Photo Credit: 52 Books or Bust
Free Range Reading is still going on at 52 Books or Bust- and I’m balancing review books with free range reading. While technically THE FROM-AWAYS was book 3 in my free-range reading plans, as soon as THE CINDERELLA MURDER came in the mail- I put other books aside and begin to focus on this one. Continue reading
Photo Credit: Goodreads
Traveling With T was given ALL DAY AND A NIGHT at BEA 2014.
All Day and A Night
Ellie Hatcher, NYPD Detective, and her partner JJ Rogan are approached by their superiors to be part of a special task force for reviewing old crimes and making sure that the conviction was on the up and up. Ellie is not too happy about this because it’s putting her in a weird place with her current boyfriend, Max Donovan ADA. But, when the superiors want you to be part of this- you just have to find a way to handle it. Continue reading
The holidays are fast approaching. I’ve got visions of a white Christmas dancing in my head (even though that is not 
likely), craving cups of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallows while listening to Christmas music and decorating the tree.
Before the stockings are hung by the tree with care, before the cookies are left out for Santa, before the joyous rush of family members hanging out at the house, before I celebrate another successful holiday by enjoying a glass or 2 of wine- presents will have to be purchased. And this is where my list of book-ish delights comes in handy. Have a reader in your life? Perhaps you’ll find a book that you will like to buy!
The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillipi Ryan
Photo Credit: Goodreads
My first Hank Phillipi Ryan book- and I’m so glad I read it! As a fan of Sue Grafton (and seriously Sue- nothing but love for you- but I NEED you to write faster- yet I dread as we come closer to the end of the alphabet.) That little side topic is my way of saying that Hank helped me in quest for a Sue fix. Jane Ryland won’t knock Kinsey Millhone out of my heart for the #1 spot- but Jane is almost as good. And that’s saying a lot. The Wrong Girl was twisty and turny- with a great mystery and some potential steamy romance. Here is my review of The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan- an excellent consideration for someone looking for mystery and suspense!
Never Tell by Alafair Burke
Photo Credit: Goodreads
This was my first Alafair Burke- and after reading it- I’m all “Alafair-where have you been all my reading life?” Each time I thought I had the story figured out- Alafair zigged. Then she zagged. Then she twisted and turned. And kept me captivated. Highly recommend Never Tell by Alafair Burke! Here is my review of Never Tell.
W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton
Photo Credit: Goodreads
As witnessed above, I LOVE Sue Grafton. I LOVE Kinsey (Sue’s Character). If you have enjoyed A-V- then W is another great book. Seriously. Just go get it. W is for Wasted is worth it.
If You Were Here by Alafair Burke
Photo Credit: Amazon
Another Alafair Burke book- and again- twist, turns, zig and zags! While I prefer Alafair’s Ellie Hatcher a bit more to McKenna- that’s just a personal preference. Both mysteries are top-notch and great reads! Put If You Were Here on your wish list! Here is my review of If You Were Here- intriguing and enjoyable.
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
Photo Credit: Amazon
Oh. My. Gosh. I LOVED this book. Edge of my seat. Great storyline. How well do you know your child? Read this and prepare to wonder. This book will lead to a wonderful discussion amongst friends and book clubs. Reconstructing Amelia may very well be this year’s Gone Girl. Here is my review of Reconstructing Amelia.
I adore Cozy Mysteries. They are quick, fun and easy reads. They make me feel warm and fuzzy. The characters are fun and interesting. The settings are enjoyable- and the mystery is good.
Murder of a Stacked Librarian by Denise Swanson
Photo Credit: Goodreads
Denise Swanson’s latest has Skye getting married- if the groom can get away from the police station long enough to exchange vows! If you’ve read Denise’s other books- you’ll enjoy this one. If not, start with Murder of a Small Town Honey. While each story stands on it’s own- there are some things that build along the series of the books- and to fully enjoy, you might want to be invested in the characters. Murder of a Small Town Librarian is a must have for cozy mystery fans! Here is my review of Murder of a Small Town Librarian.
Topped Chef (Key West Food Critic Mystery #3) by Lucy Burdette
Photo Credit: Goodreads
I have fallen in love with Lucy Burdette’s main character, Hayley Snow. Cute, fun, gets her tarot cards read- how adorable she is! She’s a foodie- but not pretentious. Hayley is struggling a bit in the romance department (but aren’t we all?!) Topped Chef is a book to put on your list! Here is my review of Topped Chef.
