11. Dead Letter Days by Kelley Armstrong

#.5 Haven's Rock

Read - Kindle eBook
87 pgs.
2023
Adult Novella

Finished 1/31/24
Goodreads rating: 4.36
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary Yukon woods

My comments: Unlike all the other Casey Duncan/Rockton books, this one is from Dalton's point-of-view.  There are a couple of fairly easily solved mysteries, Dalton's dealing with his own childhood miseries, and then Eric and Casey actually get married.  I really like this one, not too repetetive (short!) and quite interesting.

Goodreads synopsis:  Eric Dalton spent most of his life in Rockton, a hidden town in the Yukon for people who need to disappear. Now that sanctuary is gone, and he’s holed up in a wilderness lodge with his girlfriend, Casey Duncan, and their friends, as they scout for a place to build their own Rockton. When Eric and Casey find a literal message-in-a-bottle, it leads them to the mystery of a woman who went missing decades ago, having never received that vital message. As they investigate that cold case, Dalton must finally lay to rest the ghosts of his own past and make some overdue decisions before he’s ready to step forward in his new life with Casey.

Note: This is not a full-length novel. It’s a novella set between the end of the Rockton series and the beginning of the Haven’s Rock spinoff

10. The Court of Shadows by Victor Dixen

#1 Vampyria

listened on Audible

translated from French by Francoise Bui

364 pgs.
copyright 2020
Adult Fantasy/Vampires

Finished 1/29/24
Goodreads rating: 3.80
My rating: 3.5
Setting: Versailles, France, 300 years after Louis XIV was on the throne

My comments:  The minute I saw Victor Dixen's name, I decided I must read this book.  I read the Phobos series and loved it.  It always takes a bit for his books to be translated, and I'm ever so glad this was put into an audio book.  The reading was lovely, except for when the names were read - all with a very quick, totally French accent.  Couldn't understand them.  At all.  And I took French for years!

     I'm not certain I ever really liked Jeanne/Diane, the protagonist.   The beginning was a bit boring, typical Vampire stuff.  The second part of the books was much more creative and interesting, with an unexpected ending to be savored.  Looking forward to number two in the series, which should be in America around July.

Goodreads synopsis:  A fiery heroine seeks vengeance against a royal court of deadly vampires in this epic alternate history set in lavish Versailles.

Louis XIV transformed from the Sun King into the King of Shadows when he embraced immortality and became the world’s first vampire. For the last three centuries, he has been ruling the kingdom from the decadent Court of Shadows in Versailles, demanding the blood of his subjects to sate his nobles’ thirst and maintain their loyalty.

In the heart of rural France, commoner Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family and learns of her parents’ role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. To seek her revenge, Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers. She soon finds herself at the doors of the palace of Versailles.

But Jeanne, of course, is no aristocrat.
She dreams not of court but of blood.
The blood of a king.

9. Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

listened on  Audible
101 pgs.
2024
Adult Rom Com - Short Story

Finished 1/27/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.39
My rating: 5
Setting: Contemporary colleges across America

My comments: Absolutely adorable.  Written almost entirely in emails. Cute short story about a high school boy and girl who mistakenly emailed each other on Valentine's Day in 2014 and continued the correspondence annually until 2023, when they were in grad school.  They'd never given each other much information about themselves, including their names, only knowing they'd both grown up in Irvina, California.  So much fun!

Goodreads synopsis:  On February 14, an accidental email to a stranger opens the door to an unexpected relationship in a captivating short story by the New York Times bestselling authors of The Unhoneymooners.

One typo, and a boy and girl connect by chance. Wishing each other a happy Valentine’s Day isn’t the end. In fact, it becomes a friendly annual tradition—with rules: no pics, no real names, nothing too personal. As years pass, the rules for their email “dates” are breaking, and they’re sharing more than they imagined—including the urge to ask…what if we actually met?

Christina Lauren’s The Exception to the Rule is part of The Improbable Meet-Cute, irresistibly romantic stories about finding love when and where you least expect it. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

8. The GIlded Cage by Luisa A. Jones

listened on Audible

2023
332 pgs.
Adult Historical Fiction
Finished 1/26/24
Goodreads rating: 4.23
My rating: 4.5
Setting: Very beginning of the 20th century, England

My comments: The Goodreads synopsis gives a taste for the story, which was actually quite mesmerizing, so I won't mention here.  I used to, years ago, love the "gothic" novels of Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt, which this reminded me of -- EXCEPT there was a little bit more description of the sexy parts.  There was a lot of physical abuse, mainly referred to but not described much (a good thing?), and plenty of psychological abuse, which was not glossed over.  Other than feeling depressed and frantic for the things that were happening to the protagonist at the hands of a husband she did not speak up against, I looked forward to returning to this narration as frequently as I could.  

