Weekly Meme

by

The Weekend Wrap-Up

A weekly recap post linking up with:

SUNDAY POST | THE SUNDAY SALON
IT’S MONDAY, WHAT ARE YOU READING? | MAILBOX MONDAY

Thank you to all the hosts! Click the links above to visit them and join the fun.

Here we are, already wrapping up the month of July. Did you know that August 1st is the start of my Halloween season? I’m excited. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten much reading done over the past couple of weeks. In the evenings I’m so tired, I just crash. Maybe it’s the heat.

Myrtle the Nightmare Catcher with a recent read. ♥

First off, I want to share a photo of sweet Myrtle, who I won in a giveaway last week. She’s a nightmare catcher crafted by Jenclair from Bayou Poste & Craft / A Garden Carried in the Pocket. Myrtle is so cute, and I love her details, like the heart patch pined to her clothes and the sachet of lavender sewn on her back. Thank you, Jen!

Some other news — I’m starting a new job soon! Prior to the pandemic, I was a teacher’s aide in a special ed classroom, but I left when my own kids started remote learning. I’ve decided to return to the same work but at a different school. Even though my family and I are fully vaccinated, I still have concerns, especially since younger students aren’t eligible for the vax yet. But, I’m still looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

I might not have as much time to blog and blog hop until things get settled with the new school year. I won’t be on an official hiatus in August, but I may be missing from time to time!

★ I wanted to add that I’ve greatly enjoyed blogging this year and redirecting my focus back to the blog community. I’ve made some great new friends and reconnected with old ones. Thank you all for being so awesome! ★

Last Two Weeks on the Blog:

Currently Reading:

  • WHERE THE TRUTH LIES by Anna Bailey
  • THE PEOPLE WE KEEP by Allison Larkin
  • DEATH IN CASTLE DARK by Veronica Bond

Recent Bookshelf Additions:

  • MRS ENGLAND by Stacey Halls (The Book Depository)
  • BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME by Jacqueline Bublitz (The Book Depository)
  • AN AMBUSH OF WIDOWS by Jeff Abbott (NetGalley)
  • THE GOLDEN COUPLE by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen (NetGalley)
  • CACKLE by Rachel Harrison (NetGalley)
  • HOW TO BOOK A MURDER by Cynthia Kuhn (NetGalley)

Thanks for stopping by & have a wonderful August! — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

by

Waiting For — Wednesday: CACKLE by Rachel Harrison

A weekly post to highlight an upcoming book or new release that I’m looking forward to reading. This week’s pick is…


CACKLE
by Rachel Harrison
Release Date: October 5, 2021

A darkly funny, frightening novel about a young woman learning how to take what she wants from a witch who may be too good to be true, from the author of The Return.
 
All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.  
 
Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?

I’m not even sure what to expect with this book, but the second I saw the cover I knew I had to get my hands on it. Is CACKLE suspense? Humor? Horror? Contemporary fiction? All I know is that I’m thrilled to have been approved on NetGalley to read it!

It’s never too early to plan your Fall/Halloween reading. What’s on your list? — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

by

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Where is your favorite place to read during the summer?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. This week’s topic is…

Where is your favorite place to read during the summer?

Inside where it’s cool. I always think I’m going to sit outside with my new reader sunglasses and read, read, read! Then I get out there, and bugs, heat, and sunburn become an issue fast, lol. In the spring and fall, I do like to sit on my front stoop and read while it’s in the shade. What about you?

Join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments or create your own post on your blog. Head over to That’s What I’m Talking About for more details! — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

by

Waiting For — Wednesday: THE BOOK OF COLD CASES by Simone St. James

A weekly post to highlight an upcoming book or new release that I’m looking forward to reading. This week’s pick is…


THE BOOK OF COLD CASES
by Simone St. James
Release Date: Mar 15, 2022

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

How can I wait until next March for this book? I am a HUGE fan of Simone St. James. Even if I get a copy from NetGalley, I’ll still have to buy the hardcover for my shelf. Do you enjoy suspense novels with a touch of the paranormal? — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

by

Tell Me Something Tuesday: What authors have you recently discovered and loved?

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. This week’s topic is…

What authors have you recently discovered and loved?

Several! I’m going to define this question as meaning authors in the last year (July ’20 – July ’21) that I hadn’t heard of before, or that I’d heard of but hadn’t read. (I know some of them have been around for many years!) Here’s my list:

Click on the author’s name to visit their Goodreads page. Do we share any favorites?

Join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments or create your own post on your blog. Head over to That’s What I’m Talking About for more details! — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