Two quick recommendations....

 

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

True crime podcaster, Ben Owens, is looking into the unsolved murder of Savannah Harper. His investigation brings Lucy Chase, the prime suspect, back to her hometown of Plumpton, Texas. It's the last place she wants to be, but Savvy was her best friend and Lucy was with her the night she died. Everyone thinks she did it, but no one can prove it. And Lucy can't remember what really happened that night. But it's time for her to find out the truth...even if the truth points to her. 

What a gripping twisty thriller! I loved the format and how each of Ben's podcast interviews brings out another piece of the truth. Then there's all the lies and contradictions and Lucy's own unreliable memories. It's great storytelling that kept me guessing until the very end.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Ornithologist's Field  Guide to Love by India Holton

"Birds are easy; people are utterly bewildering."

Set in England in 1890, this captivating historical fantasy has wild avian magic, cutthroat ornithologists, and a ruthless competition to capture the rare and magical Caladrius bird. At stake? Being named Best Birder of the Year...and winning tenure! Beth, a serious, smart, and shy professor from Oxford reluctantly teams up with Devon, an irreverent, good looking, and intelligent professor from Cambridge who finds out his competitor is not only spunky, but sassy, too. 

"Who knew that racing across the country, being attacked by deadly magical birds and kissed by a handsome rogue, would be so transformative to one's character."

I loved Beth and Devon and their competitiveness, their love of birds, their wit and banter, and their enchanting romance. Holton writes with a tongue-in-cheek humor that I thoroughly enjoyed. In fact, I loved everything about this book.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"All any of us want, bird and birder, is the freedom to find our own skies, our own magic."

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Track Her Down by Melinda Leigh

Dark secrets come out

as Bree investigates the

murder of Claire's parents.

Mystery .... 304 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This is the 9th Sheriff Bree Taggert mystery and it's another good one, mostly because Bree and her partner, Matt Flynn, are such great characters.)

Only In Your Dreams by Madison Wright

Grey's loved Finley for

years. So when she needs a fake 

boyfriend, he's ALL in!

Romantic comedy .... 351 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I loved this charming, clean romance! It's as delightfully sweet and fun as her previous novel, Off the Beaten Path.)

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain

Cousins switch places

during London Season. Each find love.

But will their love survive the truth?

Regency romance .... 257 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Cute and clean romance; a little silly and a bit shallow, but still fun.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Summit's Edge by Sara Driscoll

When a hijacked plane

crashes, Meg and Hawk join the 

risky mountain search.

An FBI K-9 Mystery .... 308 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(One of my favorite mystery series!)

A Quantum Love Story by Mike Chen

Boom! Then time resets.

They're stuck in a loop. Why?!

And how do they get out?

Science Fiction .... 346 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Great beginning. But I felt the story lost some momentum in the middle. And while I liked the ending, I didn't love it. Still a good read.)

Under Loch and Key by Lana Ferguson

She finds family

in Scotland along with a

curse, magic, and love.

Paranormal romance .... 386 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Key and Lachlan's romance is full of sparks, lots of spice, and the Loch Ness monster, too. It's a fun one.)

Happy Reading!

Two quick recommendations...

 

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

She's a Vampyre; he's a Were.  They're supposed to be enemies.

She's grown up without love or family. He's never found his mate.

Their arranged marriage is a political alliance. 

They're not supposed to fall in love. 

But then their worlds collide and everything changes. 

This paranormal romance is such a fun read! Misery Lark is a sympathetic and spunky character. And I loved her swoony relationship with Lowe Moreland. There's also great banter and humor.   4.5/5 stars.

Midnight Movie by J.L. Bryan

Ellie Jordan is a ghost trapper. She and her partner, Stacey, are investigating the strange paranormal phenomena happening at a local Drive-In movie theater that's being renovated. Is it being haunted by the ghost of the previous owner? A murdered actress from the old movies that they used to show there? Or something more sinister? This is another fun ghostly mystery with humor, atmosphere and a suspenseful ending. Though it's not as scary as some of his other Ellie Jordan books. Ellie and Stacey and their boyfriends, Jacob and Michael, are great characters. I really like them....and this series.    4/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Off the Beaten Path by Madison Wright

Flirty, sunny Wren

tangles with her grumpy neighbor,

single dad Holden.

