Tag Archives: #readerslog

Reader’s Log 013: Book Spotlight

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Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson

A WWII Story of Love and Espionage

Pub Date Feb 04 2025 by Zando Projects

352 pages

Historical Fiction | Mystery & Thrillers | Romance

When I come across a book title with the word’s bookstore, bookseller, librarian or libraries, it is a sure bet I’m going to want to check it out and perhaps add it to my to-read pile. What is even more intriguing is that this story takes place during World War II in Lisbon. I can’t remember if I’ve read a historical story that takes place there. Isn’t the book cover nice? For those of you who are NetGalley members, this one is available to request a copy.

Stephanie

Description

In a glittering city of secrets and shadows, love is the most perilous gamble of all.

Lisbon 1943. As two American librarians are drawn into a city of dangerous subterfuge and unexpected love affairs, they are forced to choose between their missions and the men they love. Brimming with evocative writing and meticulous research, award-winning author Suzanne Nelson spins a web of secret aliases, sweeping romance, and great sacrifice. Inspired by real historical figures, this is the captivating story of two remarkable young women, their bravery and heartache, and a friendship that withstands the ravages of war.

With World War II raging across Europe, best friends Selene Delmont and Beatrice Sullivan are enlisted by the U.S. Intelligence Office and sent to Lisbon—a sparkling city and hotbed of trouble, harboring exiled royalty, hunted refugees, and spies trading double-edged secrets in seductively dark corners. In official capacity, librarians Selene and Bea have been recruited to catalog the vast mountain of information gathered by the Allies, but by night, both women are undercover agents tasked with infiltrating the Axis spy network.

Where Selene is confident and brash, Bea is bookish and careful. Selene longs to escape her family’s impossible expectations and embrace her independence, while all Bea wants is to heal from heartbreak and keep impulsive Selene out of trouble. But soon, both librarians are caught up in treacherous games of deception alongside two of Lisbon’s most notorious men—the outcast Portuguese baron, Luca Caldeira, and the lethal double-agent, Gable. As Selene charms her way through lavish ballrooms and fêtes with Luca, Bea is plunged into Gable’s shadowy underworld of informants.

Reader’s Log 012: Book Spotlight

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Death Comes in Threes (Book 9) by Michael Jecks

The period in which, “Death Comes in Threes” takes place is one of my favorites. That said, I love reading stories that take place all the way back to ancient civilization. The complexities of the human condition and imagining their lives gives us a broader sense of perspectives and design other than our own-if you will. Making connections to people whether it be from the past or present allows us to develop and nurture empathy. There is also the adventure of time traveling through reading and immersing yourself in other cultures. I could go on but wanted to give you a small glimpse into why I love reading history non-fiction, and historical fiction so much.

Today’s post is largely about spotlighting books under three hundred pages. I used to be one of those readers who challenged myself on how many books I could read in a year. While I understand the concept and meaning behind the challenge, I believe it can also foster stress and anxiety to some and it becomes no longer enjoyable to read. Needless to say, I don’t participate in those reading challenges any longer because it became a chore overtime for me.

There are so many books I want to read and knowing I won’t get to them all, oftentimes I find shorter books allow me to fit in more stories. That is just common sense for any reader. I also find reading shorter books gives one a connection to characters almost immediately, if written well. Of course, longer novels can do that as well but shorter books set a higher bar for the author to achieve within its scope.

Michael Jecks is a writer I have payed attention to for a while now and while I haven’t read his, “A Bloody Mary Mystery Series” from the beginning, I’m looking forward to diving into, “Death Comes in Threes.” Yes, I’m really bad about starting series from the beginning. I used to be diligent about starting them at book one but somewhere along the way, I veered way off course. I can’t explain why really. Does that happen to you?

Stephanie Hopkins

Death Comes in Threes (Book 9) by Michael Jecks

Pub Date Jan 07 2025 by Severn House

240 Pages

Description:

Princess Elizabeth’s unlikely assassin finds himself on the hook for two murders in this light-hearted Tudor mystery series!

August, 1558. As London is bustling with growing trade from foreign lands, and Queen Mary’s health is once again a hot topic, Jack Blackjack has much to keep him busy. And that’s before his new tenant – a Dutch merchant – disappears under a cloud of suspicion, quickly presumed murdered, and Jack’s latest female companion’s body is found mere streets from her dwelling place.

People around Jack keep inconveniently getting murdered, and he seems to be the most likely culprit! With both the authorities and the unsavoury echelons of London on his tail, nowhere is safe for Jack to hide. He must go about proving his innocence – and uncovering the murky truth – while ensuring he doesn’t find himself dancing the Tyburn jig!

The question is – can he rely on friends in high – and very low – places to get him out of this ever-increasing mess?

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.