1. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney

listened on Libby

2022
352 pgs.
Adult Mystery Thriller
Finished 1/5/2023
Goodreads rating: 3.84
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary British coastline (Cornwall?)

My comments: I knew that this book would be a difficult one to figure out, but I was determined. I was also wrong. I didn’t figure it out correctly, lol. Many of the books I read, gets smooshed together in my mind, but I think I will be remembering this one for a while…

Goodreads synopsis:  The New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns…with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in Nana’s crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed.

With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

Books to Look Forward To

(Check out Goodreads "Most Popular Books Published in January 2023 and the upcoming months for a good start)

1/1 The Rose and the Thistle - Laura Frantz

1/1 Hide (Det. Harriet Foster #1) - Tracy Clark (In my Audible Library - KUnlimAudio)

1/3 The Love Match - Prianka Taslim

1/10 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde #1) - Heather Fawcett (on hold TPPL)

1/10  Rough Sleepers: Dr. Jim O'Connell's Urgent Mission to Bring Healing to Homeless People - Tracy Kidder

1/17 Murder Book - Thomas Perry TPPL only has CD Must purchase on Audible?

1/19 Cold People - Tom Rob Smith (not yet at TPPL)

1/24 The Miniscule Mansion of Myra Malone - Audrey Burges

1/31 Exiles (Aaron Falk #3) - Jane Harper (on hold TPPL)

2/14/23  Lost Coast Literary (Ellie Alexander) out in paper 2021, out in audible 2/23 (not at TPPL)

2/21  Murder at Haven's Rock - Kelly Armstrong (CASEY!!)  (on hold at TPPL)

3/7 - Birnam Wood - Eleanor Catton (3/3 TPPL-no audio yet) Audio avail on Audible

3/14 - Red Queen - Juan Gomez-Jurado (coming out in Audible on 3/14)  Looks super, mystery/thriller

4/4  Homecoming - Kate Morton

4/4 - The Home for Wayward Girls - Marcia Bradley

4/25 - With My Little Eye - Joshilyn Jackson

May 2 - The Marriage Act by John Marrs audio version will be published (book published in January)

January 2023 Book Spin & Bingo/ TBR

The Singing Trees (Maine)	The Victory Garden	We Lie Here	Play Dead (Det. Kim Stone)	Knitlandia
2022 YA Novel	The Passport Project	Unpunished #2 Gardiner & Renner	Dark Objects	Violet and Jobie in the Wild
Flor’s Fiasco	Daisy Darker (Wait List at Library)	I Am Majood, Age 10 and Divorced	Keeper of Enchanted Rooms	Attack of the Black Rectangles
Dark Highway #3 Jessica Shaw	Bury the Dead in Driftwood	Ladies Man – Laura Cardinal, No Longer In Print!!	The Birchbark House Louise Erdrich Author Challenge	Northern Lights Bk Challenge – Arctic/Antarctic
The Dark Angel #10 Ruth Galloway	Hide #1 Harriet Foster, 2023 Pub	Ban this Book - Gratz	The Bodyguard (Wait List at Library)	Book Lovers (Wait List at Library)

1.  Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - Charlie N. Holmberg (kindle)

2.  Dark Highway - Lisa Gray (audible)

3.  The Victory Garden - Rhys Bowen (audible)

4.  The Singing Trees - Boo Walker (audible)

5.  The Passport Project - Kelly McIntyre (kindle)

6.  Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World - Clara Parkes (audible)

7.  Ban This Book - Alaz Gratz (paper)

8.  Unpunished - Lisa Black (Chirp)

9.  We Lie Here - Rachel Howzell Hall (audible)

10.  The Dark Angel (Ruth Galloway)  - Elly Griffiths (audible)

11.  I Am Mujood, Age 10 and Divorced - Nujood Ali (paper)

12.  Violet and Jobie in the Wild - (SPS library)

13.  Northern Lights - Nora Roberts (don't own - Feb. Read Around the US)

14.  Dark Objects - Simon Toyne (audible)

15.  Flor's Fiasco - Ruby Dixen (kindle)

16.  Bury the Dead in Driftwood (Garrison Gage) Scott William Carter (audible)

17.  Ladies Man (Laura Cardinal) J. Carson Black (Oops, low ratings and seems now OOP)

18.  Play Dead (Det. Kim Stone) - Angela Marsons (think I'd borrowed from the library)

19.  2022 Middle Grade Novel - Attack of the Black Rectangles

20.  2022 YA Novel

 

