Tome Thursday: Grateful Ghost

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

Tonight's book of choice is perhaps a LITTLE bit early, considering it isn't NEARLY Thanksgiving yet - neither American nor Canadian.

 

But suffice to say, when Dina Marie releases another book, I read it.

 

Timeline doesn't matter!

 

Because her Salem Cozy Mysteries are just that good, and I've been loving them from the minute I stumbled over Going Ghost quite at random on BookSirens way back when it feels like now.

 

At this point, I feel like I'm an old pro when it comes to Clara Kelly and her band of ghostly misfits haha, but that doesn't mean I'll be saying no to all the good stuff still coming.

 

I am for sure reading whatever else we get in this series! The coziness and the general vibes are just so on point for me, I love it.

 

So how about I stop yapping and start actually talking about Grateful Ghost.

 

Tome Thursday: The Village Phantom

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to tonight's blog.

 

I'm having a slightly surreal experience in that I'm typing this up at a VERY different time of day than my usual one - because I've fallen into the hole of C-dramas, and that means I somehow binged through eight episodes of one yesterday, going to bed late.

 

... the irony that they talk about how you should try and sleep enough and be in bed on time in this very drama is not lost on me.

 

I'll be reviewing it on my blog in the near future, so don't worry! You'll get all my commentary and reports haha.

 

But first and foremost, the book for tonight.

 

We're going back into the field where I first cut my teeth as a young reader, with Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle, except it's Scandinavian this time.

 

And I was very lucky enough to have the author reach out to me for a review.

 

So without further ado: The Village Phantom!

 

Tome Thursday: The Charmed Coin Mystery

 

Hello everyone!

 

So after the mammoth of the post that ended up happening on Tuesday, I decided to do something a little lighter this Thursday for my book choice of the week.

 

And when I need something like this, I usually always return to one of two preferred authors!

 

You always have to have some in your back pocket that will help you in times like this.

 

Especially when you don't want to spend yet another two to three hours typing and editing and padding up a post! Hah.

 

Honestly though, it's not that I mind. It's that I slept horribly tonight (I only got a solid five hours, and the rest was definitely fragmented until I just gave up) and I feel like it's going to be a long ass day without a lot to show for it in the end.

 

Which means I'm going to try not to complicate my life even more while I'm at it.

 

Without further ado, then, let's hop straight into the next mystery our favourite rapscallion girl Twyla ends up in.

 

Ladies and gentlemen: The Charmed Coin.

 

Tome Thursday: Ghost Trip

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back at it again with the coziest mysteries you could find on the internet, and in your bookstores, because what else will you read when you need something relaxing to unwind with?

 

Listen, Dina Marie knows how to write these, okay, and she's NOT giving up.

 

There's two more that are releasing this year (at least), and that's super exciting to me as someone who found the author completely by accident on Booksirens one day.

 

I was captivated by the idea that this woman, who's been in an abusive marriage, can see and speak to ghosts, and she ends up helping them pass on.

 

... sounds very Ghost Whisperer, doesn't it?

 

Can you tell I grew up watching these shows LOL

 

But enough about that!

 

Let's dive right into the story of Ghost Trip.

 

Tome Thursday: The Architects of Control

 

Hello everyone!

 

I have a treat for you tonight, and a slightly different style of blog than you might be used to from me.

 

Because tonight's book of choice hasn't been released yet - it's coming this June.

 

And I don't want to give anything away too soon!

 

But equally I want you to WANT to read it, so here's my attempt at putting together some cohesive enough writing that will hopefully entice enough for you to pick the actual book once it officially drops.

 

I mean, what could possibly go wrong?!?

 

HAH.

 

Anyway, enough of the chit-chat. You know I like me some political shenanigans in a book no matter when or where - I've read plenty of this stuff, and I probably still will.

 

So you shouldn't be surprised that tonight's book of choice is one of that genre.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the stage: The Architects of Control!

 

Talkie Tuesday: Mardaani 2

 

"Every woman goes through the test of fire every day."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I have a treat for you tonight.

 

It's quite a potentially disturbing one, however, so please read with caution.

 

Because apparently, I stumbled upon cinematic masterpieces that STILL somehow manage to describe situations that should be brought to light much more often.

 

I'm truly a fan of those types of things.

 

Which means that, tonight, we're headed back to India and its Bollywood industry.

 

I promise that's definitely not all I watch (I'm currently obsessed with Pursuit of Jade, for example), but it's certainly a massive portion of what I DO watch for entertainment sake.

 

And when I find a niche I like, I tend to stick to it, because it usually has a lot to give me.

 

Which is why we're continuing with a movie series, and heading into Mardaani 2.

 

Tome Thursday: Ghost Overboard

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the blog.

 

For tonight's book of choice, we're picking a series that's been ongoing for a bit, but always seems to keep fresh no matter which one you choose to read!

 

I've been a fan of Dina Marie's work since I accidentally stumbled upon Going Ghost, and I've loved the rest of the books ever since.

 

I'm sure plenty of people out there will argue with me and say these books are short, bring nothing to the table, and are much too simple to be considered proper sleuthing ones.

 

I disagree!

 

It doesn't always have to be a crime so deep you need to bring out Holmes or Poirot.

