TV Tuesday: The Big Leap

Together, my husband and I watch a lot of TV shows, including many action/thriller types, medical dramas, sci fi, legal dramas, and a few select comedies. But, on the rare occasions when I have some TV time to myself, I most enjoy watching dramas and especially anything that includes singing and/or dancing. So, while my husband was golfing last month, I tried a new show, The Big Leap, a fictional drama about a reality dance show. I was hooked! I have been loving this show, both for its drama and for the wonderful dance scenes in each episode.

Reality TV director Nick Blackburn, played by Scott Foley, has a new show to focus on, and he is determined to make it a hit. It's a dance competition with open auditions, with the ultimate goal of doing a production of Swan Lake with the disparate group of amateur dancers (of all kinds) that are chosen. Former ballerina Monica, played by Mallory Jansen, and dancer/fashion icon Wayne, played by Kevin Daniels, will act as judges and directors of the final production. The contestants who make it onto the show (this is still first episode stuff) are a varied group, from diverse backgrounds and with very different dance styles. Simon and Brittney, played by Adam Kaplan and Anna Grace Barlow, are ballroom dance partners who have won many awards (and have an interesting backstory). Julia, played by Teri Polo, is a married mother of two daughters who feels stuck in her current life and long ago had a dream of being a professional dancer, with some training in classical ballet. Many of the other contestants have less structured dance backgrounds. Paula, played by Piper Perabo, is a breast cancer survivor with some good moves on the dance floor. Mike, played by Jon Rudnitsky, is down on his luck: laid off from his job, recently divorced and still pining for his ex-wife, and drinking way too much. His dancing has mostly been confined to dive bars while drunk. Gabby, played by Simone Recasner, and Justin, played by Raymond Cham, Jr., were best friends in high school, where Gabby was on the school dance team and Justin was known for his breakdancing moves. They both gave up their dreams, though, and Gabby is struggling to raise and support her son on her own, while Justin works at a bowling alley. Other contestants are into hip hop and other contemporary dance styles and from very different backgrounds. To boost ratings, Nick adds a final contestant, NFL player Reggie, played by Ser'Darius Blaine, who is athletic but has no dance experience and recently ruined his career (he was "cancelled"), providing him with good incentive to show his old coach that he's pulled himself together. Together, along with other dancers, these contestants go through various trials and tribulations each week, in both their personal lives and on camera (and sometimes the two collide), while Nick tries to boost ratings with as much drama as possible.

I am just loving this show, in part for the same reasons I have loved shows like Glee and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist: I've come to care about the characters and root for them, plus the music and dancing in every episode lift my spirits! The dance aspect alone caught my eye when I saw trailers for the show (check out the one below--it still gives me chills). I also spotted Teri Polo in the cast, whom I absolutely loved in The Fosters, another old favorite show. After watching 8 episodes so far, I have come to enjoy all of the cast members, together forming a wonderful ensemble. The writing is clever, with humor woven in, as well as drama. And, of course, there are the dance scenes! Though they are working on Swan Lake, there are plenty of opportunities for each of the characters to indulge in his or her own special form of dance, which is just fun and uplifting to watch. I'm loving this show and looking forward to the next episode ... my husband is golfing tomorrow afternoon!

The Big Leap is a FOX network show, so it is available On Demand, as well as streaming on Hulu.

This trailer leaves me smiling every time!

 

It's Monday 11/15! What Are You Reading?

Did you miss me?? I missed you! I really did miss the book blogging community the past two weeks and am glad to be back.

Last Monday was a planned absence: we took one last quick camping trip before it got too cold. And, wow, it worked out perfectly. When we booked the campground reservation two weeks earlier, the forecast was showing highs in the 50's (F) for our planned two days--pretty chilly for camping, even with a heater. But, we got lucky and ended up with two days with temperatures in the mid-70's, full sunshine, brilliant blue skies, and gorgeous fall colors.

Water views and fall colors

 

We went to Trap Pond State Park, about two hours south of us, here in Delaware, and while leaves had started to drop here at home, colors were at their peak there. 

From our site, we could see the beautiful pond, just a short walk away. We took full advantage of being so close to the water, going out to the shore or dock at sunset, in the first light of morning, and even stargazing at night.

Reflections in Trap Pond in the morning

Sunset reflected in the water

Trap Pond is known for having the furthest north, naturally-occurring cypress grove in the U.S. I didn't know that, and I didn't realize that cypress trees turn a bright orange color in the fall. The scenery was just breathtaking, and we enjoyed a couple of short hikes (luckily, I was feeling good that week!).

Cypress trees and fall colors

We got back home feeling relaxed, but we had to leave again two days later. My stepfather's father had died, and we drove to Buffalo for the funeral this weekend. That's about an 8-hour drive each way for us, but we really wanted to be there. We knew him well, and are close to my stepfather's entire family, so we were glad we could be there for them. The good thing is that he lived a long, happy, and very healthy life, dying at 94 in his own home. We appreciate that so much more after dealing with assisted living for my father-in-law. Despite the sad occasion, it was wonderful to see our family again, for the first time in about three years! It was odd to reunite in that way, but it was so good to see everyone. The "kids" have all grown up! Even my sweet "little" nephew is now taller than me (though, admittedly, that's a low bar). LOTS of fierce hugs were exchanged. And, since it was Buffalo, it snowed!!

