Middle-Grade Review: The Ghost of Midnight Lake

I love reading for the R.I.P. (Readers Imbibing Peril) Challenge each fall! At the end of October, though, I had to finish out the season with a non-R.I.P. book for my book group, so I made sure to choose an audio book perfect for the season. The Ghost of Midnight Lake by Lucy Strange fit the bill ... and I finished it on Halloween night! This ghostly middle-grade mystery was just right for ending my spooky season of reading.

In 1899, Agatha's father, the Earl of Gosswater, has just died, leaving her orphaned and grieving. Things get much worse, however, when her cousin Clarence, who inherited the estate and became the new Earl, abruptly tells her that she is moving out of the only home she's ever known. Before she can even attend the Earl's funeral, he tells her to pack her things and sends her to live in a small cottage in the village, a very different lifestyle than the manor house she has always known. He also tells her that the Earl wasn't her father and that the owner of the cottage, a woodworker and farmer named Thomas, is her real father. Agatha is, of course, stunned, and doesn't understand how any of this could be true. Thomas seems like a nice man, though he's very quiet, and Agatha struggles to adjust to her new life. Meanwhile, she and her new friend row a boat out onto the lake at midnight on New Year's Eve because someone told them that spirits can come through the crack between one year and the next, especially at the turn of a new century. Sure enough, Agatha does see a ghost, a young girl, who she begins to see regularly, though she can't figure out what the spirit wants from her. One more mystery is playing out at the same time. The Earl had two priceless opals, a white one and a black one, that Clarence is desperate to find. But the will said he wanted Agatha to have the black opal, so she surreptitiously took it with her when she left the manor house. The white opal has been missing for many years, and no one knows where it is. As Clarence frantically searches for the opals, Agatha tries to figure out who she is and where she came from ... and what the mysterious ghost girl wants from her.

This is a fun adventure story for middle-graders. It blends family drama, friendship, suspense, and of course, ghosts. Agatha is a very likable character (and Clarence a sufficiently evil villain), and the writing is fast-paced and engrossing. I enjoyed listening to this gripping tale on audio, read by the author. The tangled mysteries kept me guessing, but there is plenty of warmth and heart here, too. The spookiness is quite mild, so this is a great book even for scaredy-cat middle-grade readers who enjoy a bit of suspense in an engaging story.

336 pages, Chicken House (Scholastic)

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, from the start of the book, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

 
    
  

Or you can order The Ghost of Midnight Lake from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Fiction Review: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie

It's sometimes discouraging when I have to temporarily pause a seasonal reading challenge I'm enjoying to read something else for one of my book groups, but in October, my neighborhood book group's pick fit right in with the R.I.P. Challenge: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. This is a fictional account of a real-life event, when Agatha Christie went missing for eleven days in 1926. 

No one knows what really happened to her or where she went during those eleven days (the author herself didn't even mention the disappearance in her autobiography), even though her disappearance made newspaper headlines across Europe and inspired a countrywide search in England. The novel alternates chapters between the days after her disappearance and her earlier life, leading up to it. The chapters on her earlier life begin when she is just a young woman, living with her family and meeting Archie, her husband-to-be, for the first time. That narrative thread continues through their courtship during the Great War, their impulsive marriage while he is on leave, the birth of their daughter, Rosalind, and the beginning of her writing career. The chapters taking place after her disappearance go day by day, showing Archie's reactions, the police investigation, and the flurry of activity in the frantic search for her across the region and then the country. Gradually, the two narratives come together, when the mystery of Agatha's Christie's mysterious disappearance is finally solved.

As you can see, I'm not providing many details about the story itself because it unspools much like a Christie mystery itself, with suspense and surprises, and much of the delight of this novel is in that slow discovery of its secrets. There is a lot packed into this short novel. It is something of a biography, providing a glimpse into the famous author's life and the beginning of her writing career, which would eventually lead to her selling more books worldwide than any other writer! It's fascinating to see how she became the famous mystery writer we all know and love. The author did extensive research, so both the information about Christie's life and the historical details are based in well-known fact. But the mystery! Benedict has come up with a creative, clever story to fill in those missing eleven days of which I think the Queen of Mystery herself would approve. It was a fun, highly entertaining novel.