Romantic comedy .... 360 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Loved Holden's relationship with his six-year-old daughter, June, in this sweet romance.)

Metropolis by B.A. Shapiro

Six lives intersect

at Metropolitan Storage; 

each with their own secrets.

Fiction .... 355 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This character-driven novel is so well-written!)

Beauty and the Beach by Gracie Ruth Mitchell

Her need for money.

His grandma's will. Two reasons

for a fake marriage (that turns out to be real).

Sweet romance .... 306 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(A charming summer romance with clever and humorous banter...and some very funny nicknames between Holland and Phoenix.)

Happy Reading!

Two Quick Recommendations...

 

Forgotten Trail by Claire Kells

This is the third mystery with ISB agents Felicity Harland and Hux Huxley. This one takes place at Pinnacles National Park in California. I really enjoy the National Park setting in this series, especially when it introduces me to parks I've never heard of before, like Pinnacles. And Felicity and Hux are such engaging characters. They make a fun team. I had one problem with the mystery and how the murderer knew to be there, which I felt was never satisfactorily explained, but I liked everything else about it. Especially the suspenseful moments in the park and those unexpected twists along the way.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

"Ben Zook had only two loves in his life. Books and birds."

No longer part of the Amish community, Ben has returned to his childhood home of Stoney Ridge in search of a rare bird. He's hired shy Micah Weaver as his guide. But it was Micah's sister, Penny, who first taught Ben to love birds twenty years ago, when she was just twelve. Too bad he doesn't remember her. 

"She looked at his profile. Him. Ben was her spark bird."

I loved this book because of Micah, Penny, and Ben. And that Amish setting. But most of all, because of the birding! This is an enchanting and heartwarming romance.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Two Quick Recommendations...

 

Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

"If you can choose between anger and empathy, always choose empathy."

Once again Jimenez has woven together a magical story of two lost souls finding love and home together. Justin's dealing with becoming the guardian to his three younger siblings while Emma has to work through her abandonment issues and childhood traumas caused by her very toxic mother. I loved Justin's cute pre-date questionnaires for Emma and their online conversations; I also loved how he tries so hard to take care of his brother and sisters. And how good he is with Emma. Her struggles went deeper and were harder to overcome, which made their ending a bit bumpy. But I was rooting for her and Justin all the way. This heartwarming romance deals with some heavier issues, but it does so with hope and humor. And I liked it a lot.  

No Excuses by Derrick Coleman Jr. 

"I didn't do anything special to make it into the NFL. All I did was work hard. Real hard. And I didn't listen to the people who told me it couldn't be done." 

Legally deaf and dependent on hearing aids and lip reading, Coleman went from not even being allowed to play football in the sixth grade to playing for the Seattle Seahawks and winning the 2014 Superbowl. His is a compelling and interesting journey. And while I enjoyed all the football parts, what I admired most about his story is his focus on working hard, putting in the effort every time, and never giving up. This is a book worth reading.

"Life is too short to settle for excuses. If you settle for excuses, then you'll always arrive at second best. Aim for your dreams, don't doubt yourself, don't let anyone tell you that you're a failure, and put in the work."

Happy Reading!

An unplanned bookish chain...

 

I started off last week reading How to Dance by Jason B. Dutton. It's an imperfect but sweet romance. I really loved Nick Freeman; he's a math teacher, star of Friday night Karaoke, and all-around good guy. He also has cerebral palsy, needing a walker to help him stand, balance and walk. His character was so well developed. Probably because the author himself has cerebral palsy. His counterpart, Hayley Burke, is a graceful and lovely dancer with her own insecurities and struggles. I enjoyed seeing Nick and Hayley learn to dance with each other. 