Goodreads synopsis:  1897. Rosamund bows her head and steps slowly down the aisle. The satin of her gown whispers against the stone floor and a single tear falls into the bunch of yellow roses twisted in her trembling hands. Despite rumours of his cruelty, Rosamund has no choice but to become this man’s second wife. After her wedding, Rosamund finds herself trapped in Sir Lucien Fitznorton’s lonely country estate. As she wanders the chilly halls, made shadowy by drapes of heavy velvet, she longs for the lost comforts of her childhood home, where she was the beloved only daughter to a doting father, now buried miles away. As a young woman with no fortune of her own, only death can release her from this misery. Until she meets Joseph , her husband’s gruffly handsome new chauffeur. With his mop of salt-and-pepper hair and lilting accent, Joseph is from another world. One of clambering children and tea at scrubbed kitchen tables, the hollow scratch of hunger and long hours of hard work. Despite their differences, they find themselves increasingly drawn to one other. But Sir Lucien is not only cruel, he’s devious too, and soon Rosamund finds herself caught in a dangerous web of secrets and lies. Is Rosamund’s fragile marriage nothing but a golden cage, trapping her between two men who desire her… and to what end? One holds her captive and the other offers a hope of escape… but who really holds the key to Rosamund’s gilded prison? A gripping and emotional historical novel, fans of Lucinda Riley and Tracy Rees won’t be able to put this book down.

7. Night Owl by Andrew Mayne

#1 Trasker

listened on Audible & Kindle

2023
312 pgs.
Adult Mystery/Thriller?
Finished 1/21/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.18
My rating: 2
Setting: Contemporary California desert

My comments: Boring.  Too many different people and too many different character names flyng in and out way too fast.  Lots of scientific "stuff" that I didn't care about, which made it difficult to follow the plot.  Might have worked better as a READ rather than a LISTEN.

Goodreads synopsis:  A shocking act of sabotage draws a retired spy into a deadly conspiracy in an explosive thriller by an Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author.

After three decades in counterintelligence, Brad Trasker is retired, disillusioned, and dealing with a tragic loss. Spy games are behind him until he attends the launch of a next-generation aircraft. When the project of innovative aerospace CEO Kylie Connor explodes on the tarmac―nearly killing her in the process―Trasker is pulled back into the line of fire.

The mystery of the sabotage quickly deepens. All Kylie’s data has been wiped from the server. One of her engineers has disappeared. A seed investor has died in a suspicious car accident. And a cold-blooded murder raises the stakes even higher.

To discover who’s pulling the strings behind a dangerous conspiracy, Trasker needs to find a motive. Corporate espionage, revenge, or something he can’t yet see? Targeted by assassins, he finds himself overmatched when he realizes he can’t trust anyone―including Kylie. Too long out of a game he no longer understands, Trasker must adapt or die.

Stick of Butter Rice (with Mushrooms!)

1 c. uncooked long-grain white rice

1 can condensed French Onion soup

1 can Beef Consomé

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter sliced somewhat thinly

Spray 8 x 8 cooking dish

In pan, combine rice and soups

Arrange butter pats across top

** Sauté fresh or canned mushrooms in butter and lay across top (but can skip this if unavailable)

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 425.  Uncover and bake for 30 minutes more.

6. Blood Moon by Linda Castillo

#13.5 Kate Burkholder

listened on Audible

2022

64 pgs.
Adult Short Story
Finished 1/22/24
Goodreads rating: 4.01
My rating: 3
Setting: Contemporary Painters Mill, OH

My comments: Sort of a stupid-ish short story, a mysterious animal that everybody know isn't a bear (why?) - even though it's the size of one - is terrorizing different places in the woods, late one night.

Goodreads synopsis:  Chief of Police Kate Burkholder confronts a mysterious beast terrorizing the residents of Painters Mill in this new original short mystery from bestselling author Linda Castillo.

On a foggy spring night, an Amish man crashes his buggy after a large, unidentified animal spooks his horse. Kate Burkholder arrives on scene to find the man shaken and bleeding, claiming he was attacked by a large beast. But his description of the creature sounds like something straight out of the Amish folklore from Kate’s childhood. Throughout the night, more incidents of an aggressive animal on the loose are reported, putting the citizens of Painters Mill on edge. There’s a monster menacing the countryside, and Kate must follow its tracks into the dark woods along Painters Creek before violence tips over into tragedy.

5. Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

listened on Libby (borrowed from the library)

2023
389 pgs.
Adult Rom Com (w/steam)
Finished 1/19/24
Goodreads rating: 4.15
My rating: 3.75/4
Setting: Contemporary MIT (& other Boston Colleges) Academia

My comments: The physics department at MIT, where Elsie is up for a coveted position, has two branches, theoretical and experimental physics, which are very much at odd with each other.  And Jack, the darling (and head) of the department falls for Elsie the first time he sees her, when she is "fake dating" his brother to earn extra money.  This sort of comedy of errors is fun to read.  My biggest problem with the book is that the audio reader, Terese Plummer (who's quite good) is also the reader for one-of-my favorite series (Casey Duncan), and every now and then it would throw me off because I was taken to another place and setting just hearing her voice!  Fun book to read.

Goodreads synopsis:  The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

Cheesy Onion Crisps - YUM!

Slice an onion into thin slices.

On parchment on a baking sheet, put one slice on a pile of shredded cheese.

Sprinkle with ranch seasoning.

In oven (not sure of them) for about 12 minutes - watch them closely near the end because they can burn quickly.

