Month: August 2015

Feature & Follow Friday 8/28/15

~ Erika K ~ 6 Comments

Book Blogger HopFeature and Follow Friday is hosted by fellow bloggers Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Every Friday they feature one or two bloggers and pose a question for other participating bloggers to answer. It’s a chance to find some new blogs to visit, and gain some new followers in return.

The featured blog this week is One Book Two. Be sure to visit and follow them, along with the hosts, if you decide to participate!

This week’s question:

Share a random quote from the book you are currently reading.- Suggested by Journey Through Fiction. 

“It was one thing, she thought, to have a giant pumpkin–growing contest, but quite another to encourage people to transform their giant pumpkins into extremely unstable watercraft for a foolish and dangerous race across the cove. And worst of all, she thought, turning into her driveway and spying the enormous wooden structure that was taking shape in her backyard, was the pumpkin hurl, featuring homemade catapults.” – from Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier

Thanks for stopping by – if you haven’t already, go check out the link-up and add your own blog!

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WAYRW – Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier

~ Erika K ~ 2 Comments

What are you reading Wednesday – 8/26/15

whatareyoureadingwed
What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by It’s A Reading Thing. To participate, open the book you are currently reading to page 34 (or 34% in your ebook) and answer these three questions.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a complete sentence. (or two!)

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Now for my answers this week…

  1. Candy Corn Murder by Leslie Meier
    Candy Corn Murder (Lucy Stone Mystery, #22)
  2. She found herself feeling rather anxious as she climbed the stairway, which was dark and cramped, and she breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the meeting room, which was surprisingly large and airy, with windows overlooking Main Street.
  3. Tinker’s Cove Maine seems like a nice enough little town, and as long as the crime spree in the book gets handled first, I wouldn’t mind living there!

So how about you? What are you reading this week? Let me know, or leave a link to your own post in the comments. Happy reading! 🙂

TTT – Top Ten Books for Burgling 101

~ Erika K ~ 56 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday they post a new Top Ten list prompt. This week’s list is Top Ten Books That Would Be On Your Syllabus If You Taught “X” 101 (examples: YA fantasy 101, feminist literature 101, magic in YA 101, classic YA lit 101, world-building 101).  I read mostly mysteries and thrillers, so my first thought was to do Detecting 101. The more I tried to come up with titles, however, the more I kept thinking of books that would work better at the other end of the spectrum, so here you have it. My required reading for Burgling 101! (All Fiction – no real-life how-to’s here! 🙂 )

Be sure to let me know what books would be on your list this week in the comments, or leave a link back to your own TTT post! Continue reading →

Review – The Occasional Diamond Thief

~ Erika K ~ 4 Comments

The Occasional Diamond Thief by J.A. McLachlan
The Occasional Diamond Thief

Genre: YA / SciFi
Rating: **** (4 of 5 stars)

Kia is a 16 year old girl with a troubled family life and a penchant for languages. When her father dies, leaving her with a mother who seems to despise her and a sister who won’t give her the time of day, she leaves home and starts school to become a translator. After being caught stealing to finance her new life, she is sent to Malem to act as a translator for a Select (a religious title, something akin to a nun or priest) named Agatha. This is the same world where her father contracted the illness that eventually killed him. It’s also the world where her father acquired the gem he gave her right before he died – a Malem diamond that it is illegal for anyone who is not Malemese to posses.

I really enjoyed this story. Kia didn’t seem to be able to get a break at all, and even thought being sent to Malem kept her out of prison, it still seemed like punishment for her. Once she and Agatha arrived on Malem, the story kept moving at a pace that kept me reading, wanting to know what was going to happen next. Both Kia and Agatha were well developed, likable characters who learned and grew throughout the story. Sometimes I wanted to shout at Kia for her behavior, but considering her age it was perfectly appropriate.

There was no cliffhanger ending, and it may turn out to be a standalone novel, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see more adventures for Kia in the future.

Visit the author’s website

Disclaimer – I received a free digital copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Feature & Follow Friday

~ Erika K ~ 12 Comments

FF Main

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by fellow bloggers Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. Every Friday they feature one or two bloggers and pose a question for other participating bloggers to answer. It’s a chance to find some new blogs to visit, and gain some new followers in return.

