Fallen by Linda Castillo

 It's been a while! I have a book review for you today.  Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book! Kate Burkholder books never disappoint.  When a murdered young woman is found in a hotel room, Kate finds that she once knew the victim, and she, also, was formerly Amish. Her name is Rachael, and she no longer had many friends in Painter's Mill. Why was Rachael back in town? Who did she meet with. Kate must re-open old wounds and bring back bad memories with some of the townspeople to find out. I really enjoy this series, and they can be read out of sequence without too much confusion. I am going to continue to read the rest in the series! 

A Gathering of Secrets by Linda Castillo

I know, not much stitching lately but I have been on a roll reading books!  I was recently given the opportunity to read this awesome novel, which will be published July 10.

I have read the first and second book in this series, and really enjoyed them.  I also like that you can read them out of order and not be lost. Linda Castillo never disappoints. 

    An Amish teen commits suicide. A few months later, another Amish teen is dead.  Chief Kate Burkholder knows someone knows something, and no one is talking. This was a great read, full of twists and turns.  This one kept me guessing and I was totally surprised at the end.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this page-turner!

Snow Day?

Well, the threat of inclement weather has caused the school district to call off school- wondering how the roads will be for going to work tomorrow?  We'll see what happens. 

I have made a little progress on Chowning's Tavern- not as much as I would like, but it's something.

Maybe if the roads are too bad tomorrow I can get stay home and get some more done. They did salt the roads so we'll see.

I was so excited to get the Dr. Bronner's Castile soap I ordered from Amazon today. (Thank you Bing Rewards for the gift card!) There are so many things you can make with it and there are no toxic chemicals.  The first thing I made was some foaming hand soap.  It was so easy! I had a foaming hand soap container I got from a friend.  I filled it 1/3 of the way with the Castile soap, added a few drops of Young Living Thieves oil(it has antibacterial properties and smells great), and filled the rest of the way with oil.  Easy peasy! 

Next I am going to make DIY dishwasher detergent, but I am waiting on the citric acid I ordered, also with a gift card. (Thanks, Swagbucks.) Also on the list: face wash, regular dish soap, and maybe shampoo. It's so fun!  And healthier!

I finished a really good e-book recently, called Under The Ice by Aaron Paul Lazar. I think maybe it was offered for free on Amazon at some point. It's the 9th book in a series about a man named Gus LeGarde. It was kind of like a cozy mystery, but also like a regular suspense book.  I am looking forward to reading the others in the series.  It was a good time of year to read this one as it took place in the winter. ☺  

Well, I better get to bed- in case I do have to work tomorrow.

Good night!

Tracey

The Foxglove Killings by Tara Kelly

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in turn for an honest review.  Unfortunately I thought I downloaded it and I didn't, so it expired! So I bought it. Anyway, that aside, this was a very good book! I don't usually read young adult novels but this one sounded interesting.  It was very interesting! I read it in just a couple of days; I did not want to put it down.  It kept me guessing and assuming, and then proved me wrong. There were some surprises for sure. A very good and fairly quick read!

Alex and Nova have been best friends since grade school.  Both from financially strapped families, they have little in common with the spoiled "cakes"- rich kids, that come to visit with their families every summer.  Then one of the cakes goes missing, and later turns up dead, found with a foxglove in her mouth.  And another cake goes missing..

Playing With Fire by Tess Gerritsen

I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher, in turn for an honest review.  Many of you may have heard of Tess Gerritsen  because of her "Rizzoli and Isles" series.  This book was not from that series but just as good; in fact I have never read a book with a plot similar to this one. 

Violinist Julia Ansdell is traveling in Italy when she happens upon a handwritten piece of street music in a music book she bought.  It is like nothing she has ever seen or played before; when she plays it she is entranced.   She finds though that when she plays it her daughter acts strangely, seeming to do almost evil things.  She researches the origins of the music, as well as taking her daughter to doctor after doctor, but everyone seems to think Julia is the crazy one.  Her research takes her back to Italy.  Shortly after she arrives there she finds people seem to want her dead.  But why?

Mrs. John Doe by Tom Savage

I'm sorry, I know I have been having a lot of book reviews lately and not a lot of stitching. I  just keep finding all these great books to read and get so engrossed I just want to keep reading.  Then I don't get any stitching done. Is anyone else like that?

