Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme is MAY FLOWERS. But since that's such a broad category, I decided to narrow my list down to books and titles with gardens in them. 

Enjoy!

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

 

The Wishing Garden by Christy Yorke

The White Garden by Stephanie Barron

Wild Designs by Katie Fforde

The Gardener by Sarah Stewart

Murder at the Royal Botanic Gardens by Andrea Penrose

A Robot in the Garden by Deborah Install

The Kew Gardens Girls by Posy Lovell

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly

The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams

I've read the first seven books on this list, but not the last three. 

Those are on my TBR list however. 

Got any favorite "garden" books?

Happy Reading!

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

 

An abandoned planet.

An isolated crew.

Dark secrets.

Looming madness.

And unsettling horror.

My thoughts:  I don't even know how to begin to summarize this one without giving away any spoilers, so I'm not even going to try. I think it's best to just let this story unfold on its own. What I will say is that Barnes has once again written a very compelling and suspenseful science fiction novel with hints of mystery and horror in it. Her main character, Dr. Ophelia Bray, comes from a very prominent and rich family who have practically disowned her; she has some demons and secrets from her own traumatic childhood that make her a sympathetic character. I also loved the impending sense of doom that Barnes creates as the six-person team starts to explore the abandoned planetary station, and strange things start to happen to them. She keeps you guessing about the truth of it all right to the end. This one's creepy and atmospheric and it reads fast. An entertaining summer read (even though it's not quite summer yet). I gave it 4 stars.

Happy Reading! 

Previous S.A. Barnes' novel:  Dead Silence

Randomness...

I won another free book from Goodreads! This time I won a copy of A Pair of Wings by Carole Hopson. It's a historical fiction novel about pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman. And if you think it looks good, Goodreads has a second giveaway for it going on right now. I'm excited to read it because Coleman's life sounds fascinating. Plus, I always like reading about the early days of aviation.

What do you look for or like in a book review? Do you prefer a longer, more detailed summary of the plot? Or something short and sweet? Insightful thoughts on character and theme? Or the blogger's emotional reaction to the story? Do you appreciate a little literary analysis, or just a 1- to 5-star rating? Do you like quotes? First lines? Bullet points? Links to similar reads? 

For me, I like honesty and humor in a review. I also like to know if the ending is satisfying, or disappointing. And if the main characters are likable. I like to know if the pacing drags, or if it reads fast. And whether the story will make me laugh or cry. And I appreciate a content warning when the book is graphic--whether that's in violence and gore, or steamy sex scenes. 

What makes reading a review fun for you?

And here are a few of my recent 'glad' things:

• Lunch last week with a friend I hadn't seen in awhile...it was very fun to catch up with her and we even made hiking plans for June.
• I saw an excellent movie last month:  Escape From Germany. It's based on a true story, and the woman sitting next to me in the theater turned out to be the niece of one of the missionaries portrayed in the movie, which was a fun coincidence.
• New socks! I know this seems like a small thing, but I really needed new socks and I found some that are both colorful and comfortable, and I'm happy to have them. 
• My lilac bush is finally in bloom, which always makes me glad because I love the scent of lilacs!
• And I've got a lovely new stack of books from the library to read this month. Life is good.  

Holmes on the Range by Steven Hockensmith

 "Damn it, brother," I said. "You're a cowboy, not a detective."

1893, Montana.

Two red-headed cowboys:  Gustav Amlingmeyer (Old Red) and Otto Amlingmeyer (Big Red); both have a penchant for the stories of Sherlock Holmes, though it's Gustav who loves them best. But he can't read, so it's up to Otto to read them out loud to him. 

The Bar VR:  An isolated cattle ranch owned by an English Duke, but run by Uly McPherson, a man with a reputation for being hard-nosed, unethical, and violent.

There's something crooked going on at the Bar VR where Old Red and his brother have hired on to work. And when one murder is followed by a second, Old Red is determined to figure out what's going on. He even makes a bet with the Duke that he can 'deducify' the truth. 

"Some folks get religion. Gustav got Sherlock Holmes."

My thoughts:

I loved the blend of western and mystery in this book. Hockensmith's prose is clever and engaging. And Old Red (who's not really all that old), with his sharp eyes and keen deductive skills, is a great character. I really liked him and his younger brother, Big Red, who narrates the story with charm and humor. I enjoyed all the action, and I always love that Old West setting. This was a very fun read. I'm looking forward to reading Gustav's and Otto's next adventure which I think takes place aboard a train. 

Happy Reading! 

Need a laugh?

 

I love John Atkinson's cartoons! They're smart and clever and funny. And they always make me laugh. Like this one. Be sure to check out his website Wrong Hands to see more. It'll add a little happiness to your day. 

Haiku Reviews...

 

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

He's an introvert.

She doesn't trust men. Can these

two doctors find love?

Romance ... 387 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(There's so much to love about this one! And kind, quiet Jacob with his social anxiety tops the list.)

The Price You Pay (Peter Ash #8) by Nick Petrie

When Lewis's past

comes back to haunt him he turns

to Peter for help.

Action/Thriller .... 416 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Action-packed, edge-of-your-seat thriller with lots of bad guys. But don't worry...the good guys win.)

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

Two kidnapped girls. One

chance to bring them both home. Can

Kim Stone find them in time?

Mystery .... 431 pates .... 4/5 stars.

(Excellent investigative mystery with D.I. Stone and her team--set in England's Black Country.)

Happy Reading!

 

Some very sad news...

I learned yesterday that my sweet blogging friend and reading buddy, Melody Lee, passed away suddenly last month from a brain aneurysm. She was such a kindhearted, funny, and caring person. We started commenting on each other's blogs back in 2016, then did our first buddy read a year later. Over the last seven years we read 34 books together. And we had our next buddy read scheduled for next month. She was a dear friend, and I will miss her so much. Please keep her family in your hearts and prayers.