270 pages, Sourcebooks

Audible Studios

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, from the early days of the disappearance and investigation, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

  
  

Or you can order The Mystery of Mrs. Christie from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Teen/YA Review: Illegal

I am a huge fan of YA author Francisco X. Stork, and I enjoyed his novels Marcelo in the Real World, Irises, and The Memory of Light. He has a talent for telling stories that feature realistic young characters with deep emotional depth that address important issues. I also enjoyed his novel Disappeared, which deals with immigration issues and human trafficking. Last month, I listened to the sequel to that book, Illegal, which continues the story of a brother and sister running for their lives. I will give you a rough outline of this second book, without spoiling the first one.

Sara Zapata and her younger brother, Emiliano, have made it to the United States, literally in fear for their lives, but their problems are not yet over. Sara worked as a journalist at a local newspaper in Juarez, where she wrote several articles about the many young women who went missing from the city every year, including her friend, Linda. In the course of Disappeared, Sara obtained information that could help find the women and identify the criminals responsible, but unfortunately, those criminals knew that Sara had that dangerous information, which is why she and Emiliano had to flee for their lives. Now, Sara is in a detention center in Texas, awaiting an asylum hearing, while Emiliano has been able to get to Chicago, where their estranged father is living with his new wife and son. The narrative moves back and forth between sister and brother, both of whom are still in serious danger from desperate criminals who will do anything to keep that information from the authorities. Sara is not even safe in the custody of the detention center. How will they get their information to the police and save those missing women while keeping themselves and their loved ones safe?

As with Disappeared, this is a tense, gripping thriller with plenty of action and suspense. It is also a story about immigration, with in-depth characters caught in complex and real-life situations (even without the criminals involved). As always, Stork delves into all of these complicated issues with compassion and detailed information, bringing the reader along on these dangerous adventures. The tension continues right through to the end, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, as Sara and Emiliano race against time to both do the right thing and stay safe. I am always impressed by Stork's intricate and powerful novels, and this one kept me captivated on audio.

304 pages, Scholastic

Scholastic Audio

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, from the start of the book where Sara is in the detention center, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

    
  

Or you can order Illegal from Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Nonfiction November 2021

Well, with the R.I.P. reading season behind me, I am turning my attention to nonfiction, as I do every year for Nonfiction November! 

This year, I also have my YouTube channel, so you can check out my Nonfiction November video, where I talk a bit about each of the books in my want-to-read stack (above) for this month.

You can see in the photo that I pulled a LOT of nonfiction books off my shelves for this month! As usual, it's more than I can possibly finish in one month, but I have plenty of great choices here to choose from, including a mix of memoir, true crime, personal essays, history, and more.

 

If YOU want to join in the fun, the details of Nonfiction November are here in the What's Nonfiction? blog. There, they have a different topic for each week for bloggers, plus a calendar of Instagram prompts for each day of the month, so check it out.

I don't always have time for the weekly topics, but as long as I am kicking off the month with this post, I will include the Week 1 Topics, which are about a look back at my year of nonfiction. You can check out my 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge on my Challenges page to see that I have only read 6 nonfiction books so far this year!

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?

All six books have been good, but I think my favorite was The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert. I read it for one of my book groups, and it was fascinating and informative but also an engrossing read. I was really blown away by the scientific information she presented, and the book is also like a travelogue of her trips all over the world and the species and experts she encountered while researching the book. Highly recommended!

Do you have a particular topic you've read more this year?

No. I've read a mix of science, self-help, memoir, and even a graphic nonfiction book, and all were on different topics. I like a lot of variety in my reading!

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

Generally, I often recommend Erik Larson's books, even for people who don't normally read nonfiction or for those who don't even read much at all. Each of his books is about a fascinating topic, and he writes narrative nonfiction that reads like a gripping thriller. I often give his books as gifts.