This book was brilliant.  I had never read any books by Tom Savage before I read this one.  I was not disappointed.  I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in turn for an honest review.  This book was like none I have read so far.  I hesitate to even write a summary as I don't want to give too much away.  Nora Baron is called to England to identify the remains of her husband, who has died in an accident.  After doing so she is prepared to take his remains and go home, when someone tries to take her purse- someone she saw watching her on her flight over to England.  From there ensues an action-packed story with many twists and turns; I wished I had had a block of time to just sit and read the whole thing at once.  I definitely will be reading more of Tom Savage's books. This was an excellent story.

Little Girl Gone by Alexandra Burt

Imagine waking up from a nap and your baby, and every trace of her, is gone. There are no signs of forced entry. In addition to that, you do not remember this until after waking up in a hospital where you find you have been in a car accident where you may or may not have tried to harm yourself.  But you remember nothing. Not the accident, not why you were in the town your accident occurred in, not the events leading up to your accident, only that your baby is missing.  This is what has happened to Estelle Paradise.  The book follows her as she tries to find her baby, while dealing with postpartum depression and some very dark thoughts.  A bit dark at times, the book was still very good and kept me guessing as to what happened to baby Mia.  I was provided a free copy of this e-book by Netgalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

She's Not There by P.J. Parrish

I was provided an advanced reader copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley.  This book grabbed me from the first page and did not let me go! Now I had never read a book about an amnesiac but I don't think it would have mattered if I had.  Amelia wakes up in the hospital battered and bruised and cannot remember how she got there, or much of anything else.  Then a man comes that tells the nurse he's her husband, and she has a feeling she needs to get away from him though she doesn't know why. From there the story is fast-paced and suspenseful all the way to the end.  Make sure you have a lot of time open when you start reading this book because you will not want to put it down.

Pitiful progress, a late TUSAL update, and a free book!

I have been really bad about posting lately- I am so sorry! It has been crazy lately! Last week dh was admitted to the hospital- he had been at work and started sweating really bad, and having chest pains, and felt dizzy.  They took his blood pressure and it was pretty high, so he called our doctor, who advised him to go to the ER. They ended up admitting him and running a ton of tests.  They said it was only a muscle spasm, but still said he needed to follow up with our doctor in two weeks. He took it easy over the weekend and went back to work Tuesday. I'm so thankful it wasn't anything more serious.

I have been stitching a little bit- my mind has been motivated but my body has not. lol  Here is my pitiful progess on "F"-

And here is my very late TU SAL update-

And today I had a nice surprise in my mailbox- I was notified a few weeks ago that I had won a giveaway on goodreads. I received my book today- Pray For Silence by Linda Castillo. (Click the title for a synopsis.) I read the first book of the Kate Burkholder series and I'm excited to read the next one! I actually got the first book for free as well as the publisher was giving them away in a special promotion. 

Speaking of free, I was VERY blessed the other day- my boss's daughter had gathered a bunch of clothes that she was going to give to goodwill- then she happened to think of me, and wow! Four trash bags of clothes and every single thing I liked fit me.   Some beautiful clothes I can wear to work and some still had tags on them! Also some great shorts and capris, which I really needed. I am so thankful!   Well, I have to get little man to bed- so I have to sign off for now. I will really try to be better about posting, and reading everyone's blogs as well!

The Night Before by Lisa Jackson



My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think this is the first Lisa Jackson book I've read. I really enjoyed it although Caitlyn, the main character, got my nerves a little, especially at first. It really kept me guessing as to "whodunit", which I like. So many books I can figure it out long before the end, but in this book I was actually surprised. A great book that kept you guessing!



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From Dead to Worse

From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another great vampire book by Charlaine Harris!! Once one thing was resolved, something else came up, and the ending was great. Can't wait for #9!


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AWESOME books

I got this great book at the book sale at my library back in April. It's called The Disappearance by and author named J.F. Freedman. This book was so good. I think it was over 400 pages and I read it in a week/week and a half. I read it every chance I got- at lunch, in the line to pick up Hanna from school, at long stoplights(shh don't tell). It's a suspense book- kind of Law and Order meets CSI- heh. I highly recommend it.
Next I read Summer's Child by Luanne Rice, which when I started I didn't realize was a prequel to another book I read by her, Summer of Roses. Both of these books were great as well. Matters of the heart and suspense as well! Good summer reading!!