Tag Archives: #readerslog

Reader’s Log 011: Book Stacks Part 4

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Acquiring books and reading them are entirely two different hobbies. I must say in the last few years, I have been working on curating my home library and working out what criteria I want to set to grow my stacks.

In this book stack series, I’m sharing books I’ve previously read and reviewed from NetGalley and want to obtain a physical copy for my home library.

I reviewed, “The House Between Tides” by Sarah Maine back in October 11, 2016 and I remember being really intrigued with the story. Imagine a house on a small island in Scottish Western Isles that is have prehistorical structures. Though, “The House Between Tides” is a modern story that blends with a story in the not too distant past. This story is about a woman who inherits a house that was owned by her relative Theo Blake who was a painter. The house is crumbling and basically in ruins. When human remains are discovered, her plans change…

I love these kinds of stories blended with mystery and atmospheric surroundings. I must confess, I have not read any of the author’s other works.  

About the Book:

Pub Date: Aug 02 2016 by Atria Books

Following the death of her last living relative, Hetty Deveraux leaves London and her strained relationship behind for Muirlan, her ancestral home in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides. She intends to renovate the ruinous house into a hotel, but the shocking discovery of human remains brings her ambitious restoration plans to an abrupt halt before they even begin. Few physical clues are left to identify the body, but one thing is certain: this person did not die a natural death.

Hungry for answers, Hetty discovers that Muirlan was once the refuge of her distant relative Theo Blake, the acclaimed painter and naturalist who brought his new bride, Beatrice, there in 1910. Yet ancient gossip and a handful of leads reveal that their marriage was far from perfect; Beatrice eventually vanished from the island, never to return, and Theo withdrew from society, his paintings becoming increasingly dark and disturbing.

What happened between them has remained a mystery, but as Hetty listens to the locals and studies the masterful paintings produced by Theo during his short-lived marriage, she uncovers secrets that still reverberate through the small island community—and will lead her to the identity of the long-hidden body.

Other books by Sarah Maine I would like to read:

Women of the Dunes

Beyond the Wild River

The Forgotten Shore

Check out the previous book picks in this blog series:

Reader’s Log 002: Book Stacks Part I

Reader’s Log 005: Book Stacks Part 2

Reader’s Log 009: Book Stacks Part 3

May this series inspire you and perhaps you will discover books you want to add to your stacks.

Stephanie Hopkins

Reader’s Log 008: Book Haul

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This past week and weekend we had family visit and Saturday we went to our local Half Price Books store and loaded up! It is not often I find more than two books on my wish-list in one visit. I scored four on my list and I’m quite happy with my finds. I also purchased two books from Costco and got, “The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon at our neighborhood’s free library where you swap out books. In total, I acquired seven books and started reading two of them over the weekend. With my galley reads, I’m all booked up and reading for a spectacular fall season of reading. I almost forgot to mention another book I was just approved for through NetGalley! So, I guess that makes eight books. I may hold off on reading, “The Frozen River” and pick it up late fall or early winter.

Do you have a book list or stacks of books you want to read this fall? What usually are your go-to genres for the season? I find that with my moods. I normally read mystery thrillers-as usual-set in the past, modern times or a dual time-line. For non-fiction reading, I like to read true crime and history. Funny that, because I tend to stick to that year round but the true crime more so in the fall. This doesn’t include my other history and research studies (Biblical, Ancient History, 1st Century AD and church fathers) I delve in year round. Yeah, that is a lot. I have a system in place and it works. I tend to be a bit of an information junkie one might say. That and I love studying history in general.

Stephanie Hopkins

NetGalley Book: Murder at the Manor

by Colin Wade

Pub Date Sep 28 2024 by The Book Guild

Description:

The Cotswold Manor Hotel welcomes an eclectic mix of guests, and on one fateful Friday evening, two witnesses overhear an argument in a neighbouring room, followed by a loud thud. The next morning, the maid discovers the room has been vacated; all that remains is a dried bloodstain on the carpet.

Detective Chief Inspector Chloe Taylor attends the scene, and soon after, a body is discovered in the lake on the hotel grounds, launching a murder inquiry. It soon becomes clear that the case is much bigger than she initially thought when one of her key suspects is linked to a terrorism investigation. A DCI from the Counter Terrorism Unit is quickly assigned to work alongside her.

As the investigation progresses, they are confronted by lies and deceit, suspicious characters, fake identities, and a case that threatens to spiral out of control. As DCI Taylor wrestles with the murder case and the politics of working with CTU, the mounting pressure leads her to make impulsive choices, putting her own life at risk.

Will she survive and solve the Murder at the Manor?

Reader’s Log 007: Book Stack

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I must say there is an art or juggling act sometimes in making sure you are meeting your reading goals. Mine change overtime depending on my schedule, mood and interests. Now that I’ve started back reviewing books on NetGalley, I’ve seriously have had to make big changes. The last couple of years, I’ve been reading books from my home library that I haven’t gotten to or have read many times already and enjoying revisiting them. I do try my best to reread Jane Eyre often.

