THE CANAL MURDERS: (A YORKSHIRE MURDER MYSTERY BOOK 10) by J.R. ELLIS

 THE  CANAL MURDERS: (A YORKSHIRE MURDER MYSTERY BOOK 10) by J.R. ELLIS 

(Pgs 285)

Goodreads Review: Life moves at a slower pace on the canals. But death always comes when you least expect it. The last thing DS Stephanie Johnson and DS Andy Carter expected during their much-needed canal holiday was a murder. When retired folk musician Annie Shipton is found stabbed through the neck at the helm of her barge, the couple can’t help investigating the seemingly impossible crime. Nobody else boarded Annie’s boat—so how was she killed from behind? With the method a perplexing mystery, DCI Oldroyd is summoned from Harrogate, and it’s not long before the detectives have a long list of potential suspects with a motive to want Annie dead. There’s the young cyclist she argued with over access to the towpath, an ambitious and arrogant local developer she clashed with repeatedly, an estranged husband…and more than a few lingering issues with her former bandmates, most of whom live along the canal. When a second shocking murder sends shockwaves through the community, the locals start talking about a curse on the waterway. It seems the killer will go to any lengths to avoid detection. But can Oldroyd hunt them down before someone else becomes the next target?

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott-504 pages (paperback)

⭐⭐⭐1/2

Goodreads Synopsis: Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth--four "little women" enduring hardships and enjoying adventures in Civil War New England

The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored for generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's untimely death, and dreamed of traveling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Aspiring writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women.

In her enlightening, thoughtful introduction, Elaine Showalter discusses Louisa May Alcott's influences and her aspirations for Little Women, as well as the impact the novel has had on such women writers as Joyce Carol Oates and Cynthia Ozick.

Thoughts: I didn't read this earlier in life for school or for pleasure. I was interested to read this, though, as our next choice for the Book to Movie Club. It's well written and a decent story, but I didn't find myself very excited about the story or very invested in the story and characters until the final 100 pages or so. That said, I'm not mad that I read it. It's a decent read, if a little long.

Walking Alone: Short Stories by Bentley Little

 

Walking Alone: Short Stories by Bentley Little - 300 pages

From the mind of the man Stephen King calls "a master of the macabre" comes a brilliant new collection of no-punches-pulled horror stories, some never-before-collected and many originals that have never been published anywhere before. Bentley Little can take the innocuous, twist it around, and write a story that will change your way of thinking. Walking Alone: Short Stories is a shining example of his talent to scare you, creep you out, and make you shudder.

This was ok...the stories were interesting but on some the ending fell flat.

The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden

 

The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden - 296 pages

Abby wants a baby more than anything.

But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby's dreams come true.

Or all of her nightmares.

Because it turns out Monica isn't who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby's child has dark, twisted secrets.

And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

This was one of my least favorite of McFadden's books.  I am so done with the trope of "my husband is so sexy so he must be having an affair with this younger woman who looks like me but I won't say anything".  Give me a break.  The last 30 pages or so were pretty good though, so there's that.

Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus

 

Nothing Else But Miracles   by Kate Albus

Twelve-year-old Dory Byrne lives with her brothers on New York City's Lower East Side, waiting impatiently through the darkest hours of World War II for her Pop to come home from fighting Hitler. Legally speaking, Dory's brother, Fish, isn't old enough to be in charge of Dory and her younger brother, Pike, but the neighborhood knows the score and, like Pop always says, "the neighborhood will give you what you need." There's the lady from the bakery, who saves them leftover crullers. The kind landlord who checks in on them. And every Thursday night, the Byrnes enjoy a free bowl of seafood stew at Mr. Caputo's restaurant. Which is where Dory learns about the hand-pulled elevator that is the only way to get to Caputo's upper floors. The elevator that's so creaky and ancient, nobody's been in it for decades. Until now. The Byrne's landlord dies unexpectedly, and the new one is anything but kind. When he catches on about Pop being gone, he turns the Byrnes in, hoping they'll be shipped off to an orphanage. Dory and her brothers need a hideout, and suddenly the elevator and the abandoned hotel it leads to provide just the solution they need.

This is a Mark Twain Nominee for grades 4-6.  I really don't think children that age will understand all the things this story explains.  It takes place in World War II times but many of the things they describe would only be understood by older readers.  The story was a sweet story of family and working together to survive, and all the hard times they endure. 

A Mother's Love by Danielle Steel

 

A Mother's Love   by Danielle Steel 271 pages

On the occasion of her daughter Valerie’s wedding and her upcoming fiftieth birthday, bestselling author Halley Holbrook finds herself reflecting. Raising twins Valerie and Olivia is her proudest accomplishment. Halley has been able to give them the loving and safe home she never had, having survived a childhood so traumatic she’s never talked about it with her girls. Long ago, Halley decided to live in the sunlight of the present, not the dark shadows of the past. After Valerie moves to Los Angeles with her producer husband, and Olivia follows to remain close to her sister, Halley is empty-nesting in her Fifth Avenue apartment. Facing her first holiday alone in years, she books a trip to Paris. On the flight over, she meets charming Bart Warner, and the two become fast friends. Halley hasn’t dated since her partner died three years ago, yet she quickly begins to feel more like herself. But when a cunning thief makes off with her handbag and then begins to harass her, it reawakens old ghosts from her past. Vowing not to be a victim, and with Bart’s help, she chooses a bold course of action.

Not my favorite from Danielle Steel but it kept me interested all the way through.  It was a great story and kind of believable.  I love her stories about family.  This one really pulled at my heart strings with a mother and her children facing the world. 

Two Twisted Crowns

 Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig 437 pages

Summary: In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.

My Thoughts: Book 2? Just as amazing as book 1! I loved getting a deeper understanding of The Nightmare and how he came about. I loved learning more about the Providence Cards, the magic behind it all. My brain didn't catch the importance of different types of trees in the first book, but they do hold a great importance. I love how each family has a tree name! I loved how the first book had a focus on the main love interests, and the second book we now have a new focus on two secondary characters and their blooming romance! It was refreshing to have a series (duology in this case) not focus on the same romance and create tension and drama!!!!!! Read this DUOLOGY!