The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski
Photo Credit: Amazon
Magical- realism. If you were like me- and those words kind of make you feel nervous about a book- put aside your worries. The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow is wonderful. The story, the setting- the amazing Bonaventure Arrow. Forgiveness and love are major themes of this story. Read. You won’t be sorry. The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow is a book that some readers might overlook- don’t do that! Here is my review of The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow.
The Guest House by Erika Marks
Photo Credit: Goodreads
Love. Secrets. Family drama. Being true to yourself. The Guest House is a book that you must read. Here is my review of The Guest House.
A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
Photo Credit: Amazon
Love. Intrigue. Friendships. Family secrets. And a Aunt Julie that provides a humorous aspect to the story. This story is fantastic. A Hundred Summers is a book to read- no matter the time of the year. Here is my review of A Hundred Summers.
I’ll be posting a few more recommendations next week as well! Hopefully, you, my darling readers of Traveling With T, will find a book to buy for your book-ish friends and loved ones!
Alafair Burke’s If You Were Here is a story that keeps twisting and turning till the last page. Each time I thought Alafair Burke was finished with a twist and turn of the book, she proved me wrong- and made the next twist even better. Alafair, with If You Were Here, is like a magician- she keeps the readers eyes right where she wants them focused and she is subtly setting up the next magic trick.
McKenna Jordan is a journalist for a New York magazine after her career as an Assistant District Attorney came to an end. McKenna accused a cop of planting evidence in a shooting that most thought was self-defense- and the boys in blue and her other law associates never really let her forget that mistake.
Years later, though, McKenna’s life is pretty good. Married to a man named Patrick, a man she met at one of her friends, Susan’s party, McKenna is pretty happy. Except for the fact that Susan disappeared- and McKenna wonders what happened to her. During a little news story about a woman rescuing a man from the subway tracks, McKenna gets a glimmer of hope about Susan. While everyone is wondering who the mystery woman is that saved the man from the subway- McKenna is sure that it’s Susan. The question is- if Susan is back in NYC, why has she not told anyone? And where has she been the last 10 years?
These questions set McKenna down a path that she must walk to find the answers- no matter how unpleasant the obstacles in her way. As McKenna’s happy life turns into something else (she’s fired from her job, her marriage hits a rocky patch, and McKenna begins to question everybody and everything she thought she knew)- McKenna can’t shake the thought that Susan’s disappearance is tied to some of the current events.
Why did Susan disappear? Did she reappear? Is McKenna being set up? And was McKenna closer to the truth 10 years ago when she went to the press and became a whistleblower about the cop shooting than she ever knew? If You Were Here answers all these questions and much more.
Traveling With T’s Thoughts:
Twisty and wonderful. Each time I thought Alafair was finished with the twists and turns- she had another one planned. McKenna is an interesting character- bright and smart. Looking for a book filled with suspense, good characters and a believable storyline? You’ve found it with If You Were Here.
Friday 🙂 Hope everyone has big weekend plans!
1. Deep South Mag– #literaryfriday is off to a great start! There was a Beth Hoffman Twitter chat (super-fun!) Other tid-bits: Beth Albright will guest post on Deep South Mag next week, news of TAMPA, Zelda and Hemingway news, and more!
If you missed the Beth Hoffman chat- use #southernlit to read a transcript on Twitter! Need more Beth Hoffman? Here’s the interview and author spotlight that posted on my blog this week!
2, I just finished (last night) reading Finding Colin Firth. It was fabulous! I enjoyed it! So much! Want to win a copy? Comment on my interview with Mia March for a chance! Need more Mia? Here is the Author Spotlight!
3. Wanting to know what the August Book Lovers Unite online book club selection is? It’s The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers!
4. My #fridayreads IF YOU WERE HERE by Alafair Burke, THE PAINTED GIRLS, and I’m trying to decide on a 3rd book!
5. Coming up soon on the blog: posts about meeting Stephanie Evanovich (Big Girl Panties), Susan Crandall (Whistling Past the Graveyard) and Anton DiSclafani!
6. Like Mermaids? Check out the blog next week- there’ll be talk about a Mermaid that live in NYC (Brooklyn, to be exact!)
Happy Reading 🙂
Friday. Ahhhh…..
1. Deep South Mag and their #literaryfriday: Sinning across the South, book signings and more!
2. Boston Herald reveals it’s Summer Book Club: 10 hot reads to pack in your beach bag. The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan made the list- which I’m super excited about because I won an ARC from the adorable Sarah McCoy, author of The Baker’s Daughter. Look for my review of The Engagements to be posted in a couple of weeks!
3. A Novel Review is giving away Sarah Jio’s newest book, The Last Camellia!
4. She Reads featured today The Blog Network Recommends– 3 great sounding books were recommended- The Last Camellia, The Third Son, and The Outcast.