The featured bloggers this week are Little Book Heaven and The Book Junkie. Be sure to visit and follow them, along with the hosts, if you decide to participate!

The question this week is: If you could have any animal in the world (fictional counts too) as a pet, what would you pick? (Suggested by BookCatPin)

If I could really keep any animal, I think I would have a meerkat. I always have to stop and see them when we visit the zoo – and they are small enough to live in my townhouse without taking over! 🙂

How about you? What would be your dream pet? Let me know in comments, and if you play along, leave a link to your Feature and Follow Friday post!

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What Are You Reading Wednesday – The Occasional Diamond Thief

~ Erika K ~ 9 Comments

What are you reading Wednesday – 8/19/15

whatareyoureadingwed
What Are You Reading Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by Its A Reading Thing. To participate, open the book you are currently reading to page 34 (or 34% in your ebook) and answer these three questions.

The Questions are:
1. What’s the name of your current read?

2. Go to page 34 in your book or 34% in your eBook and share a complete sentence. (or two!)

3. Would you like to live in the world that exists within your book? Why or why not?

Now for my answers this week…

1. The Occasional Diamond Thief by J.A. McLachlan
The Occasional Diamond Thief

2. “Have you ever seen a kind of gem that looks like a diamond but bigger? With colors, all the colors of the rainbow. And a black center.” When I say the last phrase his gaze focuses on me so intently I unconsciously take a step back and bump into the door frame.

3. This is a young adult sci-fi novel. While it might be interesting to visit another world, I think I am happy right here on Earth!

Now tell me – what are you reading this Wednesday?

Cozy Review – Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates

~ Erika K ~ 5 Comments

Booked for Trouble by Eva Gates
Booked for Trouble (Lighthouse Library Mystery #2)
Lighthouse Library Mystery #2

Available 9/1/15 from NAL

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

Lucy Richardson lives in and works at a lighthouse that has been converted into the Bodie Island local library. When her mother comes for a visit and tries to get Lucy to move back home to Boston, she has her hands full trying to convince her mother that she is not going to go back and marry her old sweetheart. Then one of her mother’s old high school classmates is murdered after a book club meeting at the library, and Mom becomes suspect number one. Lucy takes it upon herself to investigate in order to clear her mother’s name, and to make sure her mother will be allowed to leave town soon!

This is the second book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, but you can jump right in without feeling like you have missed anything. I loved the lighthouse / library setting – it feels cozy and calm, at least until a murder takes place right outside. I also liked the cast of characters in this one. Lucy has believable problems, and the supporting cast are a likable bunch. The mystery itself was fast paced and not too obvious. I will definitely go back and read number one in the series.

With a home perched above a library full of books, a lighthouse, a murder, and a library cat – this was a perfect cozy read!

***NOTE: I received an advanced review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review***

Review – House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure

~ Erika K ~ 1 Comment

House of Thieves by Charles Belfoure
House of Thieves: A Novel
Available September 15th 2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark

***Don’t miss a chance to win a copy in the giveaway hosted by Sourcebooks – ends September 30!***

Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating **** (4 of 5 stars)

How far would you go to save the life of a loved one? That’s the question that architect John Cross is forced to ask himself after being confronted with evidence of his son’s gambling problem and subsequent debt. The amount is more than his son, or he himself, could ever hope to repay. To keep his son from being killed by the gang holding the debt, John uses his specialized knowledge of local buildings to help the gang plan burglaries, with the understanding that with each job, some of the debt will be forgiven.

I admit that I was expecting a little more of a mystery element after reading the blurb, but even without the mystery this book takes you on an enjoyable trip to the past. The story takes place in New York, 1886, and is rich with descriptions of society life, rat baiting, etiquette, gambling dens, and almost anything else you might want to know about the time period. I did like the way that almost every member of John’s family, without his knowledge, flaunted tradition and expectations to pursue happiness in their own way, even though to be found out would have meant their ruin and social outcast. It was hard not to root for them even when you knew they were doing wrong.

If you are a fan of historical fiction (or if you enjoyed the movie Gangs of New York 🙂 ), then I highly recommend this one.

Note: I was provided with a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.