Taylor Fenner's Blog, page 8

First Line Friday: 10 January 2025

This week I’m joining First Line Friday. First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower! So grab the book nearest you, your current read, or the book on top of your TBR stack and share the first line.

My pick this week is…

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-MooreBlurb:

Amy Goodnight knows that the world isn’t as simple as it seems. She also understands that “normal” doesn’t mix with magic, and she’s worked hard to build a wall between the two worlds. Not only to protect her family, who are all practicing witches, but to protect any hope of ever having a normal life herself.
   Ranch-sitting for her aunt in Texas should be exactly that: good old ordinary, uneventful hard work. Only, Amy and her sister, Phin, aren’t alone. There’s someone else in the house with them–and it’s not the living, breathing, amazingly hot cowboy from the ranch next door.
   It’s a ghost, and it’s more powerful than the Goodnights and all their protective spells combined. It wants something from Amy, and none of her carefully built defenses can hold it back.
   This is the summer when the wall between Amy’s worlds is going to come crashing down.

And the first line is…

The goat was in the tree again.

This is one of my favorite opening lines of all time and I love any opportunity to trot it out, this time because of my recent re-read.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 6 January 2025

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

I took a languid reading start to 2025 and finished up my two end of 2024 reads this week and started an ARC and a reread…

Last Week I Read:Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

I always finish the year with Texas Gothic and 2024 was no exception. I never get tired of this one.

Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

I started this one earlier in the year in eBook while waiting for my audiobook hold at the library to come in. It finally did right before New Year and I was finally able to finish it. I loved the end of this duology!

Currently Reading:One by One by Ruth Ware

This is a reread for me, this time in audiobook and I’m really enjoying it since it’s been a few years since I read it the first time.

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

I’m just starting this one but I love the writing already!

Reading Next:Spectacular by Stephanie Garber

All of my library audiobook holds are coming in at once and I can’t keep up! Spectacular will be my next audiobook read and I think I’ll do The Family Plot by Megan Collins as my next physical read.

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

The Sunday Post: Hello 2025

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.

Hello 2025

Hey Book Blogger Friends! Happy New Year!

The week or so between Christmas and New Year is always weird, right? New Year’s Day was the beginning of my “weekend” and I decided to go see Nosferatu. I thought the acting and the overall visual of the movie was really good. Would I watch it again? Eh, probably not. I’m not sure how to put my finger on why it was just okay for me other than it had a run time of 2 hrs 12 minutes and that felt more like 4 hours. And I have a short attention span.

Thursday I was going to have coffee with a friend to talk about Nosferatu (since she’s a scaredy cat and won’t go see it) but her child was sick so she had to cancel so I went to get my nails done instead. They’re a gorgeous shiny blue color that I love.

I’m trying to decide going forward how many weekly blog posts I want to participate in this year to avoid burnout, especially while working on 4 novels, working with a new schedule at work starting on the 11th and trying to keep up with social media. I may cut down to 2-3 posts per week with an ARC review as those come due.

Last Week on the Blog:

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best Books I Read in 2024

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 6 January 2025

WWW Wednesday: 8 January 2025

First Line Friday: 10 January 2025

New Book Mail on My Shelves:Physical:

The Family Plot has been on my TBR for a while and I found a nice hardcover copy on PangoBooks for $1.75!

Mind Games was one of my favorite reads of 2024 and I finally grabbed a physical copy since I had some earnings to spend after unhauling a couple books on PangoBooks

Another book I loved last year that I grabbed a physical copy of and another under $2 steal!

Bookmarked This Week:

10 Excellent Mystery Thriller Movies For Fans Of Agatha Christie – I’ve seen some of these and added others to my watchlist. I’m definitely in an Agatha Christie mood right now

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best Books I Read in 2024

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish and currently hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best Books I Read in 2024

It’s NYE! This week’s TTT is a year-end wrap up with the 10 best books we read in 2024! Here are mine as well as a few bonus lists!

10. The Main Character by Jaclyn Goldis9. Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman8. Wylding Hall by Elizabeth Hand 7. The Madness by Dawn Kurtagich6. The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger5. Mind Games by Nora Roberts4. Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson3. Saint by Eva Simmons2. Lights Out by Navessa Allen1. This Wretched Valley by Jenny KieferNew Auto-Buy Authors of 2024:Eva SimmonsLisa UngerAlison WeirAmy DawsTop Indie Reads of 2024:1. Forever Touched by Becky Moynihan 2. Clueless at the Coffee Station by Bee Littlefield3. Ready or Not by Jenn Plummer 4. Wait with Me by Amy Daws5. Icebound by Meredith Trapp2024 Reading Stats:

Total Books Read: 177

Audiobooks Read: 100

Top 3 Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Romance

3 Most Read Authors: Agatha Christie, Alison Weir, Amy Daws

The Sunday Post: Christmas, 2024 Audiobook Challenge Wrap-Up, and Winter Projects

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.

Christmas, 2024 Audiobook Challenge Wrap-Up, and Winter Projects:

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week? Did you have a good Christmas if you celebrated?

It was a very low-key Christmas for me. My sister and her boyfriend went to his family for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so I was alone. It didn’t feel much like a holiday and I don’t know if I’m going to bother next year. I did make a delicious rum pudding cake though which was fantastic!