4. The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

listened on Audible (purchased with one credit)

2024
304 pgs.
Adult contemporary ("gothic") mystery
Finished 1/17/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.12
My rating: 5
Setting: Huge mansion in contemporary NC mountains

My comments:  A contemporary "gothic" mystery told in three voices - two of them in real time and one in letters from 2013.  This is the first modern gothic that I've read that I've actually liked.  So well done!  Twists and turns, of course, and so many questions as you read along.  One rich, greedy family vs. a couple of cunning, clever women and a super kindhearted man.  Certainly kept me interested.  Whose accounting should I trust?

Goodreads synopsis:  When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge mountains. In the aftermath of her death, that estate—along with a nine-figure fortune and the complicated legacy of being a McTavish—pass to her adopted son, Camden.

But to everyone’s surprise, Cam wants little to do with the house or the money—and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Instead, he rejects his inheritance, settling into a normal life as an English teacher in Colorado and marrying Jules, a woman just as eager to escape her own messy past.

Ten years later, Camden is a McTavish in name only, but a summons in the wake of his uncle’s death brings him and Jules back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but coming home reminds Cam why he was so quick to leave in the first place.

Jules, however, has other ideas, and the more she learns about Cam’s estranged family—and the twisted secrets they keep—the more determined she is for her husband to claim everything Ruby once intended for him to have.

But Ruby’s plans were always more complicated than they appeared. As Ashby House tightens its grip on Jules and Camden, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Was there any truth to the persistent rumors following her disappearance as a girl? What really happened to those four husbands, who all died under mysterious circumstances? And why did she adopt Cam in the first place? Soon, Jules and Cam realize that an inheritance can entail far more than what’s written in a will—and that the bonds of family stretch far beyond the grave.

3. My Darling Bride by Ilsa Madden-Mills

listened on Audible

2023
327 pgs.
Adult Romance with steam...
Finished 1/16/2024
Goodreads rating: 4.10
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary NYC (with the beginning in the desert just outside Tucson!)

My comments: A steamy romcom set in a bookstore.  Take one six-and-a-half-foot exceedingly handsome football star and one thoughtful, conscientious (gorgeous, of course) bookstore employee who has raised her two younger siblings since they were very young, throw in a marriage-of-convenience/fake marriage trope and a few steamy sections ... and voila!  This is an excellently plotted story with great characters and, of course, an HEA.  Very enjoyable listening to on a frigid snow day.

Goodreads synopsis:  In a sizzling romance that sparkles with wit and depth, two wounded souls meet by chance in the desert and agree to get married, and their lives will never be the same.

On a normal day, Emmaline Darling isn’t a car thief. She’s just a simple girl who runs a bookstore and adores cats. But when she’s stranded in the desert and needs to get away from her dangerous ex-boyfriend, she picks her only option: swiping the keys to a famous football player’s Lamborghini and speeding away.

Football star Graham Harlan is in chaos. First he took a hit on the field that left him with a near-death experience, and now he’s promised his brother he’ll get married to secure the family inheritance. Trouble is he isn’t even seeing anyone.

Then a mystery woman steals his car. With his usual stubbornness, he tracks her all the way to Manhattan and gives her an ultimatum: marry me or I’ll press charges.

Her choice is obvious, only neither of them expect the sparks that ignite between them.

As the end of their arrangement looms, will Graham take a chance on love or let his darling walk away forever?

Homeless Blanket Afghan #21 - The Ubiquitous Afghan

Heather gifted me 3-one pound skeins of the perfect yarn for borders.  Unfortunately for me, two of them were too dark for me to see well enough to sew together (I can easily crochet with them, just not sew them together.)  So I decided to put the navy as the next-to-last round.  Then I got whimsical and decided to do my final round with a mid-green.  

5 rounds of color

1 round of navy

final round of green

3 squares = 22-23"      

       7 or 8 x 10?

       Dolores was 7 rounds, finished 6 x 8

       Georgina was 7 rounds, finished 6 x 9

       Prince Harry was 7 rounds, finished 6 x 9

         UBIQUITOUS FINISHED IS 6 X 9

Finished sewing this togther on 2/20/2024

2024 Charitable Contributions

1/9/24  Comfort Cases - Amazon wishlist (boys pj's & 2 books)    25.04

1/10/24  Days for Girls - Amazon wishlist (12 prs. cotton briefs)   22.48

1/11/24  Cattail Farms - Amazon - 24 cans Purina turkey shreds    19.84

1/15/24  Empty Bowls (held March 11 at Project Share)  (w/Sandy)   25.00

1/27/24  Cystic Fibrosis Fdtn (Trinity Kane, Pittsburgh walk, for her niece)   23.00

1/29/24  Radiant Hope, SPS Catholic Schools Week fundraiser, 2-$10 donations to 1st grade   20.00

3/2/24  St. Jude Children's Res. Hosp. (online) 24.00

3/2/24 Appalachian Audubon Socty (online) 24.00

3/2/24  Caitlin's Smiles - Amazon wishlist (12 24-pack Crayola crayons)   24.37

3/12/24  Chad Bruce Fdtn, Carlisle (Match Madness)    24.00

3/12/24  Project Share, Carlisle (Match Madness)   24.00

3/13/24  Crohn's & Colitis "Take Steps" Pittsburgh (Sarah Mann)    24.00

4/14/24  Fur-ever Loved - Amazon wishlist (32 cans wet cat food)  26.06

4/14/24  Saving Acres Farm - Amazon wishlist (2 tubs Fresh Step kitty litter)  24.78

