Tuesday. No service manager - 4th week gone. No receptionist - maybe this afternoon. She hasn't worked a full week in two months.
Just gonna get through the day. Then, afterward, I'll take care of Ryker and Steve, read and go to bed. That's it. That's all.
Have a good day
PK the Bookeemonster
Monday. No service manager per usual.
I finished reading all the books I had going this weekend.
Currently reading 1) a new-to-me-series but it's been on my TBR since 2017 and 2) a "dangler" - I had started it but not finished it and 3) I will be starting a new-ish release.
MURDER ON BLACK SWAN LANE by Andrea Penrose. 1st of 7 in series featuring The Earl of Wrexford, a scientist, and Charlotte Sloane, a satirical cartoonist working under her dead husband’s name, in Regency London.
The Earl of Wrexford possesses a brilliant scientific mind, but boredom and pride lead him to reckless behavior. So when pompous, pious Reverend Josiah Holworthy publicly condemns him for debauchery, Wrexford unsheathes his rapier-sharp wit and strikes back. As their war of words escalates, London’s most popular satirical cartoonist, A.J. Quill, skewers them both. But then the clergyman is found slain in a church—his face burned by chemicals, his throat slashed ear to ear—and Wrexford finds himself the chief suspect. An artist in her own right, Charlotte Sloane has secretly slipped into the persona of her late husband, using his nom de plume, A.J. Quill. When Wrexford discovers her true identity, she fears it will be her undoing. But he has a proposal—use her sources to unveil the clergyman’s clandestine involvement in questionable scientific practices, and unmask the real murderer. Soon Lord Wrexford and the mysterious Mrs. Sloane plunge into a dangerous shadow world hidden among London’s intellectual enclaves to trap a cunning adversary—before they fall victim to the next experiment in villainy . . .
Published 2017; 370 pages
Currently listening to the audiobook of JUSTICE DELAYED by Marti Green. 5th of 6 in series featuring Help Innocent Prisoners Project attorney Dani Trumball.
The brutal murder of sixteen-year-old Kelly Braden sends shock waves through a community—and an intellectually disabled man to jail. The only witness to Kelly’s murder is the five-year-old cousin she was babysitting. The young girl names their neighbor, Jack Osgood, as the bat-wielding criminal. Two decades later, Osgood faces execution. Defense Attorney Dani Trumball and her partner, investigator Tommy Noorland, are summoned to the Georgia prison where Osgood is on death row. With no friends or family of his own, there is no one left to believe Jack didn’t kill Kelly but Dani and her Help Innocent Prisoners Project. With a mentally disabled son of her own, defending Osgood could be her most heartrending case yet. While fighting a system that blocks her attempts to overturn his conviction, Dani must race to identify the real killer before Osgood’s time runs out—and the murderer strikes again.
Published 2017; 286 pages.This was one of my "danglers". I had started it but paused it pursuing other books.
And I will be starting THE RECOVERY AGENT by Janet Evanovich. 1st in new series featuring Gabriela Rose, a globe-trotting insurance fraud investigator.
Lost something? Gabriela Rose knows how to get it back. As a recovery agent, she’s hired by individuals and companies seeking lost treasures, stolen heirlooms, or missing assets of any kind. She’s reliable, cool under pressure, and well trained in weapons of all types. But Gabriela’s latest job isn’t for some bamboozled billionaire, it’s for her own family, whose home is going to be wiped off the map if they can’t come up with a lot of money fast. Inspired by an old family legend, Gabriela sets off for the jungles of Peru in pursuit of the Ring of Solomon and the lost treasure of Cortez. But this particular job comes with a huge problem attached to it—Gabriela’s ex-husband, Rafer. It’s Rafer who has the map that possibly points the way to the treasure, and he’s not about to let Gabriela find it without him. Rafer is as relaxed as Gabriela is driven, and he has a lifetime’s experience getting under his ex-wife’s skin. But when they aren’t bickering about old times the two make a formidable team, and it’s going to take a team to defeat the vicious drug lord who has also been searching for the fabled ring. A drug lord who doesn’t mind leaving a large body count behind him to get it.
Published 2022; 314 pages. People were describing it as a female Indiana Jones so I'll give it a try. It's from a library.