So, how do I juggle NetGalley, books I haven’t read in my library and reread my favorites without burning out? Yeah, I’m still trying to figure that out. One thing that is really helping me to not feel overwhelm is to make sure I’m not reviewing new ARCs that are published close together. I generally read about an average of eight books per month give or take. Plus, I’m in the throes of Biblical background studies along with the early church Father’s and the 1st Century church. Those books are an ongoing read so I don’t generally count them in my completed reads for the year. Yeah, that is a lot of reading.

The book stack you see in the picture to the left are books I recently selected from my home library to read and decide if they are going to make a permanent place in my library. It is my goal to accomplish by the end of next year.

We’ve got a hurricane heading out way which will be a tropical storm by the time it hits our area. So, I’m trying to get as much computer work done just in case, we lose electricity and Wi-Fi. Praying for the people in the storms path.

On average, how many books do you read in a month or year?

Stephanie Hopkins

Reader’s Log 003: Weekend of Events

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I must say, I didn’t expect my weekend to be so full. Nonetheless, it was good and a lot accomplished. Friday started with a book review I posted here. The book is one of those that are so good if is often hard to find the right words to tell how much you enjoyed the story or how much the story impacted you without giving spoilers. Funny thing is that after I turned in the reviews to the publishers, more thoughts came to me about what I could have written. Oftentimes I will sit on a review in cases such as this but decided to just turn the review in and pray the review inspires someone to read the book when it comes out. The important thing is that I got my point across that I really love the story. It certainly impacted me on an emotional level.

Saturday was stitch book day on my YouTube channel and we are exploring leaves and dots this month while combining previous prompts and themes to stitch books. This month we are also making a stitch book cover for our fall prompts. Fun stuff!

The day carried on with watering the plants, cleaning house and dog sitting for my brother. Charlie is my brother’s dog’s name and he is a cutie. After that, the day ended with reading, “Two Times Murder”

by Adam Oyebanji. This story includes a bit of themes that have captured our modern society’s attention and has impacted us greatly. That is all I am going to say on the matter for now. As far as the mystery aspect goes, I’m finding it intriguing. I have not read this author’s work before and I believe this is Oyebanji’s second book? He has an interesting writing style but I’m adjusting and enjoying the story so far. I’m also reading, “A Feast of Folklore” by Ben Gazur. Wow, I have so much to say about this book!

Sunday, I met with a dear friend for coffee and stitch time. She is teaching me to knit. A few years ago, she started to teach me and other distractions happened. This time I am sticking to it and I’m really enjoying the endeavor. Knitting is so calming and I can totally see this activity being habit forming to say the least. Luckily, I have a stash of yarn already and will be making myself get through most of the stash before purchasing anymore yarn. At least that is what I’m telling myself.

How much reading did I get in this weekend? Well, not as much as I would have liked but a fair amount. I did expect to finish a book and start drafting a review from the notes I took. Hoping to be able to have time to do that tomorrow. I’m working towards turning at least two book reviews in a week. That is the plan anyway. How was your weekend? Did you get any reading time in? How is the weather your way? The season is starting to change!

Stephanie Hopkins

Reader’s Log 002: Book Stacks Part I

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Acquiring books and reading them are entirely two different hobbies. I must say in the last few years, I have been working on curating my home library and working out what criteria I want to set to grow my stacks.

Many books I’ve donated over the decades and many I have kept. I must confess there were a few books I’ve regretted donating but have found copies at library sales that I added back to my book stack. There are also books that are out of print I want to acquire again or read for the first time. The hunt is on and the journey is exciting!

In this book stack series, I’m going to be sharing books I’ve previously read and review from Netgalley and want to obtain a physical copy for my home library. I have found a few over the years already but no time like the present to blog about this journey. May this series inspire you and perhaps you will discover books you want to add to your stacks. First up…

Going all the way back to 2014 for my first pick to share is, “A Matter of Grave Concern by Brenda Novak”. I remember enjoying this story, found the themes intriguing and would definitely like to read it again and add it to my library. I need to go see if this was a stand alone or if this turned out to be a book series. The book title highlighted above is a link to my review here on Layered Pages. By the way…I love the book cover!

About the Book:

When Maximillian Wilder hides his noble identity and joins the notorious body snatchers known as the London Supply Company, the last thing on his mind is love. He’s worried about Madeline, his vanished half-sister, who was last seen in the company of Jack Hurtsill, the gang’s conscienceless leader. Raiding graveyards, stealing corpses, and selling them to medical colleges as dissection material is dirty work, but Max knows he must gain Jack’s trust. He’s determined to find out what happened to Madeline—and to bring Jack to justice if she was murdered for the coin her body could earn.

Beautiful, spirited Abigail Hale, daughter of the surgeon at Aldersgate School of Medicine, detests the challenging, hard-bargaining Max almost as much as Jack. But she must procure the necessary specimens if she is to save the college and her father’s career. She believes she is going to be successful—until Jack double-crosses her. Then she’s swept into a plot of danger and intrigue, one where Max must intervene to protect her, no matter the risk to his plan…or his heart.