Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

 

The plot:  A recovering addict who's been clean for eighteen months, Mallory Quinn, just got a job as a nanny for Caroline and Ted Maxwell's five-year-old son, Teddy, for the summer. She's desperate to prove herself, and they're willing to give her a chance despite her past drug use. And it's all because of Teddy. He's a sweet, shy boy who likes to wear purple and draw pictures of rabbits. He also draws pictures of his imaginary friend, Anya; those aren't as cute. Then his pictures get even darker, showing a man dragging a woman into the forest and then burying her. And Mallory begins to suspect that Teddy is being haunted by something sinister. Was Anya murdered? Mallory gets drawn into solving the mystery in order to protect Teddy, but his parents start to question her honesty...and her sanity. 

My thoughts:  I loved Teddy and how cute he is with Mallory; I also really loved getting to see his artwork throughout the book...and the eerie story his pictures start to tell. And a mystery with a touch of the supernatural like this one has is one of my favorite kinds of books to read. I appreciated the atmosphere and suspense Rekulak creates and how he keeps you guessing about the truth behind the haunting until the very end. This is such a compelling read. I loved it.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Haiku reviews...

 

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez

Xavier falls hard for Sam. 

The next day, she moves away.

What's a guy to do?

Romance .... 353 pages .... 4.5/5 stars.

(Xavier is an "alarmingly handsome veterinarian" who loves animals more than people...but he loves Sam most of all. Their long-distance love story is funny, poignant, and tugs at the heart.)

The Serendipity by Emma St. Clair

There's magic in the

building bringing Willa and 

Archer together.

"A Whimsical Romance" .... 276 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(A sweet and funny grumpy vs. sunshine romance with a cute magical twist. The Cupid Chronicles by Courtney Walsh is another whimsical romance in this fun series involving a magical match-making newspaper; it's equally charming.)

The Treasure Hunters Club by Tom Ryan

Lost treasure. Buried

secrets. And murder. Three try

to dig up the truth.

Mystery .... 368 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Entertaining fast-paced thriller full of family secrets, lies, hidden gold, betrayal, shocking twists, and new beginnings.)

Happy Reading!

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

 

The plot:  Her mom died two years ago. Her husband asked for a separation one year ago, and now he wants to finalize their divorce. Professional organizer Ali Morris's life is a mess. She's juggling grief and her three kids. Who needs love? But then her dog pees on Ethan Hogan's foot at the dog park and instead of getting mad, he smiles at her like she's the best thing he's ever seen. And Ali's summer suddenly starts to look a lot brighter. 

My thoughts:  Summer Romance is deliciously sweet and delightfully humorous. I loved it! I could relate to Ali and her very real struggles to deal with everything in her life from her messy kitchen to mediation with her soon-to-be ex-husband. And Ethan was awesome...so kind and admiring of Ali, and such a great listener. I enjoyed their interactions, especially when he takes her skateboarding and dresses up in a crazy suit to go with her to her mediation meetings. He's hilarious. I'd love to meet a guy like him. From start to last, this was such a fun book. It's a perfect summer read. Annabel Monaghan has become one of my favorite authors. I love the way she writes and crafts her characters and their happy endings.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme:  BOOKS THAT FEATURE TRAVEL. 

This was a pretty easy post for me because I love reading travel memoirs and about faraway places I would love to visit someday. So, here are MY 10 FAVORITE TRAVEL READS.

Maiden Voyage by Tania Aebi

(A book about a girl who sails around the world on her own.)

The Road to Ubar by Nicholas Clapp

(An amateur archaeologist's search for the fabled Arabian city.)

Hitchhiking Vietnam by Karin Muller

(A woman's solo journey across Vietnam.)

Tracks by Robyn Davidson

(A woman's journey across the Australian desert...with camels.)

Lost in the Amazon by Stephen Kirkpatrick

(Five men battling to survive in the Amazon jungle.)

The Art of Pilgrimage by Phil Cousineau

(One of my favorite books on travel and making your own pilgrimages in life.)

Sahara Unveiled by William Langeweische

(A man's journey from Algiers to Dakar across the vast and lonely Saharan desert.)

The Nile by Toby Wilkinson

(A fabulous look at Egypt and a journey down the Nile.)

The Coolest Race on Earth by John Hanc

(Running a marathon in Antarctica!)

Lost Among the Birds by Neil Hayward

(One man's big year birding.)

Happy Reading! 

(And traveling by book all over the world.)

In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf

 "Papaw gave me his death-talking gift when I was only nine. He  told me what he could do, then he told me how to use the secret Bible verses to do it. The gift jumped out of him and into me."

"There are only a few rules for death-talking. If you tell someone the secret scriptures, your gift is gone. You can only pass it to someone of the opposite sex. If you die with your gift, it disappears forever. And you can't talk the death out of someone twice."

"What Papaw didn't tell me is how you shoulder a lifetime of guilt for all the souls you can't save. That I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make up for it."

 

 My thoughts: I liked the combination of mystery and magical realism in this book. And I always love that small town Appalachia setting with its deep-rooted families (and all their secrets), their strange superstitions, and their herbal folk magic. And I really liked Weatherly Wilder with her eerie gift of saving lives with her death-talking, and her vulnerability, especially as she tries to prove who murdered her cousin, Adaire. There's also a mysterious Soul Walker named Rook, who is sometimes a boy, more often a crow; I loved his connection to Weatherly. There's great Southern atmosphere, a compelling voice, and several good twists. Poignant, gritty, and beautifully written, In the Hour of Crows is a captivating novel.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

 

May's Bookish Art...

 

Charles Edward Perugini -- In the Orangery

"Literature is my Utopia."

--Helen Keller

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

 

From the blurb:  "Yeongju is burned out. She did everything she was supposed to: go to school, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. In a leap of faith, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop." 

"In a quaint neighborhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster--and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju--they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live."

My thoughts:  My nephew recommended this book to me; he loves Korea, bookshops and reading, so this novel was right up his alley. I liked it, too. It's an introspective character-driven novel set in a bookshop. What's not to love? All the characters are struggling to find happiness in a society where achievement and career success take precedence over personal fulfillment. Hwang Bo-reum describes it this way:  "Everyone in the novel is taking small steps forward, whether it's learning something new, or making a change to their lives. What they're doing might be far from achieving what society deems as success, but ...how others judge where they stand doesn't matter to them. The fact that they've progressed, and are happy where they are, is sufficient." This book is an interesting look at Korean culture and societal pressures. I thought some of the chapters dragged a bit, but I liked all the characters, and enjoyed the story overall. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Favorite quote from the book:  "...happiness is never beyond reach. It's not in the distant past, nor on the horizon of the future. It's right in front of me. Like that day's beer, and today's quince tea. ... I think life becomes easier knowing that happiness is not that far out of reach."

Happy Reading!