What will I be doing for Halloween? Well, since I have no little ghosts or goblins to dress up and take Trick or Treating- I’ll probably be staying at home and reading- while holding the bucket of candy close to me- just in case, I have some visitors. For my Halloween reading, these are 6 books that might just make my night fun! 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!
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!
Traveling With T 