January's Bookish Art...

J.W. Waterhouse -- Destiny, 1900

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
--Anais Nin

Delia's Shadow by Jaime Lee Moyer...

"Being haunted by a ghost who carried secrets she was desperate to share wasn't an easy thing."

Finally, a ghost story that doesn't disappoint! I loved everything about this book: the genuine characters, the compelling mystery, the supernatural occurrences, and the setting. It takes place in San Francisco in the early 1900s at the time of the Panama-Pacific Exposition. Delia Martin has just returned home after a 3 year absence, trailing a ghost behind her, a ghost she calls Shadow.  Shadow was murdered decades earlier in a way that is eerily similar to a rash of recent murders haunting the city. The first murders were investigated by Capt. Matthew Ryan; these latest murders are being investigated by his son, Lieutenant Gabe Ryan. Because of Shadow's ghostly connection to the case, Delia finds herself drawn into the investigation, and drawn to Gabe as well. But even with Shadow's help, finding this serial killer won't be easy. And Delia might be his next victim.

Besides Delia and Gabe, there's an engaging cast of supporting characters in this story. And while I loved the romance between Delia and Gabe, I appreciated the fact that it didn't upstage the mystery. This fast-paced and fun ghostly thriller is a perfect mix of mystery, historical fiction, and romance. And Jaime Lee Moyer is an author I can't wait to read again. I know it's early in the year to be picking favorites, but I'm putting this book on my list of Top 10 Reads for 2014. It's that good!

Another Ghostly Tale: An Inquiry Into Love and Death

Bookish Habits...

We all have bookish habits:  some good, some bad. Some of my bookish habits include trips to the library every third Friday, curling up in the same chair to read everyday, dog-earing a page every now and then to mark my place (which I know isn't great, but at least it's not as bad as my cousin who used to chew off entire corners while she was reading), and flipping to the last page of a book to see how it ends. (Does anyone else ever do this?) I'm not proud of it, and it's this bookish habit that I'm trying to break.

I never used to read the end before the beginning, but lately, whenever my attention starts to flag or the book I'm reading starts to drag, I find myself flipping to the end to see if it's even worth continuing. And once I do that I often end up not finishing the book. Sadly, it's happening more and more often. (But never with really good books--those I read straight through without ever peeking to see how they end.) So, what's the solution? I'm not sure. But admitting there's a problem is the first step to recovery, right?

What about you? Got any bookish habits you want to change this year?

A Bookish Gem...

Title: The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
First Line: It was as black in the closet as old blood.
Favorite Character: Flavia de Luce, an eleven-year-old chemistry genius who has a "passion for poisons", and a penchant for exacting revenge on her two older sisters whenever they cross her. She has a quick temper, a bright mind, and an unexpected knack for solving mysteries.

My Thoughts:I don't know how I missed this gem by Alan Bradley when it was first published back in 2009, but I won't ever miss any of his Flavia de Luce novels again. I loved this book! It's so well-written. And articulate and funny Flavia is the perfect narrator. At one point she describes herself this way:  "I felt my inner cauldron beginning to boil: that bubbling pot of occult brew that could so quickly transform Flavia the Invisible into Flavia the Holy Terror." How can you resist a character like this?

Bradley's skill as a writer, his descriptive prowess, and his style and use of imagery really elevates this novel above the ordinary. I liked his mystery, too. It involves Flavia's father, two rare stamps that have gone missing, and a murdered man found in the de Luce's garden. This book was so much fun to read. I can't wait to read the rest of the Flavia de Luce mysteries!

One of Flavia's "Rules of Life": When you want something, bite your tongue.

My Bookish Resolutions for 2014...

"The difference between the person you are now and the person you will be in five years will be determined by the people you meet and the books you read." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote got me thinking about the books I'd like to read, and the people I'd like to meet this year. I want to expand my horizons, try new things, risk failing, travel to new places, read new authors, participate in new reading challenges, dream bigger dreams, and have more fun. It's a new year, after all. Anything is possible.

I also want to keep blogging about books and life...at least two posts a week. I want to read more classics--I've already chosen 12 classics I hope to read in 2014. As for reading challenges, I signed up to participate in the What's in a Name Reading Challenge hosted by wormhole.carnelianvalley.com because it sounded like fun. I'm also going to try and read more non-fiction this year. And I hope to get my TBR pile, which currently stands at 28 unread books sitting on  my shelves collecting dust, down below 20. In addition to all of that, I want to make time to reread some of the books I love best. Whew! That's a lot of books! Wish me luck.

What about you? Made any bookish resolutions this year? Whatever your plans, goals, or dreams for 2014, I hope they all come true.

Have a Happy (and Bookish) New Year!

A Bookish Summary...

My Top 10 Reads of 2013:

1. Now You See Me by S. J. Bolton

1. An Inquiry Into Love and Death by Simone St. James

3. Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

4. The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston

5. World War Z by Max Brooks

6. The Impersonator by Mary Miley

7. School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

8. If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch

9. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

10. The Never List by Koethi Zan

2103 ended up being a great year for books. I read so many well-written, entertaining, and memorable ones it was hard to choose just 10 for my list. I would love to know your top 10 reads for 2013. (Then I would know what to read first in 2014!) As for the rest of my "bookish stats" here they are:

     Total # Books Read :  127 (13 of those were non-fiction books; 14 were rereads)

     Total # Pages Read: 39,555

     Blog Posts: 106

     Bookish Art Posts: 13 (Check out my Gallery page for a quick view of some awesome bookish art.)

     Reading Challenges Completed: 1 (Austen in August)
     Longest Book Read: Democracy in America (703 pages)

     3 of my Favorite Posts:

               Books Are the Answer...

               This Book is TOO Stupid!

               A Jane Austen Education

That's All Folks!

Thanks for stopping by;

I hope to see you next year!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given...

"Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus!"

--Neal A. Maxwell.

Merry Christmas!!!