4/14/24  Donors Choose:  "Warming Hearts & Heads" Mrs. Valdez, Winslow, AZ   23.00

4/20/24  Donors Choose:  "Spreading Kindness with Crochet" Mrs. Georgitsis, Warwick, RI    23.00

5/21/24  Donors Choose:  "Book Jacket Drive Chapter 9" Ms. Feldser, Steelton, PA    23.00

5/21/24  Saving Acres Farm- Amazon wishlist for foster family "KAS" (24 cans wet kitten food) 22.39

5/21/24  Project Share Virtual Share Shop   $24.67

6/2/24  Central PA Down Syndrome Awareness Group  23.00 plus "tip"  25.88

6/5/24  Carlisle Volunteer Firefighters Association     23.00

6/10/24  National Breast Cancer Fdtn. in memory of Chris Hazlett    $23.00

6/12/24  Heifer.org   1 flock of chicks  $20.98 (.98 is transaction fee)

6/30/24 GIFFORDS (End Gun Violence)    $23.00

7/14/24  United Way Carlisle "Fill the Bus" (Carlisle 4 Kids/Project Share)  $23.00 + .83 =  $23.83

7/17/24  Cattail Farms - Amazon - 24 cans wet cat food  $11.24 - subscribed for every 4 weeks

7/21/24  Healthy Steps Diaper Bank -Harrisburg (Melissa Rye family) Amazon wishlist (sz. 4/4 packs of 37)  $34.74

7/28/24  The Crayon Initiative   $23.00

8/8/24  Calendar Raffle - Emmaus Homeless Shelter  $20.00

8/9/24  Act Blue - Harris/Wenz  $23.00

8/13/24 Speranza Animal Rescue Inc.   $23.00

8/15/24 Cattail Farms - Amazon monthly subscription - 24 cans wet cat food   $17.79

8/17/24 The Nobody's Cats Fdtn. through My Giving Circle     $23.00

8/27/2024  Donors Choose:  "Organization and Visuals" Mrs. Mason, SpecEd, Las Vegas   $23. (In honor of Ella beginning her first steps toward becoming a Special Education educator)

9/7/24  Donors Choose "No Way Crochet!" Mrs. Jenkins, Henderson, NV     $23

9/11/24  Women's March (signage)      $11

9/16/24  Cattail Farms - 24 cans wet cat food Amazon monthly subscription     $17.79

9/17/24  Parkinson's Fdtn.       $23

9/17/24  Donors Choose "Feed the Hunger for Books"  Ms. Morris, Levant, ME     $23

9/25/24   Kickstarter - Charles Bruce Fdtn. - Micah      $23

10/15/24  World Central Kitchen (Hurricane Relief)      $23

10/16/24  Booograms, St. Patrick School Student Lighthouse      $23

10/21/24   Cattail Farms - 24 cans wet cat food Amazon monthly subscription     $17.79

11/7/24  Postal History Fdtn, Tucson       $23

11/9/24  Go Fund Me for Bonnie Tweedy Shaw     $23

11/16/24  Cattail Farms - 24 cans wet cat food Amazon monthly subscription     $17.64

12/3/24   Heifer Int'l (give where needed most)    $23   (plus 1.13 processing fee)   $24.13

12/5/24  Cattail Farms - Special Offer of $20 off $49 purchase     $35.57

12/7/24  Donors Choose "Passioknit for the People" Ms. Logan, Danbury, CT   $23

12/11 & 12/17 (gave twice) Hancock Cty. SPCA for Lisa McDaniel's birthday    $23 x 2

12/21/24  Cattail Farms - 24 cans wet cat food Amazon monthly subscription     $17.64

2. In a Jam by Kate Canterbary

listened on Audible (also on Kindle, but only read a small portion)

2022
480 pgs.
Steamy Rom Com
Finished 1/7/2024
Goodreads rating: 3.99
My rating: 4 

My comments: Set in contemporary Rhode Island in a small town on the coast, with a charming (though not entirely unexpected) plot with great characters - especially the 6-year-old niece that pretends she's a pirate and swears like one, too.  It didn't get steamy until at least a third of the way through, maybe even further, but is certainly did get steamy!  Told back and forth by the two protagonists, the voice of the male was particularly enjoyable.....

Goodreads synopsis:  When Shay Zucconi’s step-grandmother died, she left Shay a tulip farm—under two conditions.

     First, Shay has to move home to the small town of Friendship, Rhode Island. Second—and most problematic since her fiancé just called off the wedding—Shay must be married within one year.

     Marriage is the last thing in the world Shay wants but she’ll do anything to save the only real home she’s ever known.

     Noah Barden loved Shay Zucconi back in high school. Not that he ever told her. He was too shy, too awkward, too painfully uncool to ask out the beautiful, popular girl.

     A lifetime later, Noah is a single dad to his niece and has his hands full running the family business. That old crush is the farthest thing from his mind.

     Until Shay returns to their hometown.