Yesterday I linked up for the end of the 2024 Audiobook Challenge. I pushed through and made it to The 100 Club with exactly 100 audiobooks not counting my current listen!

I’ve started planning a crafty project for 2025. Last year I saw temperature blankets on Pinterest and decided 2025 is the year I’m going to give it a go. You pick yarn for a certain temperature range (example: 32-42 degrees) and then you knit or crochet a row each day based on the temperature it is on that day. At the end of the year you should have a multi-colored blanket representing the temperatures it’s been during that year.

Last Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 December 2024

First Line Friday: 27 December

Stacking the Shelves: 28 December

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 30 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Best Books I Read in 2024

WWW Wednesday: 1 January 2025

First Line Friday: 3 January 2025

New Book Mail on My Shelves:

Stacking the Shelves: 28 December 2024

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Books Added to My Shelves This Week:

This week I gifted myself a signed copy of a book I read in October and was surprised with book mail from Flatiron Books!

Signed Book:

I ordered a signed copy from Becky as a Christmas present after I read it around Halloween and have been making myself wait to open it until Christmas.

Surprise Book Mail:

On Christmas Eve I received surprise book mail from Flatiron Books, a PR package with an ARC of A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall! I’m planning it as my first read of 2025!

What books did you add to your shelves this week? Have you/do you plan to read either of these?

First Line Friday: 27 December 2024

This week I’m joining First Line Friday. First Line Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Carrie @ Reading is My Superpower! So grab the book nearest you, your current read, or the book on top of your TBR stack and share the first line.

My pick this week is…

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter Blurb:

Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:

She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.

He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

And the first line is…

Excerpt from the Official Police Interrogation of Margaret Chase and Ethan Wyatt

December 25

Ms. Chase: Well, of course I have his blood on my hands.

I added the chapter subtitle and date for context since the first line is from an interview. What is the first line of the book you’re reading this week?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 December 2024

This week I’m linking up to It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date!

#IMWAYR is a weekly meme started on J Kaye’s blog and now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

Last week I listened to a lot of audiobooks to try to get closer to my stretch goal for the 2024 Audiobook Challenge and also completed my December TBR from my Top Ten Tuesday post earlier this month!

Last Week I Read:Danger on the Atlantic (Jane Wunderly Mystery #3) by Erica Ruth Neubauer

Yay! The German spy was not the whole plot of the book. I did switch over to listening to the audiobook because this series is so much better in audiobook. Jane and Redvers are off to Istanbul next and I’ll probably listen to book 4 next month.

Claus and Effect by Piper Rayne

Save yourself some time and watch any Hallmark Christmas movie where two strangers have to travel cross country together to get home in time for Christmas. I’m with the reviewers who said this one was written with AI… it definitely came off that way.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I loved the full cast narrator on this audiobook but sadly (do not hate me) I strongly disliked Little Women and was afraid it would ruin the movie adaptation I like for me as well. The book is all the little things I dislike about the movie but magnified. Goody-goody Beth , Jo is way more annoying on the page, Meg is judged way harder just for liking nice things, and Amy (my favorite sister) is just whiny in the book. Not to mention the author basically preaches at you. I understand this book was written in the 1860s and women have so much more freedom and opportunities in 2024 but it’s okay to be creative. It’s also okay to want to fall in love or have nice things.

Axe-Identally Married by Daphne Elliot

I really enjoyed this one and would read more by the author.

Currently Reading:The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

I’m loving this one so far and can’t wait to read more of it over the next couple days!

Reading Next:TBD

I want to re-listen The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani on Christmas and then I’ll probably listen to Impact Winter Season 3 but I’m not sure yet.

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

The Sunday Post: Snowstorms, First Day of Winter, and New Routines

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.

Snowstorms, First Day of Winter, and New Routines:

Hey Book Blogger Friends! How was your week? Are you looking forward to Christmas this week?

This week we had our first “big snowstorm” of winter 2024-2025. 8-9 inches were predicted, some schools closed, parking bans were put in place, people who have driven in Wisconsin their whole lives forgot how to drive in winter and… the weatherman overestimated things and we got about 4 inches.

Yesterday was Yule, the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. I made a nice dinner of garlic brown sugar chicken breasts in the slow cooker, cranberry balsamic brussels sprouts, and rosemary roasted fingerling potatoes and it was all very nice. Now the days can start getting longer anytime… lol.

I’ve been suffering from writer’s block for a few months so I established a new writing routine for myself. I have 4 writing projects I’m working on so I’m going to work on one per day on a rotating schedule. So far it’s working really nice for me.

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 16 December 2024 and WWW Wednesday: 18 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: Books on My Winter 2024-2025 to-Read List

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

2025 Audiobook Challenge Intentions

First Line Friday: 20 December

Stacking the Shelves: 21 December

This Week on the Blog:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 23 December 2024

Top Ten Tuesday: 10 Bookish Wishes

First Line Friday: 27 December

New Book Mail on My Shelves:

Physical:

Stacking the Shelves: 21 December 2024

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual.

Books Added to My Shelves This Week:

This week I treated myself to two winters/holiday themed books…

Physical:

I started reading this one right away and I really like it!

I’m planning to read this one over Christmas!

What books did you add to your shelves this week? Have you/do you plan to read either of these?