Books for Breakfast

Read It And Weep is the fifth installment in the Library Lover's Series by Jenn McKinlay. They are cozy mysteries set in a small town on the east coast. I love reading these kinds of books because they are the ones I don't have to pay too much attention to. The plot is simple and engaging, very much a whodunnit type of setting, and they are just fast-paced enough to keep my attention but not so fast that my heart pounds in my chest :) I tend to use these books as palate cleansers when I find myself in a bit of a book slump or have just finished reading a more intense story. I can get done with them fairly quickly and move on to the next title in my TBR pile... something that is ever-growing. I will say that I did not enjoy this one as much as its predecessors. The author inserted a love triangle into the mix, a trope that I will never feel drawn to. Plus, I found myself irritated through the majority of the book because the main characters refused to communicate. I kept thi...

I've had Eight Perfect Murders on my TBR shelf for a few months now; the synopsis instantly intrigued me because it evoked images of Agatha Christie. The idea of someone committing murders based on a list of "perfect" fictional murders was unique and intriguing. The novel itself, however, ended up falling flat for me. The whole plot ended up feeling like one convoluted story; I was constantly tripping up on names and the various fictional stories mentioned throughout. The main plot regarding the murders intermingled with past histories in a way that ultimately left me feeling confused and lost. Had the information been delivered in a more systematic way, I think the interconnected lives would have made more sense and come across in a creepier way, as I assume it was intended to. The narrator, Malcom Kershaw, was of the unreliable nature. I don't generally enjoy those, but I'm told it makes for more entertaining twists and turns :) There were certain aspects th...

Amish fiction is a niche genre that I enjoy reading very much. The Amish way of life is something of a fascination for me; years ago when I first started reading it, I often wished that I had been born into it. There's just something about the simplicity. I can't quite explain it, but with every book I read, I find myself drawn more and more to it. Someday I would love to go to Pennsylvania and visit the Amish townships there, and pick up an authentic quilt :) The benefits of this genre are that it inspires and convicts me. How can I serve my family better? How can I draw closer to the Lord, simply and sweetly? How can I practice forgiveness more? Usually, the Amish fiction novel contains some kind of romance and that's the kind I enjoy; clean, sweet, and endearing.  The Amish Outsider was a random find on Libby. After a quick perusal, I discovered that unfortunately, I won't be able to feed my habit much without the benefits of a library hold on physical books. ...

I promptly texted my friend "what the crap!" after finishing The Hand on The Wall . The journey through the Truly Devious series has been quite the ride. No doubt if COVID had not happened, I would have devoured the whole trilogy in the span of 2 weeks. Kindle holds are a thing, though, so I had to wait like a peasant (and practice patience) and instead finished the series in a span of several months... no big deal, I guess. It made the enjoyment last longer :) The series surprised me in so many ways and gave me some hope for the ever-expanding YA genre. The Hand on The Wall  was probably my least favorite in the trilogy, a-la Mockingjay style (if you know, you know). I genuinely feel like this last installment could have been parcelled out in such a way that the series could have been a duology. The first half trudged a little because it was basically a litany of Stevie's thoughts. Don't get me wrong, I like getting inside her mind because she is a fascinating char...

This book was an absolute delight; it was like a cup of tea and a warm blanket wrapped up in pages and bound in leather. Except of course, that I read a Kindle edition of this story and not a physical copy... but that's neither here nor there. I read the predecessor, The Bookshop on The Corner , last year and at first blush had no interest in reading the second book. I'll admit, I have a sort of bias towards books that center around an adult woman with a child and relationship problems; it's just not where I'm at in my own life and so I find it hard to relate and thus remain interested. However, I saw this book floating around on Goodreads and decided to give it a try. When my Libby hold finally came in after a couple weeks, I was able to dive headfirst into Scotland and the Loch Ness. This is one of the reasons I adore reading: I can visit new places without even leaving my home. Today, I was able to experience Scotland and London. While it took me several days to com...

And I thought February was hard... This month has been difficult and I pretty much lost all interest in reading about halfway through. So I'd say it's a feat that I managed to read 5 books. I've got my reading mojo back now; I'm still deep in Gone With The Wind and need to get back to regularly reading it. I also started reading Pride and Prejudice again as a comfort read and I'm enjoying it so much. Here's to hoping May is a good month for reading goals! There's not much to say except to list the stats for this month. Since I didn't read that much, I don't have many strong feelings about any of the titles I did read. (Except for In The Woods ; check out my review for it if you want to read some intense feelings...). April Stats 5 total books 4 total authors 2,184 pages read Longest Book: HP and The Goblet of Fire (734 pages) Shortest Book: The Penderwicks (262 pages) Favorite Read: The Penderwicks Least Favorite Read: Mr...