Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 29

The Sunday Post: The Flu, Thanksgiving, and Audiobooks

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

The Flu, Thanksgiving, and Audiobooks

Hey Bookdragons! Happy Sunday! How was your week?

Last Sunday I started coming down with the flu. Originally I thought I had strep throat because that was the first symptom, a sore throat, but sadly it got worse and turned out to be the flu. I had to take 3 days off work and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to enjoy Thanksgiving. I still have a bit of a runny nose.

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving if you celebrated this week! Mine was not bad. I was able to taste my food by that point and I had a nice little turkey dinner for one. And all those delicious leftovers to take to work tonight!

I thought for sure being sick this week I’d be able to catch up on my writing and reading but instead I listened to 3 audiobooks, started a 4th and watched every adaptation of The Haunting of Hill House after reading the book last week.

Being sick, I only posted last week’s Sunday Post and It’s Monday! What are you reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 27 November 2023

Book Review: A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley (rescheduled)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Deepest Lake (rescheduled)

Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Audiobook Review: The Murder on the Links and After the Funeral by Agatha Christie

eBooks:

None this week!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I think this is going to be a week of reading and rest for me. I picked up some sort of illness from an inconsiderate coworker and all I want to do is snuggle under the blanket, watch movies, and read.

Last Week I Read:Virgin River by Robyn Carr

It was an okay listen but the Netflix show is better.

The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

I set this one aside. I’m not sure if I’ll pick it up later.

A Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley

I loved this one! It was a great seasonal read with spice and a ton of humor!

One Dark Hallow’s Eve by Eldritch Black

This was an okay short read. A little too Middle Grade for me and I feel I would have understand it more if I’d read the series but it was supposed to be a one-off.

When She’s Shy by Ruby Dixon

This was again, just okay. It was short and easy to get through but by no means my favorite Ruby Dixon book.

The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

After watching the Netflix adaptation for the 3rd time this year, I finally made it all the way through the book! I still hate Eleanor. But I enjoyed the book overall. It wasn’t scary though.

Currently Reading:Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack

The title is what drew me to grab this one when Netgalley offered it and I can already tell I’m going to love it. It has a sense of humor I love and I’m only a short way in!

Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I started this one last week but I haven’t had a ton of time to listen to audiobooks. I hope to catch up this week!

Next Read:Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles

I’m dying to start this one and I’ve already abandoned most of my November TBR so why not?

What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post: Book Slumps, Dog Sitting, and Another Author Event

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Book Slumps, Dog Sitting, and Another Author Event

Hey Bookdragons! Happy Sunday! How was your week?

I’ve been in a bit of a book slump. I’m pretty sure I started and set aside a half dozen books this week before picking up The Haunting of Hill House (after I binged the Netflix adaptation for the 3rd time this year).

It’s opening weekend of deer hunting here in Wisconsin (I’m not into that) and my sister and her boyfriend have been away at his family’s cabin which left me to watch Cujo… erm, I mean Baxter the senile Saint Bernard along with my dog Toby. The only good thing is Baxter is old and sleeps a lot until Toby who wants to be active while I sleep.

I just saw the coffee shop I frequent post an event for a local author book signing for this Saturday on Small Business Saturday and I think I’m going to reach out to them in the morning. The more my name is getting out there, the more exposure right?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 13 November 2023

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 20 November 2023

Book Review: Ghost of A Chance by Brittany Kelley

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Deepest Lake

None this Week!

Nothing Bookmarked This Week!

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party!

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

The Search Party by Hannah Richell

Standalone, Thriller

eBook, Paperback, Audiobook, 352 pages

January 16, 2024 by Atria Books

Blurb:

A spellbinding locked-room mystery about a glamping trip gone horribly wrong when a powerful storm leaves the participants stranded and forced to confront long-held secrets and a shocking disappearance.

Max and Annie Kingsley have left the London rat race with their twelve-year-old son to set up a glamping site in the wilds of Cornwall. Eager for a dry run ahead of their opening, they invite three old university friends and their families for a long-needed reunion. But the festivities soon go awry as tensions arise between the children (and subsequently their parents), explosive secrets come to light, and a sudden storm moves in, cutting them off from help as one in the group disappears.

Moving between the police investigation, a hospital room, and the catastrophic weekend, The Search Party is a propulsive and twisty destination thriller about the tenuous bonds of friendship and the lengths parents will go to protect their children—perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

I love locked door mysteries where the characters get cut off from the rest of the world due to nature/weather. This one sounds like the setting will be perfectly atmospheric for a chilly winter night read.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King

Holly (Holly Gibney #3) by Stephen KingBlurb:

Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.

“Sometimes the universe throws you a rope.” — BILL HODGES

Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.

When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.

Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semi-retired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lined home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.

Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.

My Review:

I had to think about how I was going to review this one for about a week after I finished listening to the audiobook.

It feels like I have to divide this book into two books.

The first book is an annoying constant rant about politics, covid, covid measures, condemnation against people who don’t get vaccinated, and disparaging remarks against law enforcement. I hated it. Reading is an escape for me, as I’m sure it is for many others. I read to escape the crap constantly swirling on social media and the news. People bickering back and forth both insisting that their side is right and the only way to think. I also work as a police dispatcher and find it unfair that there is a decent portion of the population that hates all law enforcement because of the actions of a few or assume every cop is trigger happy and racist.

Anyway, then there is the second book, featuring Holly Gibney, a character I enjoyed in the Mr. Mercedes tv show (I haven’t read the books yet). Holly is hired to find a missing girl which leads to a string of other missing person cases. In another POV we have an elderly couple with a dark secret in their basement.