Tonight I may have sprints starting at 5pm. I also heard that it may be canceled. Either way, I'll take care of Ryker and Steve and then read and then go to bed.
PK the Bookeemonster
Friday. At last. Receptionist here.
I finished the McNeil book last night. I gave it two stars. Had a good premise but it fizzled.
One of the nice things about participating in the scavenger hunts with the cozy reading group, is finding not-so-well-known authors and enjoying them enough to continue with the series. This is one of them.
CAFE AU LAIT by M.L. Hamilton. 2nd of 7 in Zion Sawyer cozy mystery series.
Zion has settled into her new routine in Sequoia. She runs her coffee shop, spends her evenings on dinner dates with her lawyer boyfriend, and enjoys the calm, quiet of her little cottage. However, summer tourist season begins and the Sequoia Chamber of Commerce decides to hold Redwood Stock.The rock festival brings a whole new clientele to sleepy Sequoia – loud music, tattoos, and late night parties – but it also brings revenue. Until a young woman drops dead after the concert and everyone becomes a suspect. Once again, Zion teams up with ex-cop Tate Mercer to find the murderer before anyone else is killed.
Published 2017; 307 pages.
I think I'm pausing on the McKenna book. I was feeling like I was forcing it at this time. I'm still listening to the audio of the Schwarz scifi.
Also starting AN UNEXPECTED COWBOY by Shannon Stacey. 2nd of Sutton's Place category romance "series".
He’d been told home is where the heart is. He never believed it until now. Lone-wolf cowboy Irish is no stranger to long, lonely nights. Some might say he even prefers it that way. But somehow Mallory Sutton tugs on his heartstrings. The feisty single mom is struggling to balance it all—and challenging Irish’s perception of what he has to offer. She shows the guarded cowboy everything a family—and real love—can be. But will their unexpected connection keep Irish in town…or end in heartbreak for Mallory and her kids?
Published 2022; 227 pages. For category romance, I like her writing.
With the pending winter weather advisory starting this evening and going through the weekend, we canceled bead group tomorrow. Two of our regulars come in from Huntley so it's just safer. My haircut appointment had been rescheduled to tomorrow but I also canceled that because I then felt like "why go anywhere"?
I would like to get rested and alert and then work on getting my webcam and live stream going on YouTube this weekend.
We have On Patrol Live on tonight and tomorrow. Also tomorrow I'd like to watch a Hallmark movie called A Picture of Her. It has my favorite actor from their stable, Tyler Hynes.
"Beth unwittingly becomes the subject of an award-winning magazine’s cover and goes on a quest to uncover the true identity of the mystery photographer who snapped her photo."
I know, I know, Hallmark movie are all the same, etc.
Speaking of romances, I'm giving the category romances a healthy try so I have a few of those in the TBR, too, I have to read.
And those are just the e-books (not Kindle). I have physical ones too. I'm trying to research the genre. And then all the Kindle Unlimited books. And then all the fantasy books I want to read ...
Have a good weekend
PK the Bookeemonter
Thursday. No receptionist (again) and no service manager (of course).
This book was a hold from the Las Vegas Library that came up for me. It had to jump the queue because this library has informed non-residents that they are now NOT going to let out of staters use the service as of the 27th.
Currently reading THREE DROPS OF BLOOD by Gretchen McNeil. Stand alone.
A mundane office job takes a dark turn when a girl witnesses a double murder through the window. Being an actress, Kate is no stranger to drama. And when her chance at a leading role gets cancelled, she is willing to do whatever it takes to get her acting career back on track even if that means getting a boring office job at her best friend's father's law firm so she can prove to her parents she can to support herself rather than go back to high school. Now, rather than living life on the big screen, she is stuck filing mundane contracts and watching the people in the office across from hers live their equally boring lives. But when Kate sees things heat up between a woman and her assistant, her new source of entertainment take a turn for the worse when she witnesses a double murder. Now, she must get anyone to believe her and find out who this mystery woman is to get answers. But as she learns more and more about the circumstances leading to the gruesome act, she begins to realize there is a bigger mystery under the surface... In this voyeuristic thriller filled with twists and turns, can Kate get anyone to believe her before she becomes the next victim?