Snow in Buffalo!

We got back home very late Saturday night, and I am still recovering from the exertion and long drives. We had my 96-year-old father-in-law over for dinner last night. He really seemed to enjoy the visit, conversation, and food (he ate every crumb on his plate!), but wow, he has gotten so much weaker and more confused in the past month. We try to see him several times a week, but he hadn't been inside our house in a while, and he had a terrible time with just the two steps to get in and walking between rooms with his walker.

OK, enough catch-up ... let's talk books! Of course, a big part of our camping experience is reading while relaxing outdoors, though the gorgeous scenery was a bit distracting on this trip!

Reading while camping

Since my last Monday post, I uploaded three new videos to my YouTube channel:

• Nonfiction November 2021 - a bit about each of the books in my stack for this month
• Friday Reads and Nature Walk 11-5-21
• October Reading Wrap-Up - what I enjoyed reading last month

Finally, here's what we've all been reading the past two weeks:

My first book for Nonfiction November was No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler. I've never met her, but Kate is one of my favorite people in the world. She has a wonderful podcast, Everything Happens, that is my favorite. She is living with incurable cancer, though she is stable and doing well for now. She talks a lot about what it's like to live this kind of life in limbo and how our culture can make us feel like being sick (or divorced or depressed or whatever) is our own fault. The best way to tell you about her is to share this bit from the intro to her podcast: "Hey, there are some things you can fix and some things you can't, and it's OK that life isn't always better. We can find beauty and meaning and truth, but there's no cure for being human. So, let's be friends on that journey. Let's be human together." As I expected, I loved this short memoir and tabbed every other page because she expresses things so perfectly. As with her podcast, I laughed out loud and teared up and felt deeply understood.

Now, I have moved on to a different kind of memoir, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. This book has been lauded as a Best Book of 2021 all over the place. My husband gave it to me for my birthday, and I was saving it for Nonfiction November. It's the story of how Michelle lost her mother to colon cancer when she was only 25 years old. In flashbacks, she recounts her childhood and rocky adolescence and the complicated relationship she had with her mother, who was from Korea. It's filled with references to the delicious Korean foods she and her mother shared as part of their heritage (her dad is American), and she describes the loss of her mother with raw emotion. In hindsight, it was probably not the best choice for a week when I was attending a funeral (and thinking a lot about my own dad's death from melanoma six years ago), but it is excellent, engaging, and powerful.

On audio, I am listening to An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives by Matt Richtel. I figured as long as it's nonfiction month, I might as well learn more about my own health problems! This book has been excellent so far (I'm almost finished now). The author is not a scientist or doctor or any kind of expert; he's a journalist, a reporter for the New York Times, who became interested in the immune system when his childhood friend was battling a particularly difficult type of cancer. So, he explains everything--including some very complex science--in a simple, easy-to-understand way for laypeople. And, as the subtitle suggests, he explains it all from the perspective of real patients with cancer, AIDS, and autoimmune conditions.The mind-blowing thing is that he wrote this book before COVID, so he keeps mentioning Dr. Fauci and explaining who he is (like we don't know!) and referring to new medical breakthroughs that have become household names, like monoclonal antibodies.  Even though I already knew the basics, I am learning a lot. It's been fascinating.

We slipped in a fiction audiobook, too, for our long trip back and forth to Buffalo. We haven't been able to travel far from home in two years because of my father-in-law, so we have a huge backlog of mystery and thriller audios I've been saving for joint road trips! We listened to Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, a highly acclaimed and very creative mystery. Bookseller Malcolm Kershaw is surprised when an FBI agent comes to ask him questions. She thinks that someone might be using Malcolm's list from the bookstore blog of "8 Perfect Murders" from classic mysteries to actually commit multiple murders. The two of them begin working together, studying the books and looking for similar murders that might have been overlooked by police. It was excellent, clever and twisty, and it kept our attention on the long ride. The only downside is that it spoiled the endings of nine classic murder mysteries for us (only two of which I had previously read)!

My husband, Ken, is still reading Billy Summers by Stephen King. Before our camping trip, he also went on a four-day business trip, so he hasn't had a lot of reading time! I've been hearing great things about this one from lots of people, and it was one 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! Ken has been enjoying it.

Our son, 27, is still enjoying the Saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. He finished reading The Towers of the Sunset, book 2 in the series. Now, he's moved onto the third book, The Magic Engineer. He started this series with book 1 several years ago, back in college, and it should keep him busy for a while--the series has 22 books in it, each one 600+ pages! He loves this kind of epic fantasy. We saw him briefly this weekend at the funeral, but we are really looking forward to having a full week with him over Thanksgiving!

 

 Blog posts from the past two weeks:

Nonfiction November 2021 - my plans and the week 1 discussion questions

Teen/YA Review: Illegal by Francisco X. Stork - fast-paced thriller

 Fiction Review: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict - novel about the real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926

Middle-Grade Review: The Ghost of Midnight Lake by Lucy Strange - mystery, family drama, friendship, and ghosts!

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?

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.

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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

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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.

 

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