5. Drey’s Library is also giving away The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (plus she has a fabulous interview with her!)
6. Today, Traveling With T, began Book Lovers Unite Online Book Club– come join in the fun as we talk about Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight. The questions for Week 1 discussion have been posted- so plenty of time to join in!
7. ICYMI: I reviewed Never Tell by Alafair Burke and Looking for Me by Beth Hoffman this week.
8. My #fridayreads are Reconstructing Amelia and A Place at the Table by Susan Rebecca White.
9. Traveling With T will have #giveaways next week! Come and visit 🙂 A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle will be given away MONDAY JUNE 3rd. Don’t miss it!
Happy Reading!
Photo credit: TLC Book Tours
Alafair Burke, author of Never Tell, has 2 series featuring women leads- one is Ellie Hatcher and the other is Samantha Kincaid. Alafair Burke writes her characters and stories based on her experience as a former prosecutor. Alafair’s interest in crime stories could be directly related to the fact that when she was a child- she lived in the area that the criminal known as BTK used as his stalking ground. To find out more about Alafair Burke- her reading interests, future books and more- please visit her website, like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.
Never Tell
ISBN: 978-0061999161
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper
Purchase: Amazon, Indiebound, Barnes and Noble
Photo credit: TLC Book Tours
Ellie Hatcher is called on the scene of a posh New York townhome and finds a young teenage girl, in a bathtub with wrists slit and a suicide note- it’s hard to not state the obvious fact- that this girl, Julia Whitmire, no matter how much she appeared to have- must have been deeply unhappy and wanted to end her life. Ellie feels “if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck- then it’s a duck”. However, Julia’s parents do not believe their daughter would kill herself and they call in favors and connections to make sure the NYPD is doing their job. As Ellie and her partner go back to scene- a discovery is made that makes the NYPD detectives want to question this case a bit further.
As Ellie attempts to get to the bottom of this case- was it a homicide or suicide- she crosses paths and rubs elbows with all different kinds of people- the prep school that Julia attended that has quite a distinguished alumni group, the homeless kids that Julia and a friend of hers liked to hang out with, and many others. Ellie is still fairly convinced that it’s a suicide until the computer tech at NYPD turns up some interesting findings that show Julia may have been engaging in cyber-bullying.
With each day that passes Ellie wonders if her and her partner will unravel the strings that are tying this case. With a little luck and a lot of persistence- they find the clues that are needed to solve this case. But by the time the case is over, Ellie is left to ponder that sometimes there are no answers to the questions- and asking the questions can sometimes do more harm than good.
Traveling With T’s thoughts:
A story that starts off with the question of a suicide or a homicide would have the reader thinking that this was the major crime of the story. Not in Never Tell, though. While Julia Whitemire’s death is what sets this story in motion- it’s the way the death happens and the deep, dark secrets behind it that make this a compulsively readable book. Each time, I thought I had this storyline figured out, Alafair Burke added another twist. Enjoyable, suspenseful, and Ellie Hatcher is a great character. I look forward to reading other Ellie Hatcher books- just to see how her mind works!
It’s the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. And I don’t know what your plans are- but mine is this: Sun, cool drinks, grilling out (corn on the grill = AMAZING), and other fun things (plus some reading!)
1. Deep South Mag and their #literaryfriday: A sneak peek at some of the Summer Reading List, news of Zelda Fitzgerald, David Sedaris, Erika Robuck, and Mary Kay Andrews events, and more!
2. Enter to win THE GLASS WIVES by Amy Sue Nathan at Great New Books!
3. My #fridayreads THE GUEST HOUSE by Erika Marks & NEVER TELL by Alafair Burke. What is your #fridayreads?
4. Book Lovers Unite Online Book Club hosted by me, Traveling With T, begins it’s inaugural month on May 31. Join me and Book-Alicious Mama as we read this book, RECONSTRUCTING AMELIA. Look for the hashtag #bookloversunite on Twitter for when questions are posted, pictures of us reading the book, and other fun things!
5. Be sure and check out Traveling With T on JUNE 3rd. There will be a Kate Carlisle #giveaway that you do not want to miss!
6. If you will be in the Georgia area on Tuesday, May 28th, go see Erika Robuck at Fox Tale Book Shoppe. Sadly, it did not work out that I would be able to be in town- but Book-Alicious Mama is snagging me a signed copy so at least I’ll have that!
7. Christina Baker Kline’s Orphan Train will be discussed at She Reads all next week. Come and discuss! May 27-June 3rd!
Have a Happy Memorial Day and Happy Reading! xoxo
Traveling With T 