Add-ons for free spaces

21.  Wait listed at the library - Daisy Darker

22.  Wait listed at the library - Book Lovers

23.  Wait listed at the library - The Bodyguard

24.  2023 Pub - Hide

25.  Louise Erdrich (January Author) Birchbark House (bought on Audible)

READY TO READ next

in Audible:

Dark Angel (Griffiths) #10 Ruth Galloway

Birchbark House

Hide (#1 Harriet Foster) 2023

Signal Moon (Kate Quinn) short story

Knitlandia

The Unknown Beloved (Harmon) 1923

The Singing Trees (ME)

The Victory Garden IRhys Bowen)

The Lying Club (Annie Ward) Thriller

Dark Objects (Simon Toyne)

2023:

The Rose & the Thistle (may need to purchase)

Hide (have - Audible)

The Love Match (may need to purchase)

Encyclopaedia of Faeries 1/10 (may need to purchase)

Rough Sleepers (Tracy Kidder) homelessness in Boston NF (may need to purchase)

Author a Month Reading Challenge

 Author a Month Reading Challenge - through Litsy

Neighbor by Jack Merrill (for Ashley Bryan)

Neighbor

my friend is a gardener

my friend is a painter

my friend is a poet

my friend plays music

my friend

is magical

his voice is the voice of all the winds

the hot wind, the cold wind

the wind that blows through the trees

the wind that blows over the ocean

the wind that blows down city streets

the wind that blows golden fall leaves

and green spring grass

the wind that carries stories

that predicts the future and reveals the past

my friend's voice is the voice of animals

frog and hare, goat and crow, rooster and spider

he has the voice of children

and the voices of their fathers

and the voice of their grandmothers

yes, his is a big voice

that calls out proudly to the world

and yes, he is proud to be who he is

my friend

just so!

       Jack Merrill

My note:  I found this on Facebook today, posted by the Ashley Bryan Center

Jack's note:  "just so" is a Caribbean expression that roughly means "that's just the way it is"

Facebook note:  Jack and Erica Merrilll and their two kids were Ashley's neighbor and friend for over 40 years.

My note:  The Merrill family is a wonderful family....I taught both the kids and Erica was my friend and colleague at MDES for many years.  Jack is/was a lobster fisherman and one of the nicest people I've known.  They were "from" Islesford, but lived in NEH during the school year so the kids could attend MDES.

Read Around the World Challenge - Book Girls' Guide

 

Book Girls' Read Around the World Challenge

1.  January - Arctic & Antarctic

    Suggestions:  Northern Lights, Nora Roberts

                          Between Shades of Gray - Ruth Sepetys

2.  February - Western Europe

3.  March - Africa

4.  April - Islands

5.  May - Eastern Europe

6.  June - Australia

7.  July - Southern Asia

8.  August - Northern Asia

9.  September - Set on a Mode of Transportation

10.  October - Middle East

11. - November - North America

12.  December - South America

BONUS - Books Spanning Multiple Continents

Read Around the USA Challenge - Book Girls' Guide

 

Book Girls' Guide Post

1.  January - ME, NH, VT, MA, RI

     Things You Save in a Fire - Katherine Center (read in Dec. when the book suggestions were first published)

     