After finishing How to Dance I started reading the American Mystery Classic Waltz Into Darkness by Cornell Woolrich, never even noticing the dance/waltz connection between the two titles until my mom remarked on it. (She always asks me about the books I'm reading.) But I thought it was a fun coincidence. 

What I loved most about this classic mystery is Woolrich's prose. There's brevity and poetry in his style of writing. Like when Louis Durand reads a telling letter about his new bride, Woolrich writes, "If dried ink on paper can be said to scream, it screamed up at him." 

This noir mystery is a haunting tale of doomed love with a beautiful woman and her web of lies and a man desperate for love at the center of it. It took a turn halfway through that I was not expecting, and I while I didn't love the second half as much as the first half, I did like this one overall and would definitely read this author again. 

Then, to finish off this unplanned chain of books, I went from reading Waltz Into Darkness to Some Choose Darkness by Charlie Donlea. That both titles have darkness in them was another nice coincidence.

This is a compelling psychological thriller. A little complicated and dark at the beginning, but very suspenseful at the end, even though I did guess two of the twists. I especially liked Rory Moore; she's a forensic reconstructionist, "her DNA programmed to see things others missed, to connect dots that looked scattered and incongruent to everyone else. Rory's uncanny mind would piece together bits of a puzzle everyone else's had deemed unsolvable until she had reconstructed the crime in its entirety." She's one of those characters you don't soon forget, and I look forward to reading Donlea's next book with her in it. 

So that's what I've been reading...my unexpected and unplanned chain of books. All different; all enjoyable. 

Happy Reading!

Two quick recommendations...

 

All Systems Red by Martha Wells

There's so much to like about this science fiction novella:  good writing, humor, a bit of mystery, and lots of action. But the best part is the SecUnit construct known as Murderbot. His snarky thoughts and his sometimes awkward interactions with his human clients totally made me smile. He's another new favorite character. Now I just need to read the rest of the series. (And that kind of bookish math is so typical of my entire TBR list--finish reading one book, add five more to the list.)

Western Lane by Chetna Maroo

How do I describe this one? This short, well-written novel is a story of grief and growing up, of three sisters and their father after the death of their mother, and the way they use the game of squash to cope and connect. It's an introspective novel, told from the youngest daughter's POV, lyrical in places, but melancholic, too. And I'm still trying to decide if I liked it, or not. But I did really like Sam's Review over at Book Chase, which is what made me want to read this one in the first place. 

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

The Other Side of Lost by Jessi Kirby

Tired of faking life,

Mari quits all social media

to hike the John Muir trail.

YA fiction .... 307 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(I loved Mari's journey of self-healing as much as her hiking adventure

The Grumpy Side of Paradise by Brittany Larsen 

Eve's in Paradise to

rehab a house, not find love.

Then she meets Adam.

Sweet romantic comedy .... 306 pates .... 4/5 stars.

(Fun small town, grumpy vs. sunshine romance.)

Fairest of Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Seven old cowboys.

One Texas Ranger. And fair

Penelope Snow.

Historical romance .... 345 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Cute retelling of Snow White set in Texas, 1892.)

Happy Reading!

Two Quick Rom-Com Recommendations...

 

Practice Makes Perfect by Sarah Adams

"I am convinced dating was created by an evil villain to torture humanity. Dramatic? Not in the least. For introverts like me with social anxiety, the process of dating is equivalent to waxing your bikini line."

So begins another one of Sarah Adams' delightful romances. I love her books. She creates such engaging characters. The spark and romantic tension between Annie and Will in this one was so fun; I loved their humorous interactions and honest heartfelt conversations. Good kissing scenes, too. And Annie's love of pirate romances totally made me laugh.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

"All throughout middle school, my Halloween costume was the duality of light. .... It seemed like a winning idea. And had me wondering if I, too, could contain two--no, a whole multitude of Elsies. Each one would be crafted, custom tailored, carefully curated with a different person in mind. I'd give everyone the me they wanted, needed, craved, and in exchange they'd care about me. .... Funny how my physics career and my people-pleasing career started around the same time."

