Books
I have been meaning to make a post here for a few days, but it hasn't worked out due to how busy May has been. Unfortunately, now I am not as busy because I have a bad cold so I figured making a post was at least something fun I could do while sick. On the other hand, My husband and I were able to at least get our room done earlier this week, so we are no longer sleeping in the living room. \o/ We ended up painting the walls a light blue color and I had bought new curtains a while ago that have these really big vibrant flowers on them to add some color to the room. I personally think it looks really good. There are so many end of the school year activities that are coming up plus add in all the repairs we are making on the house in order to sell it and it makes for a lot of busyness. But at the same time there are a lot of fun things coming up over the summer that I am looking forward too so I can't complain. On to the books...
This week I read: 1 graphic novel, 2 historical mysteries, and 1 mystery/thriller
The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Bryne
Dying is the only thing people do with any regularity, and Fiona makes her indecorous living cleaning up after the corpses are carted away. Her childhood best friend, Mary, was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper. It’s been two years since Fiona scrubbed Mary’s blood from the floorboards, and London is no longer buzzing about the Ripper, but Fiona hasn’t forgotten.
And she hasn’t stopped searching for Jack.
When she’s called to a murder in the middle of the night, Fiona finds a victim mutilated in an eerily similar fashion to those of the Ripper, and only a few doors down from Mary’s old home. The relentless, overbearing, and irritatingly handsome Inspector Grayson Croft warns her away from the case. She might have listened, if she hadn’t found a clue in the blood. A clue that will lead her down a path from which there is no return. As a killer cuts a devastating swath through London, a letter written in blood arrives at her door, and it is only then that Fiona realizes just how perilous her endeavor is. For she has drawn the attention of an obsessive evil, and is no longer the hunter, but the prey. Fiona Mahoney is in the business of blood.
But she’s not the only one...~Goodreads Description
This book was so good. The author had such a way with words, she was very good at drawing you in and keeping your attention. Fiona as a protagonist is so well written. I love her stubbornness, her fiery disposition, and how tender-hearted she is, although she tries to hide that fact. The mystery was intriguing and had a different spin on the Jack the Ripper story. The secondary characters were fleshed out and could have been main characters in their own right as they all were so interesting. The book moved along swiftly, and I found myself staying up late because I didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend it!
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
Valentina Tran was named after Valentine's Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she's being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person. ~Goodreads Description
I was very delighted by this book. The author and illustrator do such a good job of conveying their story. I loved Valentina and her quest to understand love and family. Plus, learning more about lion dancing as Val does was awesome. LNYLS is a beautiful well well-written graphic novel.
A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson
This was a great follow-up to A Solitude of Wolverines. One of the things I enjoy most about these books is all of the information on the animals that Alex is studying. This time we are along for the ride when Alex gets a job studying polar bears. I thought the mystery was well thought out. Also, the action once started is breakneck and just propels this book until the end. I greatly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.
The Burning Issue of the Day by T. E. Kinsey
This series continues to be delightful. Flo and Lady Hardcastle are a great pair of protagonists, and their banter is next-level entertaining. The suffragist angle of the plot was very enjoyable and thought the mystery was an interesting one. I love all the fascinating characters that Flo and Lady Hardcastle gather around them as they try to prove a woman is innocent of arson and murder. All in all, a great book and I can't wait till I can read the next one.
Reading Challenges 2024:
Mount TBR: The Burning Issue of the Day
Cloak & Dagger: The Business of Blood, A Blizzard of Polar Bears, and The Burning Issue of the Day.
Let's Tour the United States: Lunar New Year Love Story
How has you May gone so far?
This week I read: 1 graphic novel, 2 historical mysteries, and 1 mystery/thriller
The Business of Blood by Kerrigan Bryne
Dying is the only thing people do with any regularity, and Fiona makes her indecorous living cleaning up after the corpses are carted away. Her childhood best friend, Mary, was the last known victim of Jack the Ripper. It’s been two years since Fiona scrubbed Mary’s blood from the floorboards, and London is no longer buzzing about the Ripper, but Fiona hasn’t forgotten.
And she hasn’t stopped searching for Jack.
When she’s called to a murder in the middle of the night, Fiona finds a victim mutilated in an eerily similar fashion to those of the Ripper, and only a few doors down from Mary’s old home. The relentless, overbearing, and irritatingly handsome Inspector Grayson Croft warns her away from the case. She might have listened, if she hadn’t found a clue in the blood. A clue that will lead her down a path from which there is no return. As a killer cuts a devastating swath through London, a letter written in blood arrives at her door, and it is only then that Fiona realizes just how perilous her endeavor is. For she has drawn the attention of an obsessive evil, and is no longer the hunter, but the prey. Fiona Mahoney is in the business of blood.
But she’s not the only one...~Goodreads Description
This book was so good. The author had such a way with words, she was very good at drawing you in and keeping your attention. Fiona as a protagonist is so well written. I love her stubbornness, her fiery disposition, and how tender-hearted she is, although she tries to hide that fact. The mystery was intriguing and had a different spin on the Jack the Ripper story. The secondary characters were fleshed out and could have been main characters in their own right as they all were so interesting. The book moved along swiftly, and I found myself staying up late because I didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend it!
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
Valentina Tran was named after Valentine's Day, which used to be her favorite holiday. But when Val learns the truth behind what happened with her parents and why she's being raised by a single father, she realizes true love is a lie. This is reinforced when she meets the spirit of Saint Valentine, who tells her she and her family are cursed to always be unlucky in love. Val is ready to give into her fate, until one Lunar New Year festival, where a mysterious lion dancer hands her a paper heart, and ZING. Val becomes determined to change her destiny, prove Saint Valentine wrong, and give her heart to the right person. ~Goodreads Description
I was very delighted by this book. The author and illustrator do such a good job of conveying their story. I loved Valentina and her quest to understand love and family. Plus, learning more about lion dancing as Val does was awesome. LNYLS is a beautiful well well-written graphic novel.
A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson
This was a great follow-up to A Solitude of Wolverines. One of the things I enjoy most about these books is all of the information on the animals that Alex is studying. This time we are along for the ride when Alex gets a job studying polar bears. I thought the mystery was well thought out. Also, the action once started is breakneck and just propels this book until the end. I greatly enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next one.
The Burning Issue of the Day by T. E. Kinsey
This series continues to be delightful. Flo and Lady Hardcastle are a great pair of protagonists, and their banter is next-level entertaining. The suffragist angle of the plot was very enjoyable and thought the mystery was an interesting one. I love all the fascinating characters that Flo and Lady Hardcastle gather around them as they try to prove a woman is innocent of arson and murder. All in all, a great book and I can't wait till I can read the next one.
Reading Challenges 2024:
Mount TBR: The Burning Issue of the Day
Cloak & Dagger: The Business of Blood, A Blizzard of Polar Bears, and The Burning Issue of the Day.
Let's Tour the United States: Lunar New Year Love Story
How has you May gone so far?