Of the nonfiction books I've read so far this year, I have probably most recommended Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy, as a practical guide to planting more native plants in our yards and why that is not just important but essential to the ecosystems around us. In fact, the basis for this book comes right from the discussions in The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert.

What are you hoping to get out of Nonfiction November? 

To read lots of nonfiction! As you can see, I don't normally choose much nonfiction on my own (4 of my 6 nonfiction books so far this year were read for book groups), so I enjoy the extra motivation in November to enjoy more of it. And to clear off those shelves! ha ha (it's a losing battle). 

So, that's my Nonfiction November! 

Tell me about YOUR nonfiction reading habits! What kinds of nonfiction do you enjoy? What have been your favorites? 

It's Monday 11/1! What Are You Reading?

What? November? How'd that happen? Suddenly, my favorite month is over and my favorite holiday past. Now, we are looking at colder weather and the sudden (it always feels sudden) onslaught of "the holiday season." In my reading world, my immersion into mysteries, thrillers, and ghosts for the R.I.P. Challenge will quickly transform now into Nonfiction November! I have lots of great nonfiction books on my shelf waiting for me, just as soon as I finish one last novel for my book group tomorrow. 

Healthwise, I'm still not completely out of this recent relapse of my chronic immune disorder, though I am finally doing a little bit better! The first half of last week was rough, but then I got an IV Thursday that helped temporarily.  I am also adjusting the dosing on one medication and tried stopping an immune supplement that was fairly new to me. I have a phone appointment today with my ME/CFS specialist in NYC, so I will discuss a couple of other treatment ideas with her. I want to be able to enjoy the holidays!

Since I was feeling a bit better this weekend, we were finally able to do a little overdue cleaning here (I can only manage the dusting and my husband does all the rest). I was feeling very nostalgic for Halloweens past, when our sons were little and their friends would come over and we'd work on our costumes (sometimes a family theme!), and there was so much excitement getting ready for trick-or-treating! But this weekend, we had lunch with a friend, and our son and his girlfriend came over for dinner last night. Most importantly, we got TWO trick-or-treaters!! We rarely have more than 5 or so, in a neighborhood with many empty nesters, and we had none the past two years, with the pandemic, so we were ecstatic to see two adorable kids in costume at our front door last night. Now, what do we do with all this candy??

Our youngest son's first Halloween: The Super Family!

 

Robin Hood and the gang

Star Wars family

When they got older: family rock band!

 

We were thoroughly enjoying our last books for the R.I.P. Challenge last week. Here's what we've all been reading:

I finished my last in-print book for the R.I.P. Challenge, a YA novel, Young Man with a Camera, by Emil Sher. This is a completely original premise and a powerful novel that blew me away. An unnamed young teen, referred to only as T--- in the novel, has a tough life. He was burned as a child and is left with disfiguring scars on his neck and face and is therefore the subject of some terrible bullying. T--- is a kind but shy kid, with one best (and only) friend, Sean. Because Ryan, the lead bully, is a star student and athlete, adults don't believe T--- when he dares to mention an incident that occurred. He sees the world through his camera lens, and the book is filled with real photos, illustrating what he sees and experiences. But when he witnesses a horrifying crime by his bullies, he has a tough decision to make. Ryan knows he took photos, so T--- must weight the his own safety and that of his loved ones against doing the right thing. Not only are the photos a unique feature of this book, but the first-person writing style is original, too, and I was riveted and moved. Can't stop thinking about it. See my full review.

I had to leave the R.I.P. Challenge behind before Halloween to fit in a book group selection, Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. I really enjoyed (as did another book group) another of O'Farrell's novels, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, and I have been hearing rave reviews of Hamnet ever since its release last year. The title character was actually Shakespeare's real-life son, and the subtitle, A Novel of the Plague, tells you what the book is about. Although Hamnet's twin, Judith, begins to get ill in the first pages, much of the first half of the book are flashback chapters (as Hamnet runs to get help for his sister), all about his father (who is never mentioned by name) and his mother, Agnes, and their families. The novel recounts how his parents first met and all about each of their families, with chapters moving back and forth in time between the present and the past and the two timelines gradually coming together. It's very good so far, engaging and immersive.

