PK the Bookeemonster: One more day

Thursday, August 22, 2024

One more day

Thursday

Currently reading:

HAUNTED EVER AFTER by Jen DeLuca. 1st in new romantic series.

Small Florida coastal towns often find themselves scrambling for the tourism dollars that the Orlando theme parks leave behind. And within the town limits of Boneyard Key, the residents decided long ago to lean into its ghostliness. Nick Royer, owner of the Hallowed Grounds coffee shop, embraces the ghost tourism that keeps the local economy afloat, as well as his spectral roommate. At least he doesn’t have to run air-conditioning. Cassie Rutherford possibly overreacted to all her friends getting married and having kids by leaving Orlando and buying a flipped historic cottage in Boneyard Key. Though there’s something unusual with her new home (her laptop won’t charge in any outlets, and the poetry magnets on her fridge definitely didn’t read “WRONG” and “MY HOUSE” when she put them up), she’s charmed by the colorful history surrounding her. And she's catching a certain vibe from the grumpy coffee shop owner whenever he slips her a free slice of banana bread along with her coffee order. As Nick takes her on a ghost tour, sharing town gossip that tourists don't get to hear, and they spend nights side-by-side looking into the former owners of her haunted cottage, their connection solidifies into something very real and enticing. But Cassie's worried she’s in too deep with this whole (haunted) home ownership thing… and Nick's afraid to get too close in case Cassie gets scared away for good.

Published 2024; 352 pages. I really liked her first series, the Ren Faire one. I had hopes for this one, but it's just not as good. It's not bad .... just not the same level.

Also, DEATH BELOW STAIRS by Jennifer Ashley. 1st of 7 in historical mystery series featuring Kat Holloway, highly sought-after young cook to the wealthy, beginning in 1880 London

Highly sought-after young cook Kat Holloway takes a position in a Mayfair mansion and soon finds herself immersed in the odd household of Lord Rankin. Kat is unbothered by the family’s eccentricities as long as they stay away from her kitchen, but trouble finds its way below stairs when her young Irish assistant is murdered. Intent on discovering who killed the helpless kitchen maid, Kat turns to the ever-capable Daniel McAdam, who is certainly much more than the charming delivery man he pretends to be. Along with the assistance of Lord Rankin’s unconventional sister-in-law and a mathematical genius, Kat and Daniel discover that the household murder was the barest tip of a plot rife with danger and treason—one that’s a threat to Queen Victoria herself.

Published 2018; 336 pages. I've had this since it was published ... and I have all seven of the books.

And for GarbAugust - probably the last of this time around, MICHELANGELO'S NOTEBOOK. 1st of 4 in series featuring Finn Ryan,

While studying art history at New York University, brilliant and beautiful Finn Ryan makes a startling a Michelangelo drawing of a dissected corpse-supposedly from the artist's near-mythical notebook. But that very night, someone breaks into her apartment-murdering her boyfriend and stealing the sketches she made of the drawing. Fleeing for her life, Finn heads to the address her mother had given her for emergencies, where she finds the enigmatic antiquarian book dealer, Michael Valentine. Together, they embark on a desperate race through the city-and through the pages of history itself-to expose an electrifying secret from the final days of World War II-a secret that lies in the dark labyrinthine heart of the Vatican.

Published 2005; 358 pages.

On tangent note, I don't make it a secret that I don't care for vampires in books. I have read some along the way such as A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES series -- when it was first published. It was supposed to be about the Bodleian Library and a witch but then this damned vampire showed up but I was already hooked -- and I've read TWILIGHT a way long time ago to form my own opinion about a hyped book.

However, on this morning's show I mentioned again my disfavor, and one of the viewers asked why.

But I got to thinking that maybe I should be not so closed about it.

My September TBR is huge with new releases and Spy vs Spy Readathon but I considered maybe adding one here in the last part of August ... or I could do it in October which would be more seasonable I suppose. There are A LOT of vampire-centric books out there.