Category: Books

Books, Reading

Special Feature: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Special Feature: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

I had the pleasure of discovering Shari Lapena’s books last summer with, The Unwanted Guest, and thought it was pretty good. I was definitely open to reading more books by her in the future.

I know that a lot of people love her books and this book, Someone We Know, is her latest and sounds like it’s going to be a thrilling release that you will want to read this fall!

I know that a lot of people love reading mysteries and thrillers in the fall and I am one of those people. This book is definitely going to be at the top of my reading list this fall.

It’s out today and early reviews speak high praise for this one, especially if you love domestic the thrillers like I do! Continue reading “Special Feature: Someone We Know by Shari Lapena” →

Books, Reading

Re Post Review: The Prisoner in the Castle (Maggie Hope Mystery #8) by Susan Elia MacNeal

by The Lit Bitch2 Comments on Re Post Review: The Prisoner in the Castle (Maggie Hope Mystery #8) by Susan Elia MacNeal

When I first discovered the Maggie Hope books back in 2012, I was overjoyed to find another new and exciting sleuth but this time with a new twist, she was more of a spy versus an amateur detective.

As time has gone by, I have grown incredibly attached to Maggie Hope and her author, Susan Elia MacNeal. I was one of the first readers of this series and one of the first people to openly love and rave about Maggie to anyone who would listen.

Since then, there have been eight books and each one so different from the other. Her character arc has gone in a number of different ways and while I haven’t loved every single change in her character, I am never bored and always come back to this series as an absolute favorite of mine.

I am thrilled to share with you guys that the eighth mystery is out now in paperback and I think could easily be read as a stand alone book. If you have been debating whether to pick up a Maggie Hope mystery or not, now is the time to pull the trigger! In honor of the paperback release this week, I have re posted my review of The Prisoner in the Castle for your enjoyment! Continue reading “Re Post Review: The Prisoner in the Castle (Maggie Hope Mystery #8) by Susan Elia MacNeal” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Summer Country by Lauren Willig (Audible Edition)

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: The Summer Country by Lauren Willig (Audible Edition)

To say that Lauren Willig is a favorite author of mine is the understatement of the year. Everything she touches is like magic for me. She is hands down one of my favorite authors and an author I have on auto-buy. Lauren Willig is historical fiction at its best—plain and simple.

When I saw this book was coming out and that it was set in the exotic location of Barbados, I knew it was going to be glorious and I had it on pre-order almost immediately. I was also gifted and early ARC of this book as well, but I knew between the cover and the author, I needed the finished product to put on my shelf!

When it came, I was knee deep in all my other summer reading and I was impatient to start this one, but it was also lengthy. So I decided to get it on Audible as well, that way I could listen to it when I was running my errands and alternate between reading and listening so that I could get it in faster! Continue reading “Review: The Summer Country by Lauren Willig (Audible Edition)” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

by The Lit BitchLeave a Comment on Review: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

Michelle Campbell is a new to me author, though I have had my eye on her debut novel, It’s Always the Husband, for over a year now. When this book came up for review, I was excited to try something by this author, even if it wasn’t the book that I had had my eye on for so long.

I enjoy domestic thrillers and this one sounded like it was going to be one of those books that I would devour in one or two sittings. And based on a number of other reviews that I had read,  most people would agree that this book could easily be read in a sitting or two since it was fast paced—like many domestic thrillers.

That’s why I needed up picking this book up rather late, I had it up for review on a Wednesday and started reading it on a Sunday afternoon with the hope that it would be a fast read that I would enjoy either at home or on the beach with my family. Continue reading “Review: A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell” →

Book Critic, Book Review, Books, Literary Criticism, Reading

Review: The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

by The Lit Bitch1 Comment on Review: The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore

The setting of this book instantly caught my eye and made me want to read it. It is set in Reconstruction Era Louisiana and features an undertakers assistant as the heroine. As many of you know, my Masters thesis was on women in Civil War nursing specifically Southern nurses through the Reconstruction era.

So to say that this book caught my eye was an understatement—I was practically chomping at the bit to read it! I finished my Masters degree three years ago, and since then I have not read a ton of books set in the Civil War or Reconstruction eras mostly because I felt burnt out but every once in a while, a book catches my eye and I can’t resist it—hence this book.

The other thing that excited me about this book was the main character, who is a freed slave who returns to the South to work as an embalmer. I thought this was an interesting angle and was excited to see how it played out in the story. Continue reading “Review: The Undertaker’s Assistant by Amanda Skenandore” →