I made sure that my last book for the R.I.P. Challenge, on audio, was a perfect choice for the season and for Halloween week ... and I just finished it last night! The Ghost of Midnight Lake by Lucy Strange, a middle-grade ghost story, was just right. In late 1899, twelve-year-old Agatha is stunned when, still reeling from the death of her father, the Earl of Gosswater, her cousin, Clarence, is named the new Earl and immediately kicks her out of her home. Before her father's funeral, she is sent away from the only home she's ever known to live with a man named Thomas. All she knows is that cruel cousin Clarence says that Thomas is her real father. But how could that possibly be? Clarence has inherited the whole estate, but what he really wants is a famous pair of opals, one white and one black, that are missing. Oh, and the ghosts! Agatha sees the ghost of a young girl, like herself, but doesn't know why she is there or what she wants, so Agatha is dealing with mysteries in both the real world and the spirit world. I really enjoyed this ghostly mystery with plenty of suspense and action.

My husband, Ken, finished reading one of the birthday gifts I gave him, The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters. I have been hearing great things about this pre-apocalyptic mystery for years. Yes, pre-apocalyptic. In this near-future setting, an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth and can't be stopped; it is due to hit in six months. So what's a homicide cop to do? Unlike many citizens walking off their jobs, Detective Hank Palace feels a responsibility to continue working. Currently, he has a case involving a hanging--in a city wracked with recent suicides--that feels suspicious. Some might say, "Why bother?" but Hank feels a commitment to see his role through. This is the first book in a trilogy. When I ordered it from our local indie bookstore, the store owner said, "Oh, my husband loves this series!" It certainly sounds intriguing to me. Ken enjoyed it and wants to read more of the series.

Even though he knew he wouldn't finish it by Halloween, Ken started another perfect-for-the-season book, Billy Summers by Stephen King. As he said, it wouldn't be spooky reading season without a Stephen King novel! I've been hearing great things about this one from lots of people, and it was another of my birthday gifts to Ken. This sounds like one of King's more thriller-like novels, rather than horror. The title character is a very talented hit man, the best in the business, only now he wants to get out of the business. He's also unusual in that he only takes on clients where the hit is a bad guy. Now, for his very last kill, he sets his eyes on the evilest man he has ever come across. He's excellent at what he does and especially at disappearing afterward, but this time, everything goes wrong. Oooh, sounds like some great King suspense! My husband is already engrossed in it, but he leaves on a business trip tomorrow and isn't so sure about lugging this big hardcover with him.

Our son, 27, hasn't been home in a month now, so we are all missing him. I try to keep in touch with him with texting, but it's not the same! Last I heard, he was reading The Towers of the Sunset by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., book 2 in the Saga of Recluce series. He loves to read epic fantasy, and I remember him reading--and loving--book 1 in the series, The Magic of Recluce, some years ago, so I know he likes this series. He says he's enjoying book two so far.

 

Last week's blog posts:

TV Tuesday: Only Murders in the Building - you must see this outstanding show!  Mystery, suspense, humor, warmth ... and an amazing cast!

Teen/YA Review: Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher - a powerful story, uniquely told - blew me away!

Fiction Review: The House on Tradd Street by Karen White - suspenseful ghostly mystery set in Charleston

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

 

Fiction Review: The House on Tradd Street

Looking for a good Halloween read? I thoroughly enjoyed The House on Tradd Street by Karen White, a ghostly mystery that is perfect for the season! My son picked out this novel for me for my birthday, and it is the first of a series--I look forward to reading more.