Published 2023; 315 pages. Luckily, I'm liking it rather a lot so I'll get through it quickly.
And I have reading sprints tonight starting at 5 so maybe I'll get to get some good reading in before they call it a night. We also have BattleBots to watch.
That's it for me.
Have a good day
Much love
PK the Bookeemonster
I was very tired last night so I didn't get much done. I'm switching up the reading a little today. I'm listening to audio of DOUBT by Jenny Schwartz while working and traveling.
And I'm reading MURDER AT MORRINGTON HALL by Clara McKenna and MAISIE DOBBS by Jacqueline Winspear.
Happiness is a delivery from Book Depository (UK books) when I got home from work yesterday.
PK the Bookeemonster
Tuesday. Receptionist back full time (it appears) but service manager's note today says two more weeks.
It is getting very very old. I've been doing both their jobs since the first week of February.
Well, the Lafferty book I DNF'd. It had too many aliens. So I think I'm starting MURDER AT MORRINGTON HALL by Clara McKenna. 1st of 5 in historical mystery series set in 1905 England.
Spring, 1905: Free-spirited like the Thoroughbreds she rides across the Kentucky countryside, Stella takes adventure by the reins when she's asked to attend a mysterious wedding in rural England. But once she arrives at the lush Morrington Hall estate, her cold and ambitious father confesses that he won't only give away his best racehorses as gifts--he has also arranged to give away his daughter as bride to the Earl of Atherly's financially strapped son . . . Stella refuses to be sold off like a prized pony. Yet despite a rough start, there's something intriguing about her groom-to-be, the roguish Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst. The unlikely pair could actually be on the right track with each other . . . until they find the vicar who was to marry them dead in the library. With culture clashes mounting between families, a scandalous murder case hangs over Morrington Hall. Now, Stella and Lyndy must go from future spouses to amateur sleuths as they team up to search for the truth--and prevent an unbridled criminal from destroying their new life together right out of the gate . . .
Published 2019; 321 pages.
I've scheduled the jobs for the techs for tomorrow. I'm hoping to find an audiobook to listen to and get some other stuff done.
Tonight just gonna feed Ryker, feed Steve, read, and go to bed. Not even gonna attempt to work on my YouTube channel. A bit tired and a lot angry and weary today.
It will pass. Not a big deal.
Have a good day
PK the Bookeemonster
Monday
It was a rather good weekend.
I went to the psychic fair where two friends had tables. I got readings from both that were very good. I picked up a wire-wrapped stone pendant from another vendor. Then I went to Best Buy to get a webcam and light for a future project. Then I needed some coffee so I went to Barnes and Noble and got a couple more books. Then I went to the memorial for a friend's daughter and that was very nice and seemed to be well attended. On Sunday I went back to Best Buy to figure out why the webcam wasn't working and they got things going.
Regarding the #Read1000Pages Challenge. I completed 1000 pages on Friday night. One day ahead of schedule.
Currently reading STATION ETERNITY by Mur Lafferty. 1st of 2 in Midsolar Murders series.
From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn’t make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet…and markedly devoid of homicide. But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime—and fast—or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board….
Published 2022; 457 pages.
I will also be starting (maybe) FOUR THOUSAND DAYS by M J Trow. 1st of 2 in series featuring Margaret Murray, the real-life British archeologist, beginning in 1900 London.
October, 1900. University College, London. When the spreadeagled body of one of her students is discovered in her rented room shortly after attending one of her lectures, Dr Margaret Murray is disinclined to accept the official verdict of suicide and determines to find out how and why the girl really died. As an archaeologist, Dr Murray is used to examining ancient remains, but she's never before had to investigate the circumstances surrounding a newly-dead corpse. However, of one thing Margaret is certain: if you want to know how and why a person died, you need to understand how they lived. And it soon becomes clear that the dead girl had been keeping a number of secrets. As Margaret uncovers evidence that Helen Richardson had knowledge of a truly extraordinary archaeological find, the body of a second young woman is discovered on a windswept Kent beach - and the case takes a disturbing new twist ...
Published 2022; 224 pages.
Tonight I have reading sprints starting at 5.
Much love,
PK the Bookeemonster