CW/TW: absentee parent(s), brief mention of parent death, brief mention of parent chronic illness, mention of incarceration, mention of temporary foster care placement, reference to teenage teasing/bullying (not detailed, not explicit), brief incidence of fat-shaming, living with a neurodivergent child

Audible Purchases

2023 Purchases

The Island Cottage (Lovering) AUDIO 7.94

The Shadows of Pike Place (#2 in series) (Black) AUDIO 7.94

The Taken Ones (Lourey) AUDIO 3.17

Lying Beside You (Robotham) (Unl) AUDIO

Hard by a Great Forest (Vardiashvili) (1 Credit) AUDIO

Gilded Cage (Jones) AUDIO 7.94

Blood Moon (Castillo) (2.78)

The Heiress (Unl) AUDIO

The Skull (1 credit) AUDIO

In a Jam (audio bk 7.94) 12/29 also on Kindle

Butcher and Blackbird #1  (1 Credit) 12/16  (audio book)

The Puppets of Spelhorst  (audio bk 7.35) 12/14

All the Small Wonderful Things (audio bk 12.97) 12/14

Ginny Off the Map (Kindle 10.59) 12/14

The Bones at Point No Point #1 Thomas Austin (audio bk 5.29) 12/2

A New Eden: Sci Fi Space Thriller (audio bk 3.17) 11/28

Where Peace is Lost: A Novel (Kindle .77) 11/25

Night Owl - A Trasker Thriller (Mayne) (Kindle free) 11/15

Black Sheep (Rachel Harrison) (1 Credit) (audio book) 10/1

The Hike (Lucy Clarke) (1 Credit) (audio bk) 9/17

Silence for the Dead (St. James) (1 credit) (audio bk) 9/17

The Lost Library (Stead/Mass) (audio bk 7.71)  9/15

Nearly Mine #1 Grace Ford (Molly Black) (Kindle 0.00) 8/26

Throwaway Jane (#1? Pantelli) (Scott Wm Carter) (audio bk 7.94) also on Kindle

Dead Man's Wake #14 Mike Bowditch (1 credit) (audio bk) 7/1

These Silent Woods (Grant) (audio bk 7.94) 6/18

The Last Remains (Griffiths) (1 credit) (audio bk) 6/17

Snakebit - Bowditch short story (Kindle 1.04) 6/9

Hallowed Ground - Burkholder Short story (Kindle 0.00) 6/9

Homecoming (Morton) (audio bk 9.91) 6/8

The Locked Room (Griffiths) (audio bk 13.45) 6/8

The Night Hawks #13 Ruth Galloway (audio bk 15.81) 5/31

The Next New Syrian Girl (1 credit) (audio bk) 5/14

Demon Copperhead (1 credit) (audio bk)

Warrior Girl Unearthed (audio bk w/$10 promo 8.33) 5/14

The Lantern Men (Griffiths) (1 credit) (audio bk) 5/4

Beyond Reason #1 Reese Link (Molly Black) (Kindle 0.00) 5/2

Simon Sort of Says (audio bk. 9.03) 4/22

A Girl Called Samson (Kindle 0.00) 3/17

The Swifts (Kindle 5.29) 3/15

Restart (Korman) (Kindle 2.11) 3/12

Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus (Kindle 7.41) 3/12

Murder at Haven's Rock #8 Casey Duncan (audio bk 1 Credit) 2/25

The Last Runaway (Chevalier) (audio bk 9.00) also on Kindle 3.17  2/14

Fall from Grace (Weaver) (audio bk 1 credit) 2/3

The Midnight Children (audio bk 11.49) 1/28

Northern Lights (Roberts) (audio bk 1 credit) 1/25

Attack of the Black Rectangles (audio bk 9.86) 1/19

Ellie Jordan Ghost Trapper #1 (audio bk 7.94) 1/8 also on Kindle

The Dark Angel - Griffiths (audio bk 1 credit) 1/7

The Birchbark House (audio bk 6.31) 1/4

The Art of Loving Libby Green (Kindle 0.00) 1/3

Knitlandia (audio bk 12.23) 1/1

2022 Purchases

She's Up to No Good (Confino) (audio 4.23) 12/6

Things You Save in a Fire (Center) (audio 7.94) 12/2

  ....................to be continued

Homeless Blanket Project #20 - The Trenton Afghan

After making 3 large cat blankets for Cattail Farms using this method, I decided to use the rest of my scraps of yarn together with two huge dark brown skeins I'd gotten from Herrschners to make a twin-sized afghan.  I cut, tied, cut again, and rolled a lot of balls, then began the crocheting during my New Year's break at Brian's (in Trenton, Maine).

1. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

listened on Libby

2023
416 pgs.
Adult Fantasy
Finished 1/2/24
Goodreads rating: 4.07
My rating: 4.5
Setting: contemporary VT, London, and Antarctica

My comments: Spells that are written in blood! Great settings (VT, London, Antarctica), mesmerizing story, cool plot, well-honed characters....what's not to like?

Goodreads synopsis:  Nominee for Best Fantasy (2023), Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2023)

In this spellbinding debut novel, two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family's library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection--a tale of familial loyalty and betrayal, and the pursuit of magic and power.

For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements--books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . .

2024 Reading

Book Girls Guide Challenge ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

Published in the Current Year - 2024

1.  The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins (5)

2.  Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren (5)

3.  Fragile Designs - Colleen Coble (2)

4.  The Island Cottage  - Jane Lovering (3)

5.  Light and Air - Mindy Wendell (4)

6.  Lovers at the Museum (short story) Isabel Allende (2.5)

7.  The Boy Who Cried Bear (#2 Haven's Rock) Kelley Armstrong (4)

8.  First Lie Wins - Ashley Elston (5)

9.  Bride - Ali Hazelwood (3.75/4)

10.  The Accidental Dating Experiment (2.5)

11.  The Women - Kristin Hannah (5+)

12.  Heartless Hunter (#1 Crimson Moth) - Kristen Cicccarelli (4)

13.  Expiration Dates - Rebecca Serle (3.75)

14.  How to Read a Book - Monica Wood (5)

15.  Pitch Dark (#15 Mike Bowditch) Paul Doiron (4)

16.  The Paradise Problem - Christina Lauren (3.75)

17.  The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman - Jennifer Choldenko (4)

       72.  Storm Child (#4 Cyrus Haven) Michael Robotham (4.5)

       73.  Not in Love - Ali Hazelwood (2)

       75.  The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center (5)

       82.  The Waiting (#6 Ballard/Bosch) Michael Connelly (5)

YA

1.  The Court of Shadows (#1 Vampyria) - Dixen

2.  Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD - Allison Britz

3.  Heartless Hunter (#1 Crimson Moth) - Kristen Ciccarelli

Middle Grade

1.  Light and Air - Wendell (4)

2.  The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman - Choldenko (4)

3.  Priscilla, Princess of the Park - LaMarche (4)

Historical Fiction

1.  The Gilded Cage - 1897 England

2.  Weyward - 1619, 1942, & contemporary England

3.  Signal Moon - 1943 & 2023 England

4.  Light and Air - 1935 upstate NY - tuberculosis

5.  The Broken Girls - 1950 & 2014 Vermont

6.  The Secret Book of Flora Lea - 1939 & 1960 England, WWII

7.  The Women - Vietnam

8.  Mexican Gothic - 1950 Mexico

9.  The Children's Blizzard - 1888 Dakota territories

    75.  A Fall of Marigolds - 1911 Shirtwaist Factory Fire and 9/11

Shorts

1.  Blood Moon (#13.5 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo (64. pgs.)

2.  Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren (101 pgs.)

3.  Dead Letter Days (#.5 Haven's Rock) Kelley Armstrong (87 pgs.)

4.  The Egg and Other Stories - Andy Weir (9 Very short stories)

5.  Tell Her Story - Margot Hunt (about 150 pgs., 2:52)

6.  Signal Moon - Kate Quinn (57 pgs.)

7.  Lovers at the Museum - Isabel Allende

8.  My Evil Mother - Margaret Atwood (32 pgs.)

9.  The House on the Water  - Margo Hunt (82 pgs.)

10.  Sleeping Dogs Lie - Samantha Downing (about 100 pgs., 2:08)

11.  One Little Mistake - Lucinda Berry (about 100 pgs., 2:23)

REAL Books

1.  

Series

1.  #13.5 Kate Burkholder - Blood Moon - Linda Castillo

2.  #1 Trasker - Night Owl, Andrew Mayne

3.  #1 Vampyria - The Court of Shadows, Victor Dixen

4.  #.5 Haven's Rock - Dead Letter Days Kelley Armstrong

5.  #1 Steinbeck & Reed - The Taken Ones, Jess Lourey

6.  #3 Cyrus Haven - Lying Beside You, Michael Robotham

7.  #2 Thomas Austin - The Shadows of Pike Place, D. D. Black

8.  #1 Rooker Lindsberg - The Man Burned by Winter, Pete Zacharias

9.  #2 Harbinder Kaur - The Postscript Murders, Elly Griffiths

10.  #2 Haven's Rock - The Boy Who Cried Bear - Kelley Armstrong

11.  #1 Crimson Moth - Heartless Hunter - Kristen Ciccarelli

12.  #1 Karen Pantelli - Throwaway Jane - Scott William Carter

13.  #2 Karen Pantelli - Lethal Beauty - Scott William Carter

14.  #2 Reese Link - Beyond Reach - Molly Black

15.  #1 Cara Kennedy - City Under One Roof - Iris Yamashita

16.  #15 Mike Bowditch - Pitch Dark - Paul Doiron

17.  #1 A Maine Clambake Mystery - Clammed Up - Barbara Ross

       72.  #4 Cyrus Haven - Storm Child - Michael Robotham

       82.  #6 Ballard/Bosch - The Waiting - Michael Connelly

4.5 or 5 Stars

1.  Ink Blood Sister Scribe (4.5)

2.  The Heiress (5)

3.  The Gilded Cage (4.5)

4.  Exception to the Rule (5)

5.  Dead Letter Days (5)

6.  The Taken Ones  (4.5)

7.  Georgie, All Along (4.5)

8.  Weyward  (5)

9.  Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD (4.5)

10. Signal Moon - Short Story (5)

11.  My Evil Mother - Short Story (5)

12.  Accidentally Engaged - Farah Heron (5)

13.  The Broken Girls - Simone St. James (4.75)

14.  First Lie Wins - Ashley Elston (5) 

15.  The Women - Kristin Hannah (5+)

16.  How to Read a Book - Monica Wood (5)

17.  One Little Mistake - Lucinda Berry (4.5)

18.  Harry's Trees - Jon Cohen (5)

19.  The Children's Blizzard - Melanie Benjamin (4.5)

     72.  Storm Child (#15 Cyrus Haven) - Michael Robotham (4.5)

     74.  The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center (5)

     82.  The Waiting - Michael Connelly (5)

DNF

1.  VenCo by Cherie Dimaline 

2.  The Marriage Act by John Marrs

Novels Read in 2024

January (11) 3166 pgs.