Melanie is a real estate agent in Charleston, SC, who specializes in the older, historic homes that fill the city. Ironically, though, Melanie herself doesn't really like those kind of historic homes full of character; she herself lives in a bland, new condo. Perhaps one reason that Melanie prefers her modern, character-less home is that she can see ghosts. She's known this about herself since she was a little girl, and it's something she shares with the mother who abandoned her as a child. Melanie does her best to avoid or ignore ghosts, but in a city like Charleston, filled with the history of centuries, they are everywhere. When the elderly Mr. Vanderhorst invites Melanie to his home on Tradd Street, she thinks it is like any other real estate call and that he is interested in selling the historic home. But then he dies suddenly the very next day, and Melanie finds out that he left his beautiful but decrepit home to ... her. She really doesn't want it, but it will be a worth a lot after some repair work, so she follows the edicts of the will and moves in. She has an assortment of friends and new acquaintances to help with the extensive renovation work needed on the house, included Jack Trenholm, an attractive writer of narrative nonfiction best-sellers. His latest obsession is the missing diamonds from the Confederate treasury, which are rumored to be hidden in the Vanderhorst home. That mystery is tangled up with several others, and Melanie and Jack end up trying to get to the bottom of them, though they are in significant danger from both live and spiritual forces.

I finished this book while camping on a gorgeous, crisp fall day next to a campfire, and it was the perfect spooky accompaniment! This was the first Karen White novel I have read, though I know she is popular among some of my book blogger friends. It exceeded my expectations, with in-depth characters I cared about, several twisty historic mysteries all wound together, and of course, appearances of both kind and evil spirits. One ghost resident in the house is trying to help Melanie, while another clearly wants to keep her from solving the mysteries and even harm her. It all adds up to wonderful suspense, paired with witty dialogue and plenty of atmosphere from the Charleston setting. I very much enjoyed my first visit to Tradd Street and look forward to another (there are now seven books in the series).

329 pages, Berkley

Penguin Audio

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here, from the start of the novel, as Melanie gets her first glimpse of the house on Tradd Street, and/or download it from Audible.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

    

 

Or purchase The House on Tradd Street through Book Depository, with free shipping worldwide.

Teen/YA Review: Young Man with Camera

When I was pulling stacks of books off my shelves for potential reads for the R.I.P. Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge, I also grabbed a few from my shelf of middle-grade and teen/YA books waiting to be read, many of them having been on that shelf for much too long! Whenever I do this, I usually find a gem I didn't know was hiding there, and that was the case with Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher (and photographs by David Wyman), a novel released in 2015. This wholly unique book blew me away. It is a powerful story of bullying, hope, friendship, and photography.

The narrator of this novel is never named. He refers to himself as T--- and says only a few people actually call him by his name. His explanation provides a glimpse into both his life and the unique way this story is told:

"Only a couple of kids in school call me T---. Most don't bother calling me anything. The ones that do call me things you would never say at a dinner table unless you wanted to be grounded for six years. I don't like to write out my name because I know someone will come along and twist a normal name into something not-normal."

Just that brief passage tells you that he gets bullied ... a lot. Much of the bullying--and his innate shyness and solitude--come from an accident when he was a little boy that left disfiguring burn scars on his neck and face. His primary tormentor is Ryan, a cruel boy who takes pleasure in displaying power over weaker people. Unfortunately, Ryan comes with a whole posse of other boys who follow his lead and do what he says. There are two things that bring joy into T---'s dark life: his best (and only) friend, Sean, and his camera. He sees the world through its lens and loves the way that a photograph can tell a story. A kind librarian at school notices his passion and introduces him to some famous photographs that made a difference in the world and to a book of photographs by Diane Arbus, which T--- pores over with fascination. It is his camera that helps introduce T--- to Lucy, a homeless woman that most people look right past (or through), with whom T--- gets to know and develops a friendship. When Ryan and his crew do something truly horrific and criminal that T--- captures with his camera, he must weigh his conscience with the danger to himself and those he loves.

Wow. This is a short book, sprinkled throughout with real photos, but it packs a lot of power and thoughtfulness into its pages and images. The photographs aren't the only thing that makes this a unique novel. The first-person narration is also original, as T--- has a singular voice and a great way of describing things:

"Lucy started to laugh. This wasn't bow-and-arrow laughter where I'm the target. This wasn't nail-and-hammer laughter where I'm the plank. This wasn't the sour laughter I'd heard before. This laughter was thick gravy you pour over platefuls of grief to disguise the taste."

