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Book Review Roundup


Welcome back to the blog! I have been blogging for more years than I count at this point. I have been a bookworm my whole life. Reading has always been my escape from reality and I have always loved the fact that through the pages of books I could travel anywhere and be anyone I wanted. This year I have decided to start writing more book related articles to share with all of you including reviews, TBR, Book Roundup’s and more. 

Today I will be sharing books I have read and reviewed and letting you know which ones are worth reading and which ones to skip. Hope you enjoy.


8 Books To Add To Your TBR


Murder Uncorked A Cece Barton Mystery by Maddie Day


He Started It by Samantha Downing


Frequency by Christopher Krovatin


The Chill by Scott Carson


Florida Birds by Ken Janes


Life and Other Shortcomings by Corie Adjmi


You Can Trust Him-Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times by Joan E. Murray


Spooky Florida Retold by S.E. Schlosser


Title 

Murder Uncorked

 Series

 A Cece Barton Mystery

 Author

 Maddie Day 

Genre 

Cozy Mystery 

About the book 

As the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar in Colinas, Cece Barton's first Alexander Valley harvest is a whirlwind of activity. 


Her twin sister, Allie Halstead, who owns a nearby Victorian bed and breakfast, is accustomed to the hustle and bustle of peak tourist season. But Cece barely has a moment to enjoy her new home in between worrying about her estranged college - age daughter, juggling her responsibilities at the bar, and navigating the sticky politics of the local wine association. Just when it seems things can't grow any more intense, Colinas is rocked by a murder within the wine community.. and Cece is identified as a possible suspect! With her reputation and her livelihood on the line - and the Sonoma County deputy sheriff breathing down her neck - Cece has no choice but to open up her own murder investigation.


 Tensions are already high in the valley, as a massive wildfire creeps toward Colinas, threatening homes, vineyards, and the vital tourist trade. And now, with a murderer on the loose, and Cece's sleuthing exposing the valley's bitterest old rivalries and secret new alliances, Colinas feels ready to pop! But with Allie's help, Cece is determined to catch the killer and clear her name before everything she's worked so hard for goes up in flames. 


You can read the full review here


Title

He Started It


Author

Samantha Downing


Genre

Thriller


Publisher

Penguin Random House

About the book

Beth, Portia,and Eddie Morgan haven't all been together in years. And for very good reasons - we'll get to those later. But when their wealthy grandfather dies and leaves a cryptic final message in his wake, the siblings and their respective partners must come together for a cross- country road trip to fulfill his final wish and - more importantly - secure their inheritance. 

But time with your family can be tough. It is for everyone.




It's even harder when you're all keeping secrets and trying to forget a memory, a missing person, an act of revenge, the man in the black truck who won't stop following your car - and especially when at least one of you is a killer and there's a body in the trunk. Just to name a few reasons.

But money is a powerful motivator. It is for everyone.

This was definitely my absolute favorite current read. Check out the full review here.



Title

Frequency


Author

Christopher Krovatin


Format

Hardcover

Publisher

Entangled Publishing

About the book

Follow the music if you want to live.


Eight years ago, Fiona was just a kid. But everything changed the night the Pit Viper came to town. Sure, he rid the quiet, idyllic suburb of Hamm of its darkest problems. But Fiona witnessed something much, much worse when the town drove him away.




And now, the Pit Viper is back.


Fiona's not just a kid anymore. She can handle the darkness she sees in the Pit Viper, a DJ whose wicked tattoos, quiet anger, and hypnotic music seem to speak to every teen in town.. except her. She can handle watching as each of her friends seems to be overcome, nearly possessed by the music. She can even handle her unnerving suspicion that the DJ is hell bent on revenge. 


But she's not sure she can handle falling in love with him. 

Check out full review here 


Title: 

The Chill


Author: 

Scott Carson 


Paperback Edition 


Genres: 

Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural 

About the book:


(Back cover) 


Far upstate, in New York's ancient forests, a drowned village lies beneath the dark waters of the Chilewaukee Reservoir. Early in the twentieth century, the town was destroyed for the greater good: bringing water to the millions living downstate. Or at least that's what the politicians from Manhattan insisted at the time. The local families, settled there since before America's founding, were forced from their land, but they didn't move far, and some didn't move at all…. Now, a century later, a dark prophecy looms and the time has come for it to be fulfilled.

You can read the full review here

 

Title

Florida Birds


A Birdwatcher Discovers the Sunshine State 


Author

Ken Janes


Format

Paperback 


Publication Date

November 7, 2023

Publisher

Pineapple Press Inc.