1.  Ink Blood Sister Scribe - Emma Torzs, 2023 Libby (4.5) 416 pgs. (1/2/24) gr

2.  In a Jam - Kate Canterbary, 2022 Audible (4) 480 pgs. (896 pgs.) (1/7/24) gr

3.  My Darling Bride - Ilsa Madden-Mills, 2023 Audible (4) 327 pgs. (1223 pgs.) gr

4.  The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins, 2024 Audible (5) 304 pgs. (1527 pgs.) gr

5.  Love Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood, 2023 Libby (4) 389 pgs. (1906 pgs.)

6.  Blood Moon (#13.5 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo, 2022 Aud (3) 64 pgs. (1970 pgs.)

7.  Night Owl (#1 Trasker) - Andrew Mayne, 2023 Audible (2) 312 pgs. (2282 pgs.) gr, sg

8. The Gilded Cage - Luisa A. Jones, Audible (4.5) 332 pgs. (2614 pgs.) gr (not on sg)

9.  Exception to the Rule - Christina Lauren, Aud (5) 101 pgs. (2715 pgs.) gr, sg

10.  The Court of Shadows (#1 Vampyria) Victor Dixen, 2020 Audible (3.5) 364 pgs.(3079 pgs.) gr, sg

11.  Dead Letter Days (#.5 Haven's Rock) Kelley Armstrong, 2023 Kindle (5) 87 pgs. (3166 pgs.) gr, sg

February (5) 1699 pgs.

12.  The Taken Ones (#1 Steinbeck & Reed) - Jess Lourey, Audible (4.5)  339 pgs. (3505 pgs.) gr, sg

13.  The Boyfriend Candidate - Ashley Winstead, 2023 Libby (4)  384 pgs.(3889 pgs.) gr, sg

14.  Lying Beside You (#3 Cyrus Haven) - Michael Robotham, 2022 Audible (4) 352 pgs. (4241 pgs.) gr, sg

15.  The Shadows of Pike Place (#2 Thomas Austin) D. D. Black, 2022 Audible/Kindle (3.5) 272 pgs. (4513 pgs.) gr, sg

16.  Fragile Designs - Colleen Coble, 2024 Audible (2) 352 pgs. (4865 pgs.)

March (13) ( 9 novels, 4 shorts) plus 2 DNF, 2704 pgs.

17.  Georgie, All Along - Kate Clayborn, 2023 Libby (4.5) 340 pgs. (5205 pgs.)

18.  The Egg and Other Stories - Andy Weir, 2017 Audible (3.5) audio only, 50 pgs? (5255 pgs)

19.  The Man Burned by Winter (#1 Rooker Lindstrom) - Pete Zacharias, 2022 Audible (4) 335 pgs. (5590 pgs.)

20.  Weyward - Emilia Hart, 2023 Libby (4.5) 416 pgs. (6006 pgs.)

DNF - VenCo by Cherie Dimaline 

21.  The Postscript Murders (#2 DS Harbinder Kaur) - Ellie Griffiths, 2020 Libby? (3.5) 315 pgs. (6321 pgs.)

22.  Obsessed: A Memoir of My Life with OCD - Allison Britz, 2017 Audible (4.5) 368 pgs. (6689 pgs.)

23.  Penelope in Retrograde - Brooke Abrams, 2023 Audible (4) 247 pgs. (6936 pgs.)

24.  Tell Her Story, 2022 Novella, (3.75) 150 pgs (7086 pgs.)

25.  Signal Moon - Kate Quinn, 2022 Audible short story (5) 57 pgs. (7143 pgs.)

26. The Island Cottage - Jane Lovering, 2024 Audible (3) 250 pgs. (7293 pgs.)

DNF - The Marriage Act by John Marrs

27.  Light and Air - Mindy Nichols Wendell, 2024 Kindle (4) 218 pgs. (7511 pgs.)

28.  Lovers at the Museum, a Short Story - Isabelle Allende, 2024 Kindle (2.5) 25 pgs. (7536 pgs.)

29.  My Evil Mother - Margaret Atwood (SS) 2022 Audible (5) 32 pgs. (7569 pgs.)

April (10)  2968 pgs.