I love the academic angle in Ali Hazelwoods' STEM romances. And Elsie is such a funny, quirky, and relatable character. She's a theoretical physicist by day, and a fake-girlfriend-for-hire by night. I loved how Jack could see through all her guarded layers to the real Elsie, and how he challenged her to risk being her true self. Their relationship was humorous, charming and deliciously sexy.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Quick book recommendations...

 

Blind Descent by Nevada Barr

Warning: Must love reading about caves and caving.

To help rescue a friend, Anna Pigeon must descend into the challenging Lechuguilla cave system located near Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Even though she's clautrophobic. And not a caver. But she has confidence in the group of experienced cavers she's with...until one of them dies. And Anna starts to suspect that it wasn't an accident, but murder. I have to admit, it was the cave setting that made me want to read this one, and I was not disappointed. Barr immerses the reader in the labrythine darkness of Lechuguilla Cave. And I loved it!

Blind Descent: The Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James M. Tabor is an engrossing nonfiction story of caves and cave exploration that I also loved and recommend. 

Uncharted by Adriana Anders

Action. Wilderness survival. Suspense. Sizzling romance.

Leo heads into the Alaskan wilderness to evacuate a man she believes to be Campbell Turner; instead, her plane gets shot down and Elias Thorne ends up rescuing her. Now they're on the run. If they want to survive, they'll have to learn to trust each other. I always love a book with a remote wilderness setting. And I loved Elias, too. He's a man keeping a dangerous secret who's lived on his own for over a decade; his struggle to open up to Leo tugged at my heart. I loved his dog, Bo, too. And Leo's a great heroine--smart, tough and resourceful.   4.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Quick book recommendations....

 

In the Clearing by Robert Dugoni

This is the third Tracy Crosswhite mystery, and the second one that I've read, but it won't be my last. I'm really liking Tracy. In this one, she investigates a cold case from 40 years ago that turns out to be murder. I loved how all the separate threads wove together as Tracy patiently figures out the truth. It's a compelling mystery. 

How to Find Your Way Home by Katy Regan

There's so much I loved about this book I don't even know where to begin! Emily's search for her homeless brother, Stephen, who was taken away when she was 12;  his vow, as her big brother, to love and protect her forever; and their subsequent struggle to reconnect after twenty years was all so poignant. Regan's writing is excellent, especially the way she interweaves the past and the present. And, of course, I loved all the birds and birding in this one. It's an unexpected and lovely novel.

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Pride & Puppies by Lizzie Shane

George loves Charlotte! But 

she's sworn off men and sees him

only as a friend.

Romantic comedy .... 352 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(Charlotte was little frustrating at times, but I totally loved George!)

Authentically, Izzy by Pepper Basham

Dating app matches

long distance bookworms. Can they

find love through letters? 

Romantic comedy .... 409 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(An engaging epistolary romance with lots of bookish references and humor.)

Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles

Their past kept him away, 

but Holt's back, hoping to prove

to Wren his love is true.

Romance .... 319 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(I loved Holt and Wren! There's a mystery & suspense in this one, too.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Curse the Day by Annabel Chase

She's a witch?! That's news

to Emma. She's also trapped in the

magical town of Spellbound.

Paranormal cozy mystery .... 281 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I loved Emma and the other supernatural inhabitants of Spellbound; and I can't wait to read the next book in this series.)

Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson

To Do list:     

Clean out dad's house   ✓

Finish dissertation    ✓

Don't fall in love with Sam. 

Contemporary romance .... 334 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Humorous and cute. Phoebe's random trivia about serial killers made me laugh, and I loved Sam!)

Be My Ghost by Carol J. Perry

Maureen inherits

Haven House Inn with all its

ghosts .... and a murder.

Mystery .... 274 pges .... 2.5/5 stars.

(Sadly, I did not love this one: the pacing was slow, not a lot happens for a long time--though she does walk her dog a lot--and the ending was rushed.) 

Happy Reading!

A few more non-reviews...