Imprint of Globe Pequot, trade division The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group


Description

Wading birds, raptors, waterfowl, pelicans,Gulls and Terns, shorebirds, and songbirds. These are the types of birds Florida birdwatchers can see and learn about in this beautifully created work of art. This book features all original photography by the author along with a brief informational section for each bird listed. The author takes great care with a conservationist approach to his work and explains the negative impact that harmful practices and chemicals have had on certain species.


An absolutely beautiful book. Read the full review here


Title

Life And Other Shortcomings


Author:

Corie Adjmi


Publisher:

She Writes Press

About the Book:

Life and Other Shortcomings is a collection of linked short stories that takes the reader from New Orleans to New York City to Madrid, and from the 1970’s to the present day. The women in these twelve stories make a number of different choices; some work, others don’t; some stay married, some get divorced; others never marry at all. Through each character’s intimate journey, specific truths are revealed about what it means to be a woman- in a relationship with another person, in a particular culture and era- and how these conditions ultimately affect her relationship with herself. The stories as a whole depict patriarchy, showing what still might be and certainly what was for some women in this country before the #MeToo movement. Both a cautionary tale and a captivating window into women’s lives, Life and Other Shortcomings is required for anyone interested in an honest, incisive, and compelling portrayal of the female experience.

Loved this book! Read full review here


Title

You can trust Him- Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times

Author

Joan E. Murray

Publisher

Xulon Press

About the Book

You Can Trust Him is an in-depth journey into inspirational, personal, and Biblical stories that will help you find trust truths in the midst of pain, difficulties, or hardships. You will discover that God is with you, and you trust Him in the storms. In the pages of this book, you will find answers to help you navigate through the painful seasons of life. Using these powerful stories, Joan reveals deep truths about God’s love, compassion, and care for each of His children. 



Through these inspirational, personal, and Biblical stories, Joan takes you deep into the lives of many people who were unsure they could survive their painful struggles. They Learned to trust God, and were victorious. You will be too. These stories will inspire and encourage you as you make the decision to trust God completely, because He can be Trusted.

Be Sure To Check Out the Full Review here


Title

Spooky Florida

Retold by S.E. Schlosser

About

Pull up a chair or gather around the campfire and get ready for 33 creepy tales of eerie happenings, ghostly hauntings, and other strange occurrences in the state of Florida. From the Antique Car of Islamorada that is literally blown off a bridge along Highway 1, to the Hermit of the Fort Myers swamplands who takes revenge on a pirate who murdered his son, the stories in this entertaining and compelling collection will have you looking over your shoulder again and again. Florida folklore traditions are kept alive in these expert retellings by master storyteller S.E. Schlosser and through artist Paul G. Hoffman’s evocative illustrations. You’ll meet ghosts and evil beings, hear things that go bump in the night, and feel an icy wind on the back of your neck on a warm summer evening. Whether read around the campfire on a dark and dreary night or from the backseat of the family van on the way to grandma’s, this is a collection to treasure. 

Read full review here 


I was really looking forward to this book and it turned out to be awful. Definitely a skip it book.


Title

Endgame

Author

Omid Scobie

About

The follow- up book to Finding Freedom. 

On September 8, 2022 the world stood still as news broke of Queen Elizabeth's II passing. Her death dismantled the protective shield around the world's most famous family and saw a long simmering crisis of confidence in the British monarchy boil over. 

The end of the New Elizabethan age brings in a shorter Carolean era. With this traditional reign comes a brewing power struggle between father ( King Charles III) and son ( William, Prince of Wales) and an outmoded institution riddled with dysfunction, mistrust, and poor judgment. As investigations into the Firm's costs and conduct mount, and their dangerous game with an insatiable press continues, cracks are forming in the House of Windsor's foundations. Now a growing population feel more comfortable than ever questioning the monarchy's relevancy - or the need for one at all. 

Omid Scobie has spent over twelve years covering the lives and work of the Royal Family. His unique position as a young British journalist in the America media helped him forge special bonds within William's, Kate's,  Harry's, and eventually Meghan's worlds. It was from that vantage point he co authored the bestselling Finding Freedom in 2020, an intimate glimpse into a fracturing family - one that could be splintered beyond repair. Though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are no longer a part of the monarchy's future, their experiences and actions, good and bad, have put a spotlight on many of the problems at the heart of the institution. With unique insight, deep access, and a willingness to burn his bridges to tell the full story, Scobie draws a candid portrait of a family in peril and a monarchical system facing uncertainty. 

Endgame is the result of more than a decade of unseen reporting and intimate conversations with insiders, Royal Family members, fellow journalists, and those working within the palace walks.

 Our world is modernizing at a pace that the Royal Institution is failing to keep up with, but there is still time for change. This is the Monarchy's endgame... Do they have what it takes to save it?

Check out my thoughts here.


 

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