30.  None of This is True - Lisa Jewell, 2023 Libby (2) 380 pgs. (7949 pgs.)

DNF - The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le

31.  The House on the Water - Margot Hunt, 2020 Audible (4) 82 pgs (8031 pgs.)  4/8

32.  Home Fire - Kamila Shamsie, 2017 Chirp (4ish) 276 pgs. (8307 pgs.) 4/9

33.  The Boy Who Cried Bear (#2 Haven's Rock) Kelley Armstrong, 2024 Libby (4) 339 pgs. (8646 pgs.) 4/11

34.  Sleeping Dogs Lie - Samantha Downing, Audible Novella (4.5) perhaps 100 pgs. (8746 pgs.) 4/11

35.  Stars and Smoke - Marie Lu, Libby (2) 370 pgs. (9116 pgs.) 4/12

36.  Accidentally Engaged - Farah Heron, 2021 Audible (5) 357 pgs. (9473 pgs.) 4/13

37.  The Broken Girls - Simone St. James, 2018 Libby, 336 pgs. (9809 pgs.) (5)

38.  First Lie Wins - Ashley Elston, 2024 Libby (5) 340 pgs. (10,149 pgs.) 4/29

39.  Caught - Harlan Coben, 2010 Chirp (4) 388 pgs. (10,537 pgs.) 4/30

May (10)

40.  The Secret Book of Flora Lea - Patti Callahan Henry, 2023 Libby (4) 355 pgs. 5/4

41.  Bride - Ali Hazelwood, 2024 Libby (3.75) 410 pgs.

42.  The Accidental Dating Experiment - Lauren Blakely, 2024 Aud(free) (2.5)

43.  The Women - Kristin Hannah, 2024 Libby (5) 480 pgs.

44.  Heartless Hunter (#1 Crimson Moth) - Kristen Ciccarelli, 2024 Libby (4) 416 pg.

45.  Throwaway Jane (#1 Karen Pantelli) - Scott William Carter, 2020 Libby (4.25) 314 pgs

46.  Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno Garcia, 2020 Libby (3) 320 pgs.

47.  Expiration Dates - Rebecca Serle, 2024 Libby (3.75) 272 pgs.

48.  How to Read a Book - Monica Wood, 2024 Audible (5) 288 pgs. 5/27

49.  Lethal Beauty (#2 Karen Pantelli) Scott William Carter, 2021 Audible (3.5) 298 pgs.

June (10)

50.  Yours Truly - Abby Jimenez, 2023 Libby (3.75) 416 pgs.

51.  The Night I Died - Anne Frasier, 2023 KindleUnlAudio (4) 283 pgs. 6/4

52.  The Half-Ork's Maiden Bride - Ruby Dixon, 2022 Aud (fun) 190 pgs. 6/7

53.  One Little Mistake - Lucinda Berry, 2021 AudNovella (4.5)100 pgs. 6/7

54.  Beyond Reach (#2 ReeMihise Link)- Molly Black, 2023 Chirp (3), 2022 Libby (4)

55.  The Forgotten Witch - Jessica Dodge, 2022 Kindle (2) 412 pgs.

56.  Harry's Trees - Jon Cohen, 2018  Libby

57.  City Under One Roof (#1 Cara Kennedy) Iris Yamashita, 2023 Libby (3) 301 pgs.

58.  Happiness Falls - Angie Kim, 2023 Libby (4) 387 pgs. 6/23

59.  The Berry Pickers - Amanda Peters, 2023 Audible (4) 307 pgs. 6/26

July (9)

60.  Pitch Dark (#15 Mike Bowditch) Paul Doiron, 2024 Audible (4) 304 pgs. 7/4

61.  The Paradise Problem - Christina Lauren, 2024 Libby (3.75) 352 pgs. 7/6

62.  Clammed Up (#1 Maine Clambake Mysteries) - Barbara Ross, 2013 Audible (3.75) 378 pgs. 7/9

63.  A Flicker in the Dark - Stacy Willingham, 2022 Libby (3) 357 pgs. 7/14

64.  Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, 2023 Libby (4)

65.  The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman - Gennifer Choldenko, 2024 Audible(4) 320 pgs.

66.  Priscilla, Princess of the Park - Pat Lamarche, 2020 Kindle () 111 pgs.  7/27

67.  The Children's Blizzard - Melanie Benjamin, 2021 Libby (4.25) 355 pgs. 7/27

68.  The Seven Year Slip - Ashley Poston, 2023 Libby (4) 352 pgs. 7/30

August  (3)

69.  Funny Story - Emily Henry, 2024 Libby (4.25) 395 pgs. 8/4

70.  Hunt the Stars - Jessie Mihalik, 2022 Libby (4) 419 pgs. 8/11 (Calif. week)

71.  The Burning (#16  Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo, 2024 Libby (4.5) 320 pgs. 8/21

September (2)

72.  Storm Child (#4 Cyrus Haven/Evie Cormac) Michael Robotham, 2024 Libby (4.5) 336 pgs. 9/21

73.  Not in Love - Ali Hazelwood, 2024 Libby (2) 384 pgs.

October (5)

74.  The Rom-Commers - Katherine Center, 2024 Libby (5) 336 pgs. 10/6

75.  A Fall of Marigolds - Susan Meissner, 2014 Libby (2.5) 370 pgs. 10/9

76.  Death at Morning House - Maureen Johnson, 2024 Libby (3.5)  384 pgs. 10/21

77.  The Cliffs - J. Courtney Sullivan 10/27

78.  The Dead Romantics - Ashley Poston,  2022 (3) 368 p. 10/31

November (3)

79.  You Shouldn't Be Here - Lauren Thoman, 2024 Kindle (2) 381 p. 11/12

80.  My Roommate Is a Vampire - Jenna Levine, 2023 Libby (4) 341 p. 11/15

81.  Ready or Not - Cara Bastone, 2024 Libby (4) 11/19

December

82.  The Waiting (#6 Ballard & Bosch) Michael Connelly, 2024 Audio (5)