These are both books I really enjoyed, but just feel too lazy to try and write a more formal review for, but they're definitely worth reading... The first is a great suspense/thriller and the second is just a great book.

The Man Burned By Winter is Pete Zacharias's first Rooker Lindstrom mystery. It has the feel of a Nordic Noir thriller, which I loved. Rooker, the son of a notorious serial killer, is a great character:  flawed, hurting, smart, and determined. I liked him a lot. And this mystery? 4/5 stars. 

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbie Waxman. 

I totally loved this bookish gem! It's got heart, lots of humor, delightfully quirky characters, and books!  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐  

I gave this one 5 stars. 

And I feel like I need to think of a better name for these short review posts other than 'non-reviews'. Got any suggestions? 

Happy Reading!

P.S. Blogger has now sent two of MY OWN COMMENTS on my own blog to spam now. How crazy is that? So if your comment gets sent to spam, don't feel too bad; I'll find and rescue it as soon as I can.

August's Haiku Reviews...

Turn to Me by Becky Wade

A deathbed promise

and a treasure hunt bring Luke

and Finley together.

Christian romance .... 404 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(I loved Luke, but Finley kind of bugged me. Still, the treasure hunt left for her by her father was fun.)

A Tailor-Made Bride by Karen Witemeyer

J.T.'s life changes forever

when a pretty new dressmaker

arrives in Coventry, Texas.

Historical romance .... 348 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(A sweet love story with sparks and spunk.)

Dead Against Her by Melinda Leigh

Threats against Bree and

a double homicide puts

everyone on edge.

Mystery .... 292 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Another excellent mystery with Sheriff Bree Taggert and Matt Flynn.)

Happy Reading!

 

Haiku Reviews...

 

Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

A blind date with a 

cute cop leads to Abby's help

on his next murder case.

Mystery .... 295 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(This is a fun one! I really liked both Abby and Det. Dutch Rivers.)

A Wagon Train Weekend by Stephenia H. McGee

Can a trip back in time

save Seth and Collette's relationship?

They're about to find out.

Romance ....214 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(A sweet, lighthearted, just-for-fun romance set both in the present and in 1857. Thanks, Ashley, for recommending it!)

Devoted by Dean Koontz

A boy who can't speak.

A dog who can hear his thoughts.

Evil that must be stopped.

Suspense .... 369 pages .... 3/5 stars.

(Koontz's Watchers, which is also about a really smart dog, is a much better book.)

To Win Her Heart by Karen Witemeyer

Books brought them together,

but secrets from Levi's past

just might tear them apart.

Romance .... 347 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A librarian and a blacksmith falling in love...you were right, Cindy, this was a good one!)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Bree is his best friend

but Nathan wants more. Can he

make Bree love him back?

Romantic comedy .... 292 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(I loved how Nathan's football friends tried to help him get out of the friend zone!)

Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

Two ex-cons, one black,

one white, team up to avenge

their murdered sons.

Crime fiction .... 319 pages .... 3.5/5 stars.

(If this book was a movie, it would definitely be Rated R for language and violence.)

An Unorthodox Match by Naomi Ragen

Leah's found her way

back to God, but will the ultraorthodox

of Boro Park welcome her in?

Contemporary fiction (with a touch of romance).... 322 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(A lovely and informative immersion into Jewish culture.)

Happy Reading!

Haiku Reviews...

 

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

April's got big plans

and Mitch isn't part of them.

Until suddenly he is.

Contemporary romance .... 310 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(This series is so much fun!)

Applied Electromagnetism by Susannah Nix

A dreaded work trip

turns romantic when flash floods

strand Olivia and Adam.

Romantic comedy .... 244 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(An enemies to friends to more romance. I loved it.)

Risen (Alex Verus #12) by Benedict Jacka

Alex must battle

dark mages and powerful jinn

to try and save Anne.

Urban fantasy .... 323 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(This is the last book in this compelling magical series; I loved it as much as the first one, Fated, and all the others in between.)

Happy Reading!