2.  February - AZ, CO, UT, NM, WY

3.  March - AL, FL, GA, SC, TN

4.  April - US Island  Territories (Puerto Rico, US. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa +)

5.  May - IA, KS, KY, MO, NE

6 - June - CT, DE, NJ, NY, PA

7 - July - AR, LA, MS, OK, TX

8 - August - CA, HI, NV, OR, WA

9 - September - Books with characters traveling across state lines

10 - October - AK, ID, ND, SD, MT

11 - November, NC, MD, OH, VA, WV, DC

12 - December - IL, IN, MI, MN, WI

2023 Reading

Read Around the USA Book Girl's List

2023 Reading Challenges      

TBR

 Published in the Current Year - 2023

1.  Hide - Tracy Clark (3)

2.  Murder at Haven's Rock  - Kelley Armstrong (4)

3.  The Lonely Hearts Book Club - Lucy Gilmore

4.  It's One of Us- J. T.Ellison

5.  Community Board - Tara Conklin

6.   Simon Sort of Says - Erin Bow

7.  Someone Is Always Watching - Kelley Armstrong

8.  The Karma Map - Nisha Sharma - 2023 

9.  Warrior Girl Unearthed - Angeline Boulley

10.   Happy Place - Emily Henry

11.  The Next New Syrian Girl - Ream Shukairy

12.  Beyond Reason (#1 Reese Link, ME cop) - Molly Black

13.  Hallowed Ground(#13.5 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo

14.   The Echo of Old Books - Barbara Davis

15.  Snakebit: A Mike Bowditch Short Story (#13.5) - Paul Doiron

16.  Chain of Thorns (#3 The Last Hours) Cassandra Clare

17.  Dead Man's Wake #14 Mike Bowditch - Paul Doiron

18.  Land of Broken Promises - Jane Kuo 

19.  The Last Remains (#15 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths

20.  An Evil Heart (#15 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo

21.  Someone Else's Shoes - Jojo Moyes

22.  Lone Women - Victor LaValle

23.  Nearly Mine (#1 Grace Ford, FBI) - Molly Black

24.  The Scenic Route - Christina Baker Kline

25.  Going Zero - Anthony McCarten

26.  Black Sheep  - Rachel Harrison

27.  Don't Forget to Write - Sara Goodman Confino

28.  The Spy Coast - Tess Gerritsen

29.  On a Night Like This - Liz Maverick

30.  Holly - Stephen King

31.  Meet Me at Christmas - Jenny Hale

32.  Butcher and Blackbird - Brynne Weaver

Middle Grade

1.  Attack of the Black Rectangles- A. S. King (5)

2.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus - Dusti Bowling (5)

3.  Momentous Events in the Life of  Cactus (#2 Aven Green) - Dusti Bowling

4.  Simon Sort of Says - Erin Bow

5.  Shelter - Christie Matheson

6.  Land of Broken Promises - Jane Kuo (Verse)

7.  Amari and the Night Brothers - B. B. Alston

8.  Ginny Off the Map - Caroline Hickey

YA

1.  Rachel's Story - Leigh Russell (3)

2.  The Art of Loving Libby Green - Bellebird James (4)

3.  Warrior Girl Unearthed - Angeline Boulley

4.  The Next New Syrian Girl - Ream Shukairy

5.  Chain of Thorns (#3 The Last Hours) Cassandra Clare

Shorts

1.  Hallowed Ground (#13.5 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo, 75 pgs.

2.  Snakebit: A Mike Bowditch Short Story (#13.5) - Paul Doiron. 99 pgs,

3.  All Systems Red - Martha Wells, 144 pgs.

REAL Books

1.  Land of Broken Promises - Jane Kuo

Series

1.  #2 Gardiner & Renner Unpunished - Lisa Black

2.  #1 Harriet (Harry) Foster Hide - Tracy Clark

3.  #10 Ruth Galloway The Dark Angel - Elly Griffiths

4.  #3 Jessica Shaw Dark Highway - Lisa Gray

5.  #11 Ruth Galloway The Stone Circle - Elly Griffiths

6.  #1 Finlay Donovan Finlay Donovan is Killing It - Elle Cosimano

7.  #4 Jessica Shaw Lonely Hearts - Lisa Gray

8.  #8 Casey Donovan/Rockton Murder at Haven's Rock - Kelley Armstrong

9.  #1 Whimbrel House Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - Charlie N. Holmberg

10.  #2 Finlay Donovan Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead - Elle Cosimano

