gail Carriger’s latest books and this month I was able to squeeze this one in. As you might recall, I love her books because her world building is so rich and detailed with so many fun characters that stand out and that I want to read about! This series has been a fun read and focuses on shifters and werewolves which normally aren’t really my fav but I love Carriger and she never disappoints!