Just wow, right? This boy has suffered so greatly and has so much insight and thoughtfulness crammed in among his sparse words.

And then there are the photographs. Some of the famous photos are described, but many of T---'s photos are included among the text. Just like he says, they add extra layers to the story and also allow the reader to see what he is seeing. The story itself is quite dark. This is some next-level bullying, and then Ryan's actions actually become criminal. Some of that is hard to read, especially when you've gotten to know T--- and care about him, though there is also a lot of compassion and tenderness in the novel. This is no fairy tale, all wrapped up in a bow at the end with "they lived happily ever after." It's complicated and challenging, just like in real life, but there are glimpses of hope and signs that T--- will ultimately be OK. This is a book that will stick with me for a long time, and after I finished it, I wanted to immediately turn back to page 1 and re-read it.

218 pages, Arthur A. Levine Books

NOTE: I wondered whether to call this a middle-grade or teen/YA novel. The narrator is thirteen years old and in middle school, which would normally mean it's for middle-graders, but it does include quite a bit of horrific violence. So, it's probably fine for some older middle-grade readers but maybe too intense for others. 

In this short video by author Emil Sher, he explains what's behind Young Man with Camera and reads some excerpts:

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me (pennies per purchase), to help offset the time I spend writing for this blog, at no extra cost to you.

 

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Much as I love audiobooks, this is one book that wouldn't work as an audio, since the photos are an integral part of the story.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

(Note this book is currently backordered on Bookshop, though they have used copies available.)

    
  

The hardcover and Kindle editions are also available through Amazon.

TV Tuesday: Only Murders in the Building

Way back in my Summer TV Preview at the start of July, I mentioned a new show I was really looking forward to, even though it wasn't due to start until the end of summer. Only Murders in the Building has a cast of comedy gold, so I had high expectations ... and they were exceeded! My husband and I both enjoyed this murder mystery-comedy-drama and were disappointed when it ended.

In New York, there's a fancy apartment building called The Arconia, whose residents include celebrities and other successful people (to varying degrees). Typically, its residents keep to themselves, but now someone in their building has died, under suspicious circumstances. At first, police determine that Tim Kono's death was a suicide, but it's not that clear-cut. The building is cleared while the police investigate, and three very different residents end up waiting in the same neighborhood restaurant together. They discover that all three of them are serious fans of a particular true-crime podcast, and they end up discussing the ins and outs of that case in depth. Charles, played by Steve Martin, is a somewhat stiff and pompous guy who used to be an actor. In his best-known role, he played a detective on a cop show for years. He vaguely knows his neighbor, Oliver (played by Martin Short), who works as a director of plays in New York. Before the death in their building and their meeting in the restaurant, neither of them knew Mable, played by Selena Gomez, but the three of them quickly bond over their love of the true crime podcast. When they return to the building and begin to find clues suggesting that Tim's death might not have been suicide, they decide to start their own true-crime podcast, Only Murders in the Building, investigating on their own and reporting to their followers. Detective work, suspense, and hijinks ensue!

A TV concept created by Steve Martin and starring himself and Martin Short? With Selena Gomez as their young, much cooler partner? I'm in! This unique show really has it all. It's a murder mystery with plenty of plot twists, surprises, and suspense. It's also very, very funny, with comedy royalty (and best friends) Steve Martin and Martin Short at the helm, with great chemistry with their co-star Selena. And surprisingly, it is also warm and touching, as the three loners begin to get to know each other, eventually reveal their secrets, and develop a real friendship. Other big stars like Nathan Lane appear in the story, too, much to our delight. We just loved everything about this show and enjoyed every episode. Our only complaint? It was over much too soon! But good news: season two is scheduled for release in 2022. We can't wait to see what happens next.

Only Murders in the Building is a Hulu original, so it is available exclusively on Hulu.

It's Monday 10/25! What Are You Reading?