11.  #3 Aaron Falk Exiles - Jane Harper 

12.  Someone Is Always Watching - Kelley Armstrong

13.  #12 Ruth Galloway -The Lantern Men 

14.  #13 Ruth Galloway -The Night Hawks - Elly Griffiths

15.  #1 Reese Link, ME cop - Beyond Reason - Molly Black

16.  #14 Ruth Galloway. The Locked Room - Elly Griffiths

17.  #13.5 Kate Burkholder, Hallowed Ground - Linda Castillo

18.   #5 Tracy Crosswhite, Close to Home - Robert Dugoni

19.  #13.5 Mike Bowditch, Snakebit: A Mike Bowditch Short Story- Paul Doiron

20.  #14 Mike Bowditch, Dead Man's Wake  - Paul Doiron

21.  #3 The Last Hours - Chain of Thorns - Cassandra Clare

22.  #1 Blood Ladders Trilogy - An Heir to Thorns and Steel (- M.C.A. Hogarth

23.  #15 Ruth Galloway - The Last Remains - Elly Griffiths

24.  #15 Kate Burkholder - An Evil Heart - Kate Burkholder

25.  #2 Cray & Blackwood - The Final Equinox - Andrew Mayne

26.  #1 Grace Ford, FBI - Nearly Mine -Molly Black

27.  #1 Thomas Austin - The Bones at Point No Point - D. D. Black

Book Girls' Guide Read Around the USA Challenge

1.  January - Things You Save in a Fire (Massachusetts)

2.  February - The Fire and the Ore (Utah)

3.  March (SC)

4.  April - The Secret Shopper (Guam)

Book Girls' Guide Read Around the World Challenge

1. January -  Northern Lights (Alaska-Arctic/Antarctic))

4.5 or 5 Stars

1.  Book Lovers - Emily Henry (4.5)

2.  Dark Highway (#3 Jessica Shaw) Lisa Gray (4.5)

3.  Attack of the Black Rectangles - A. S. King (5)

4.  Finlay Donovan is Killing It - Elle Cosimano (5)

5.  Lonely Hearts - Lisa Gray (4.5)

6.  The Matchmaker's Gift - Lynda Cohen Loigman (4.5)

7.  Found Object  - Anne Frasier (4.5)

8.  Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt (5)

9.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus - Dusti Bowling (5)

10.  The Lonely Hearts Book Club - Lucy Gilmore (4.5)

11.  It's One of Us - J. T. Ellison (4.5)

12.  Community Board - Tara Conklin (5)

13.  Unlikely Animals

14.  Simon Sort of Says - Erin Bow (5)

15.  Shelter - Christie Matheson

16.  Warrior Girl Unearthed - Angeline Boulley

17.  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid

18.  The Echo of Old Books - Barbara Davis

19.  Dead Man's Wake  #14 Mike Bowditch - Paul Doiron (4.5)

20.  The Last Remains (#15 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths

21.  These Silent Woods

22

.  Holly - Steven King (5)

Wall of Shame

60.  Jack (#1 Vegas Kings) Mckenna James, 2021

61.  Synnr's Saint - Kate Rudolph (#1 of 5) 2020

62.  The Stopover - T. L. Swan, 2019

Novels Read in 2023 (That aren't shameful, lol!)

January (11) 4099 pgs.

1.  Daisy Darker - Alice Feeney, 2022 Libby, (4) 352 pgs.  

2.  Book Lovers - Emily Henry, 2022 Libby (4) 377 pgs. (729 pgs.total)

3.  We Lie Here - Rachel Howzell Hall, 2022 Audible (3.5) 416 pgs. (1145 pgs. total)

4.  Unpunished (#2 Gardiner & Renner) - Lisa Black, 2017 Audible (2.5) 320 p. (1445 pgs. total)

5.  Hide (#1 Harriet Foster) - Tracy Clark, 2023 Audible (3) 377 pgs. (1822 pgs. total)

6.  The Dark Angel (#10 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths, 2018 Audible (4) 368 pgs. (2190 pgs. total)

7.  Dark Highway (#3 Jessica Shaw) Lisa Gray, 2020 Audible (4.5) 318 pgs. (2508 pgs.)

8.  Attack of the Black Rectangles - A. S. King, 2022 Audible (5) 272 pgs. (2780 pgs.)

9.  The Stone Circle (#11 Ruth Galloway)  Elly Griffiths, 2019 Libby (3.5) 373 pgs. (3153 pgs.)

10.  The Bodyguard - Katherine Center, 2022 Libby (4) 309 pgs. (3462 pgs.)

11.  Northern Lights - Nora Roberts, 2004 Libby (3) 637 pgs. (4099 pgs.)

February (7) 2522 pgs.