This second, main plot I enjoyed. I figured out early on what the Harrises were doing but it was interesting following the investigation.

I loved Justine Lupe as the narrator, but again I loved her when she played the character on Mr. Mercedes.

If this book had just been about the case without the hot button issues, this book would have been a 5 star read. I know Holly has some disorders that make her a germaphobe and that Stephen King’s social media is filled with his political opinions but I feel like it bled too much onto the page.

My Rating:

3 Knives

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 13 November 2023

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Hey Bookdragons! I didn’t make a lot of reading progress last week as my vacation time ended and I got back into my routine so I’m still reading both of the books I started last week.

Last Week I Started / Currently Reading:Virgin River by Robyn Carr

I’m about 60% into the audiobook of Virgin River. I like it, but is it weird that I like it better on the screen than on the page?

The Stranded by Sarah Daniel’s

I’m about 150 pages into this one. I’m enjoying it yet also kind of bored at the same time. I know there is at least one book after this one but I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Next Read:Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

I hear good things about this one and I’m looking forward to the audiobook!

What are you reading this week? Have you read any of these?

The Sunday Post: New Hair Color, Christmas Movies, and Near Misses

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

New Hair Color, Christmas Movies, and Near Misses

Hey Bookdragons! How was your week? It was back to regularly scheduled programming for me on Wednesday as my vacation time drew to an end.

Monday once I got back home I went and had my hair colored. I love how it turned out!

Since I was on vacation and restricted to actually having to watch whatever was on cable I spent a lot of the previous week alternating between Hallmark Christmas Movies and Lifetime psycho killer movies.. which has carried over now that I’m back home. I guess the meme that either way I’m “slaying or sleighing” was spot on.

Lastly, yesterday I really wanted Burger King for dinner so I drove to the next town over. While I was in town driving toward home a deer decided to run out in front of my car. Once my brain caught up I slammed on the brakes and my purse and my Burger King food flew to the floor but I managed to avoid the deer! It feels like I shaved five years off my life though.

The Sunday Post: Write On, Enjoying Nature, and Book Signings

WWW Wednesday – 8 November 2023 (First time joining this one!)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 13 November 2023

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King (rescheduled because I’m processing how I feel about this one overall)

Can’t Wait Wednesday: The Search Party

Audiobook Review: Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Book Review: The Stranded by Sarah Daniels (if I finish it this week)

Fourth Wing (Special Edition) and Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros Shadows of You by Catherine Cowles Release Box

Posts that caught my eye & Books added to my TBR this week:

Mystery, Thrillers, & Suspense Blog: What Grows in the Dark by Jaq Evans #bookreview

Caffeinated Reviewer Blog: Murder By Degrees By Ritu Mukerji

Mystery, Thrillers, & Suspense Blog: Do Not Open by Kiersten Modglin #bookreview

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released.

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Standalone, Cozy Fantasy

eBook, Hardcover, Paperback, 336 pages

April 2, 2024 by Berkley Publishing

Blurb:

An enchanting novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.

Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she ( slightly reluctantly and a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guest’s shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spell book that could hold the secret to restoring her power, she finds herself turning to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous and icy historian who might be the only person who can help her unlock the book’s mysteries. The fact that he also happens to be her one-night stand from years ago is totally irrelevant.

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and trying not to fall in love is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone…and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.

Why I Want to Read This Book:

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is on my TBR list and this one sounds equally good. This sounds like it will be a great spring read, possibly to take with me when I take my spring vacation in mid-April.

Will you be checking this one out? What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

WWW Wednesday – 8 November 2023

WWW Wednesday was created by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and was taken over by Sam at Taking on a World of Words. To participate answer the 3 W’s:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

Currently Reading:Virgin River by Robyn Carr

I’m about 20% into the audiobook of the first Virgin River book. I’m enjoying it so far!

Recently Finished:Holly by Stephen King

I liked the missing people/Holly Gibney investigates/creepy old people plot but could have done without how political this book is. Full review to come.

Reading Next:The Stranded by Sarah Daniels

I picked this one up at Target the other day and I’m trying to find time to start it. It’s just been easier to listen to audiobooks lately.

Have you read any of these? What are you reading this week?

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The Sunday Post: Write On, Enjoying Nature, and Book Signings

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received. Share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.

Write On, Enjoying Nature, and Book Signings

Hey Bookdragons! How was your week? Did you have a good Halloween? I had a low-key Halloween at home watching movies.

I’ve been on my vacation days all week and I drove up to Door County on Wednesday. On Thursday and Friday I visited Write On, Door County, a non-profit where writes can go to write, meet with other writers, or take classes. Between the two days I wrote 6,517 while there while adding just under 10,000 words overall during my trip.

Writing at Write On, Door County

While in Door County I’ve also been enjoying the last of the fall leaves in the crisp afternoons. I went to Peninsula State Park and took a bunch of pictures. It was very relaxing.

Driving through Peninsula State ParkView of Fish Creek, Wisconsin from Peninsula State Park.

Yesterday I participated in a 50+ author event at a resort in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (the biggest city in Door County). I wish we had had a better turn out but it was nice meeting a few of the other authors.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 30 October 2023

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Freebie – Ten Spooky Books I Read This Season

November Hopefuls

Book Review: Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend by Penny Reid

Book Review: A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 6 November 2023

Can’t Wait Wednesday: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping

Audiobook Review: Holly by Stephen King

Amazon First Reads:Physical:

Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop (Link to Order a Signed Copy)

Kickstarter: Mirror Mirror: A Romantasy Snow White Retelling