I missed last Monday's post, so this is a two-week catch-up! It's been a little crazy, but with some fun times, too. Shortly after my last Monday post, my laptop died, out of the blue! I was in the middle of editing a video for my YouTube channel, and suddenly my screen went black.  I took it to Apple, and they replaced the display--for the second time in two years!! And I did not damage my screen in any way; I use my laptop while sitting on my couch or recliner. Apple products are usually pretty good quality, but it seems I got a lemon. I was without my laptop for a week while they replaced the display screen, but I was fortunate that was the extent of it. I did have a 15-year-old MacBook to use (which, by the way, is still in perfect condition with all of its original parts!), but the software on it is so old that it would only run an ancient browser that didn't work with YouTube or Facebook. Luckily, it did work (with some weird issues) with Blogger, so I was still able to keep writing new posts (see below).

My health has been its usual (lately) rollercoaster, with three good days in a row last week (yay!), followed by a really bad "crash" that confined me to the couch for two days and forced me to cancel out on a Friday night Hamilton show in Philadelphia with friends. I was pretty upset, but they were amazing. I am blessed with such kind, caring friends!

Now the good stuff! With my father-in-law settled into Assisted Living, we were able to get away for a two-day camping trip to a local state park, Elk Neck State Park in Maryland. We had our favorite campsite, with great views of the water. It was so calming and peaceful there! We spent two days outdoors, taking short walks (luckily my 3 good days coincided with camping), relaxing by a campfire, and ... reading, of course!

 

I even managed a walk out to Turkey Point to see the lighthouse and gaze out over the Chesapeake Bay. You can see a short compilation of photos and videos of our trip in my video, Fall Camping Getaway and Friday Reads.

Once I got my laptop back, I was also able to finally post my September Reading Wrap-Up, where I talk about each of the books I finished last month--it was a great reading month!

And yesterday, we enjoyed our annual tradition of carving pumpkins! Our older son lives out of state now, so we missed him. But we very much enjoyed having our younger son and his girlfriend here for jack-o-lanterns and a nice fall lunch of chili and cornbread. 

And, of course, there were good books the past two weeks! Here's what we've been reading:

While we were camping, I finished The House on Tradd Street by Karen White for the R.I.P. Challenge. My younger son bought this for me for my birthday. This is especially significant because he is our non-reader, and he went to a bookstore and picked this out for me. I was quite touched by his effort. It's also a perfect fit for October, as it is a mystery with ghosts! As in The Sense of Reckoning, which I loved and just reviewed, the main character can sense spirits. In this case, Melanie Middleton is a real estate agent in Charleston, SC, who sees ghosts all around her. Charleston, with its rich history, is a tough place to live for someone like that! An elderly man Melanie barely knows leaves her his large historic house when he dies and now Melanie can see him and his mother playing in the garden. There are mysteries associated with the house, and Melanie and her friends work to solve them, amid both live and ghostly dangers. I really enjoyed this and would definitely read more of the series!

Next, I read a book for my neighborhood book group (meeting this week), The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict. This is a unique book, a novel based on a real-life event from the life of Agatha Christie. In 1926, she disappeared for eleven days. She eventually showed up safe, but her disappearance was never explained, not even in her own autobiography. The author has created a novel about what might have happened during those mysterious eleven days, with flashbacks to her earlier life. When she disappeared, Agatha had a husband, Archie, a dour WWI veteran with a taste for structure and order. She also had a young daughter. Shortly after her disappearance, the police found her car abandoned in the woods, but there was no sign of her. It's an engrossing what-if mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

I have another book group pick to read for next week, but I wanted to squeeze in one last book for the R.I.P. Challenge, so I chose a short YA novel, Young Man with a Camera, by Emil Sher. This is a completely original premise that I am loving so far. An unnamed young teen, referred to only as T--- in the novel, has a tough life. He was burned as a child and is left with disfiguring scars on his neck and face and is therefore the subject of some terrible bullying. T--- is a kind but shy kid, with one best (and only) friend, Sean. Because the lead bully is a star student and athlete, adults don't believe him when he dares to mention an incident that occurred. T---- sees the world through his camera lens, and the book is filled with real photos, illustrating what he sees and experiences. But when he witnesses a horrifying crime, he has a tough decision to make. Not only are the photos a unique feature, but the first-person writing style is original, too, and I am riveted by this book so far!