12.  Finlay Donovan is Killing It (#1 Finlay Donovan) - Elle Cosimano, 2021 Libby (5) 355 pgs. (4454 pgs.)

13.  The Fire and the Ore- Olivia Hawker, 2022 Audible (4) 400 pgs. (4854 pgs.)

14.  Lonely Hearts (#4 Jessica Shaw) Lisa Gray, 2021 Audible (4.5) 303 pgs. (5157 pgs.)

15.  The Matchmaker's Gift - Lynda Cohen Loigman, 2022 Libby (4.5) 320 pgs. (5477 pgs.)

16.  Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - Charlie N. Holmberg, 2022 Kindle/Audible (3.5) 347 pgs. (5824 pgs.)

17.  Found Object - Anne Frasier, 2022 Audible (4.5) 201 pgs. (6025 pgs.)

18.  Rachel's Story - Leigh Russell, 2021 Kindle (3) 244 pgs. (6269 pgs.)

19.  Murder at Haven's Rock (#8 Casey/Rockton) Kelley Armstrong, 2023 Audible (4) 352 pgs.(6621 pgs.)

March (4) 1390 pgs.

20.  Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelly Van Pelt, 2022 Libby (5) 360 pgs. (6981 p.)  3/10 GR

21.  The Art of Loving Libby Green - Bellebird James, 2021 Kindle (4) 251 pgs, (7232 p.)  (3/10)

22.  Exiles - Jane Harper (#3 Aaron Falk) 2022 Libby (4) 356 p. (7588 pgs.) 3/25

23.  Thank You For Listening - Julia Whelan, 2022 Libby (4) 432 pgs. (8020 p.)

April (6)

24.  Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead (#2 Finlay Donovan) Elle Cosimano, 2022 Libby, 357 pgs.

25.  Secret Shopper - Tanya Taimanglo,  2013 Kindle (2.5) 319 pgs.

26.  Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus - Dusti Bowling, 2017 Chirp (5) 4/16

27.  Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus (#2 Aven Green) - Dusti Bowling, 2019 Libby (3.5) 310 pgs. 4/22

28. The Dark Room - Lisa Gray, 2022 Aud (3) 285 pgs. 4/24 gr

29.  The House at the End of the World - Dean Koontz, 2022 Audible (4) 4/29 GR

May (12)

30.  The Lonely Hearts Book Club - Lucy Gilmore, 2023 Libby (4.5) 352 pgs. 5/2 GR

31.  It's One of Us - J. T.Ellison, 2023 Libby, 400 pgs. (4.5)5/5 GR

32.  Community Board - Tara Conklin, 2023 Libby (5) 5/9 GR

33.  Unlikely Animals - Annie Hartnett, 2022 Libby (5) 5/14 GR

34.  Simon Sort of Says - Erin Bow, 2023 Aud (5) 5/15 GR

35.  Someone Is Always Watching - Kelley Armstrong, 2023 Libby (4) 5/20 GR

36.  Deep - Melanie Bokstad Horev, 2023 Kindle (1.5) 5/24 GR

37.  The Karma Map - Nisha Sharma - 2023 Audible (3) 5/25 GR

38.  The Lantern Men (#12 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths, 2020 Audible (3.75) 373 pgs. 5/27 GR

39.  Shelter - Christie Matheson 2021 Book (4.5) 192 pgs. 5/28 GR

40.  Warrior Girl Unearthed - Angeline Boulley,  2023 Audible (4.5) 400 pgs. 5/29 gr

41.  Happy Place - Emily Henry, 2023 Libby (3.5) 400 pgs. 5/30 gr

June (8)

Camp Zero - Michelle Min Sterling listened to 68% of 304 pgs. = 207 pgs. gr

42.  The Night Hawks (#13 Ruth Galloway)  - Elly Griffiths, 2021 Aud (4) 322 pgs. 6/3 gr

43.  The Next New Syrian Girl - Ream Shukairy, 2023 Aud (3.75) 416 pgs. 6/9 gr

44.  Beyond Reason (#1 Reese Link, ME cop) - Molly Black, 2023 Kindle (3) 201 pgs.  6/16  gr

45.  The Locked Room (#14 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths, 2022 Audible (4.25) 368 pgs. 6/17 gr

46.  Hallowed Ground (#13.5 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo, 2023 Kindle (4) 75 pgs. 6/23 gr

47.  Close to Home (#5 Tracy Crosswhite) Robert Dugoni, 2017 Audible (4) 362 pgs. 6/24 gr

48.  The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid, 2017 Libby (5) 389 pgs. 6/25 gr

49.  The Echo of Old Books - Barbara Davis, 2023 Audible (5) 431 pgs. 6/27  gr

July (5)