I finished listening to another R.I.P. Challenge book on audio, Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, a new release. I have only read one other novel from this very popular author, Truly Madly Guilty, for Big Book Summer 2020, and I enjoyed it. In this new book, a mother named Joy in her 60's disappears, and her four adult children are trying to figure out what happened. They're not sure whether she just left on her own for a break or whether something more sinister happened to her. The police immediately suspect Joy's husband, Stan, because they can tell he's lying about something. And there is a mysterious stranger who could be involved. As the novel moves forward, the reader gradually gets to know each member of the family better, with parallel narratives following the months leading up to Joy's disappearance and the investigation afterward. I enjoyed this suspenseful family drama.

I was worried about downloading my next audio book without my laptop, but I remembered I had a few audios already on my iPod in the Sora app that I downloaded from SYNC, an annual summer program with free audios. One of them was a great fit for the R.I.P. Challenge: Illegal by Francisco X. Stork, the sequel to Disappeared, which I listened to a few years ago (review at the link). I'll try not to spoil the first book and just stick to the basics here. The events in Disappeared left Emilio and his sister, Sara, Mexican citizens living in Ciudad Juarez, running for their lives from a powerful cartel. At the start of Illegal, Sara is in a U.S. detention center, awaiting her asylum hearing but worried the cartel knows where she is. Emilio makes his way to their estranged father in Chicago, who is living the American dream with his new wife and son. They both want to do the right thing to save a group of strangers, but their lives are at risk. Both books are fast-paced, intricate, gripping thrillers. This was an excellent conclusion to the story.

My husband, Ken, finished reading one of the new books I just bought him for his birthday. I kept hearing rave reviews and enthusiasm for A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson, the first book in an exciting new thriller series. For a nice change of pace, the main character here is a wildlife biologist named Alex Carter who is passionate about saving endangered species. In this novel, she is up in Montana, studying wolverines, when she stumbles onto another kind of predator, a man wandering in the wild. The police soon drop the investigation, and Alex unwittingly finds herself in the position of knowing too much about a vast, illegal operation in the region. Soon, she herself becomes the prey. We both love thrillers in a wilderness setting, so this sounds great! He enjoyed it and wants to read the next book in the series, A Blizzard of Polar Bears, coming out next month!

Now, Ken is reading another birthday gift I gave him, The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winter. I have been hearing great things about this pre-apocalyptic mystery for years. Yes, pre-apocalyptic. In this near-future setting, an asteroid is on a collision course with Earth and can't be stopped; it is due to hit in six months. So what's a homicide cop to do? Unlike many citizens walking off their jobs, Detective Hank Palace feels a responsibility to continue working. Currently, he has a case involving a hanging--in a city wracked with recent suicides--that feels suspicious. Some might say, "Why bother?" but Hank feels a commitment to see his role through. This is the first book in a trilogy. When I ordered it from our local indie bookstore, the store owner said, "Oh, my husband loves this series!" It certainly sounds intriguing to me. Ken is enjoying it so far.

Our son, 27, hasn't been home in a while now, and I'm missing him! He caught me up on his recent reading in a text this morning. He finished reading The King's Blood by Daniel Abraham, book 1 of The Dagger and the Coin series. He really enjoyed first re-reading book 1 and then reading book 2. Now, he says he is reading The Towers of the Sunset by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., book 2 in the Saga of Recluce series. I remember him reading--and loving--book 1 in the series, The Magic of Recluce, some years ago, so I know he likes this series. He says he's enjoying book two so far.

 

Whew, that's it for all of us! I also posted these new blog posts in the last two weeks:

My Summary of Books Read in September - what I read & how I'm doing with my challenges

Fiction Review: Broken Harbor by Tana French - another twisty mystery from her Dublin Murder Squad!

Fiction Review: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty - a suspenseful family drama

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?