50.  Snakebit: A Mike Bowditch Short Story (#13.5) - Paul Doiron, 2023 (4) 99 pgs. 7/1 gr

51.  Chain of Thorns (#3 The Last Hours) Cassandra Clare, 2023 Aud (3) 778 pgs. 7/16 gr

52.  A Closed and Common Orbit - Becky Chambers, 2016 Chirp (4) 365 pgs.7/26 gr

53.  Dead Man's Wake  #14 Mike Bowditch - Paul Doiron, 2023 Aud (4.5) 320 pgs. 7/31 gr

54,  All Systems Red - Martha Wells, 2017 Chirp (4) 144 pgs. 7/31 gr

August (4)

55.  An Heir to Thorns and Steel (#1 Blood Ladders Trilogy) M.C.A. Hogarth. 2015 Aud (3.5) 8/4 gr

56.  Land of Broken Promises - Jane Kuo , 2023 Book (4) 240 pgs. 8/6 gr

57.  The Last Remains (#15 Ruth Galloway) Elly Griffiths, 2023 Aud (4.5) 361 pgs. 8/7  gr

58.  An Evil Heart (#15 Kate Burkholder) Linda Castillo, 2023 Libby (4) 8/27

September (11)

59.  The Final Equinox (#2 Cray & Blackwood) Andrew Mayne, 2022 Kindle Unl, (3) 9/3

63.  Someone Else's Shoes - Jojo Moyes, 2023 Libby (4) 9/15

64.  Lone Women - Victor LaValle, 2023 Libby (4) 285 pgs. 9/17 gr

65.  Nearly Mine (#1 Grace Ford, FBI) - Molly Black, 2023 Kindle (3) 216 pgs. gr

66.  The Scenic Route - Christina Baker Kline, 2023 KindUnl (3) 43 pgs. gr

67.  These Silent Woods - Kimi Cunningham Grant, 2021 Audible (5) 275 p.  gr

68.  Amari and the Night Brothers - B. B. Alston, 2021 Audible (4) 416 p. 9/24 gr 

69.  Going Zero - Anthony McCarten - 2023 Libby, (4) 304 pgs. 9/30 gr

October (6)

70.  Black Sheep - Rachel Harrison - 2023 Libby (3.5) 289 pgs. 10/2 gr

71.  The Coppersmith Farmhouse - Devney Perry, 2017 Chirp (3) 352 pgs. 10/5 gr

72.  Don't Forget to Write - Sara Goodman Confino, 2023 Audible & Kindle (3.5) 334 pgs 10/9

73.  The Unknown Beloved - Amy Harmon, 2022 Audible & Kindle (3) 413 pgs. 10/23 gr

74.  The Curiosity - Stephen P Kiernan, 2013 Chirp (3) 434 pgs. 10/23 gr

75.  The Mist - Ragnar Jonasson, 2017 Chirp (3.5) 400 pgs. 10/26 gr

November (4)

76.  Didn't write it down, and now I don't remember!

77.  Silence for the Dead - Simone St. James, 2014 Audible (2.5) 11/22 gr

78.  The Spy Coast - Tess Gerritsen, 2023 Audible & Kindle (4) 11/25 gr

79.  An Unexpected Boyfriend for Christmas - 2021 Chirp (2) 11/26 gr

December

80.  On a Night Like This - Liz Maverick, 2023 Audible (2.5) 12/5 gr

81.  Holly - Stephen King -  2023 Libby (5) 12/5 gr

82.  The Bones at Point No Point (#1 Thomas Austin) - D. D. Black - 2022 Audible (3.5)12/10 gr

83.  Meet Me at Christmas - Jenny Hale, 2023 KindleUnl (3) 226 p. 12/16 gr

84.  Butcher and Blackbird - Brynne Weaver, 2023 Audible (3) 12/18 gr

85.  Ginny Off the Map - Caroline Hickey, 2023 Audible (4) 320 pgs.  12/29 gr

2019 Reading blogging ALL CAUGH0T UP!!

2018 Reading blogging all caught up

77. Gathering Dark by Candice Fox

listened on Chirp

2020
319 pgs.
Adult Mystery
Finished 12/13/22
Goodreads rating: 3.92
My rating: 4.5/5
Setting: Contemporary LA

My comments: Two points of view:  a female cop who's having a rough time with the rest of the cops in LA and an ex-con, ex-doctor who was convicted as an innocent person.  This book is rift with bad cops, which really, REALLY pissed me off to the point that I had to stop listening once in awhile.  Lots of tarnished characters...which is a great thing.  The plot is complicated and there are points that were really difficult to fathom because of so much ... badness.  But there's also positivity, lots and lots of it, and even humor thrown in.  I loved all the flawed personalities. I loved being kept on my toes throughout the story, and as unbelievable as it seemed in places, I really liked the way it was put together and told.  

Goodreads synopsis:  A convicted killer. A gifted thief. A vicious ganglord. A disillusioned cop. Together they’re a missing girl’s only hope.

Dr. Blair Harbour, once a wealthy, respected pediatric surgeon, is now an ex-con down on her luck. She’s determined to keep her nose clean and win back custody of her son. But when her former cellmate begs for help to find her missing daughter, Blair is compelled to put her new-found freedom on the line.

Detective Jessica Sanchez has always had a difficult relationship with the LAPD. And her inheritance of a multi-million dollar mansion as a reward for catching a killer has just made her police enemy number one.

It’s been ten years since Jessica arrested Blair for cold-blooded murder. So when Jessica opens the door to the disgraced doctor late one night she expects abuse, maybe even violence. What comes next is a plea for help…

Brussel Sprouts Cole Slaw

 

For base (Mix and Match):

     Pre-purchased cole slaw

     Shave brussell sprouts

     Shredded carrots

     Sliced green onions

     1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

     sunflower seeds

     1/2 c. dried cranberries (this was a really nice touch)

     1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese

For dressing:

     1/2 c. mayonnaise

     2 T. orange juice

     2 t. Dijon mustard

     2. t. sugar

     1/2 t. salt

     pepper to taste

Another recipe describes this dressing:

     1 c. mayonnaise

     1 T. apple cider vinegar

     1/2 t. celery seed

     1/2 t. salt

     1/4 t. pepper

 

2022 Charitable Contributions

3/12/22  Blanket for Military Vet Family  20.00

3/27/22  Donors Choose   21.00 (Tucson classroom)

5/22/22 St. Patrick School    25.00

10/26/22 Alzheimers   10.00

11/29/22 Brush Pen Art Markers for Christmas Tree/Giving at Carlisle Police Dept.  9.50

12/3/22  Ella's Fusion Hour-a-thon  25.00

12/10/22 SIX Afghans for the Homeless Blanket Project

     3-5 skeins for each, plus all sorts of assorted colors (have most receipts)  50 x 4.50 = 225.00 + tax

12/21  Charles Bruce Fdtn. (through Facebook) 25.00

74. Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

listened on Audible

2019
320 pgs.
Adult Chicklit
Finished 12/3/2022
Goodreads rating: 4.02
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary Rockport, MA

My comments: An almost too-good-to-be-true paramedic/firefighter moves to Rockport, Massachusetts to help her estranged terminally ill mother.  Too-good-to-be-true in that she is stronger, smarter, savvier than all the other (male) firefighters in her department.  At 26 years old she has sworn off love and has never even dated since two things happened on her 16th birthday - her mother abandoned her and she was raped.  But on her first day in her new job in Massachusetts she has partnered with a rookie firefighter who she instantly falls for.  Turned out to be a definite romance novel with a firefighting twist.

Goodreads synopsis:  Cassie Hanwell was born for emergencies. As one of the only female firefighters in her Texas firehouse, she's seen her fair share of them, and she's excellent at dealing with other people's tragedies. But when her estranged and ailing mother asks her to uproot her life and move to Boston, it's an emergency of a kind Cassie never anticipated.

The tough, old-school Boston firehouse is as different from Cassie's old job as it could possibly be. Hazing, a lack of funding, and poor facilities mean that the firemen aren't exactly thrilled to have a "lady" on the crew, even one as competent and smart as Cassie. Except for the handsome rookie, who doesn't seem to mind having Cassie around. But she can't think about that. Because she doesn't fall in love. And because of the advice her old captain gave her: don't date firefighters. Cassie can feel her resolve slipping...but will she jeopardize her place in a career where she's worked so hard to be taken seriously?

Katherine Center's Things You Save in a Fire is a heartfelt, affecting novel about life, love, and the true meaning of courage.

Homeless Afghan/Blanket #12 - The London

8 rounds

3-3-1-1

soft taupe

12/1 just started, have 5 finished, still working on the first skein of soft taupe

One skein of soft taupe = 7 squares plus first 1.5 rounds of an 8th 

73. Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran

listened on Audible

2019
408 pgs.
Adult (British) Romance
Finished 12/2/2022
Goodreads rating: 4.05
My rating: 4
Setting: Contemporary British small town

My comments: Not actually a Christmas story.  Filled with hilarious situations, but balanced out with some serious ones, too.  Set in a small, friendly British village, a very enjoyable read/listen.

Goodreads synopsis:  When Jenny inherits her estranged grandmother’s cottage in Sherwood Forest, she has nothing to lose - no money, no job, no friends, no family to speak of, and zero self-respect. Things can only get better...

Her grumpy, but decidedly handsome new neighbour, Mack, has a habit of bestowing unsolicited good deeds on her. And when Jenny is welcomed into a rather unusual book club, life seems to finally be getting more interesting.

Instead of reading, the members pledge to complete individual challenges before Christmas: from finding new love, learning to bake, to completing a daredevil bucket list. Jenny can’t resist joining in, and soon a year of friendship and laughter, tears and regrets unfolds in the most unexpected ways.

Warm, wise, funny and utterly uplifting, what one thing would you change in your life before Christmas comes around?

72. Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik

listened on Libby - borrowed from Library

2022
304pgs.
Contemporary Adult Mystery (scifi?)
Finished 11/29/2022 - took ages to finish
Goodreads rating: 3.70
My rating: 3.5
Setting: contemporary cold, cold, cold Greenland

My comments: Set in Greenland at a tiny science research station in October as the days are getting very short and 24-hour darkness is almost upon them.  Although Val has crippling anxiety, she drowns herself in pills and booze to embark on the journey there when she is asked, as an expert in languages, to come to try to figure out what an 8-year old girl is trying to say. This girl has been thawed from the ice....and speaks a language that has never been heard before. Of course, there are a lot of mysterious, unacceptable things going on, and that will include, but the end of the story, many deaths.  It was interesting to listen to the story unfold, to consider the possibilities that were suggested, and to commiserate with the protagonist's anxiety issues.  Could there really be some sort of enzyme in an eanimal (eels in this case) that could actually prologn/reactivate/regenerate life?  I would have rated this a 4, but it was very draggy in places, which made me shave off half a point.

Goodreads synopsis:  From the author of The River at Night and Into the Jungle comes a harrowing new thriller set in the unforgiving landscape of the Arctic Circle, as a brilliant linguist struggling to understand the apparent suicide of her twin brother ventures hundreds of miles north to try to communicate with a young girl who has been thawed from the ice alive.

Valerie “Val” Chesterfield is a linguist trained in the most esoteric of disciplines: dead Nordic languages. Despite her successful career, she leads a sheltered life and languishes in the shadow of her twin brother, Andy, an accomplished climate scientist stationed on a remote island off Greenland’s barren coast. But Andy is gone: a victim of suicide, having willfully ventured unprotected into 50 degree below zero weather. Val is inconsolable—and disbelieving. She suspects foul play.

When Wyatt, Andy’s fellow researcher in the Arctic, discovers a scientific impossibility­—a young girl frozen in the ice who thaws out alive, speaking a language no one understands—Val is his first call. Will she travel to the frozen North to meet this girl, and try to comprehend what she is so passionately trying to communicate? Under the auspices of helping Wyatt interpret the girl’s speech, Val musters every ounce of her courage and journeys to the Artic to solve the mystery of her brother’s death.

The moment she steps off the plane, her fear threatens to overwhelm her. The landscape is fierce, and Wyatt, brilliant but difficult, is an enigma. But the girl is special, and Val’s connection with her is profound. Only something is terribly wrong; the child is sick, maybe dying, and the key to saving her lies in discovering the truth about Wyatt’s research. Can his data be trusted? And does it have anything to do with how and why Val’s brother died? With time running out, Val embarks on an incredible frozen odyssey—led by the unlikeliest of guides—to rescue the new family she has found in the most unexpected of places.