 

Sometimes, all you need is logical thinking, a little bit of luck, and a ghostly companion while you're at it.

 

So let's check that out in Ghost Overboard.

 

Tome Thursday: The Blood Locket Mystery

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the blog.

 

I'm finally climbing out of the hole that is our Mardi Gras, which we celebrated just this week, and for which the bakery I work at produced ... insane amounts of sweet treats, let's put it that way.

 

So we're FINALLY now entering more normal stages again, and I don't feel like I'm drowning anymore.

 

Instead, I get to enjoy some really, really good books.

 

Among them is this one.

 

I actually read it much sooner than it's making the debut here on the blog, but I just couldn't get to it sooner.

 

Too many books, too little time.

 

Now, at last, here we are back in Byrd Nash's imaginary world where ghosts run around and ghost talkers try to lasso them back, and one apprentice finds herself on her own for a mysterious case.

 

That's what we get in The Blood Locket Mystery!

 

Talkie Tuesday: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

 

"Perhaps one day, when this terrible war is ended, 

we shall work again together, eh?

And Poirot will explain it all to you."

 

Hello everyone!

 

My, but it's been a WHILE since I've done one of these.

 

It's a shame really, because this piece tonight happens to be part of one of my all-time favourite series ever made, and I'm talking EVER.

 

There is nothing out there that can compare to it.

 

Basically, I'm someone who grew up watching Jeremy Brett play his way through Sherlock Holmes stories, then once I was old enough, I switched to this.

 

But apparently all I've ever done have been snippets and vague looks into the series, which won't do!

 

It's time to be more serious about it, possibly even gotta-catch-em-all serious.

 

So without further ado, let's hop straight into The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

 

Tome Thursday: Dreams Never Seen

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back to our post-apocalyptic world we go.

 

I mean, it's about time, isn't it?

 

I keep picking up books and reading through them and whatnot, but I also always circle back to the ones that stick to the top of my favourites list.

 

Sarah Westill and her books are certainly on there! I'm still very much eagerly awaiting the release of her newest book, beginning another series, but in the meantime I'm working through where it all began.

 

Mom and dad still have plenty of adventures to share, after all!

 

So for tonight, we're ditching the slowly-turning-colder Northern hemisphere, although of course in Sziveria it's even more brutal than here with us.

 

We're headed someplace warmer, and much more exotic.

 

Let's see where and why in Dreams Never Seen!

 

Tome Thursday: Perfect Melody Silenced

 

Hello everyone!

 

After a long time, I'm returning to one of my all-time favourite post-cataclysmic worlds.

 

And that's saying something, considering how many dystopian books I've read up until this point in time, honestly.

 

But Sarah Westill somehow managed to create something unique where everyone else is usually doing the exact same thing, or similar at least, and it hooked me right from the start.

 

Now, to remember that I need to order physical copies of her books at some point in the near future ...

 

Ahem.

 

Seeing as the main story of her Guardians of Sziveria series has ended at this point, it's not that which we'll be looking at tonight.

 

No, these serve as prequels, of a sort, made even more important because her NEXT book series talks about the children of the couple happening in these.

 

Without further ado, then, Perfect Melody Silenced.

 

Tome Thursday: G is for Ghost

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm on an afternoon shift after a while and I'll tell you what, writing this blog post in the wee hours of the morning feels a little strange after having done this every afternoon for about a month haha.

 

But we're back with a cozy story tonight!

 

I've been a fan of Dina Marie since I accidentally picked up the first book in her series, Going Ghost, and I haven't stopped since.

 

Sure, is her main character sometimes comically silly?

 

Does she make some of the most ridiculous mistakes that look positively cartoonish on occasion? Also true.

 

But that doesn't detract from the general vibe of these books, wherein you get to visit Salem, look around the landmarks a little, meet some interesting people, catch up with favourites, and overall have a pretty relaxing time, even while there's a murder investigation going on.

 

That takes some skill, honestly.

 

So let's hop right back into the Salem Spirits series with G is for Ghost.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Pie to Die For

 

"Sometimes you just have to improvise."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to another Hannah Swensen movie.

 

Hallmark releases these every once in a while, and they're on movie ... eight right now? Ten? I've lost count.

 

But they're definitely moving into double digits!

 

The thing about these movies is that they feature a generally likeable cast, a plot that's usually fairly easy to follow along, and nothing too complicated so that you don't have to spend hours scratching your head about what's happened.

 

It's also why I like to sit down and watch them when they release - they're pretty good for resting my brain a bit!

 

Sure I'm wondering about the case, but it's not life or death.

 

Well, at least not for me - it's a bit different for the unfortunate victim, I suppose. Without further ado - Pie to Die For.

 

Tome Thursday: Anything Ghost

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back, and I hope your Easter proved both entertaining and heart-warming.

 

Unfortunately, the Christian world lost its venerated Pope earlier this week, and of course people will be mourning him. I, personally, only really followed him through the news, but he was a very forward-thinking man and a modern man at that, so I believe the world at large absolutely lost a great figure, overall.

 

That said, we can only hope the Vatican now elects someone who will lead them forward through these turbulent times.

 

And speaking of turbulent.

 

One of our favourite amateur sleuths is back this week, in the book I picked for tonight's review post. She's been absent from regular publications for a couple of months, but we already know that the fifth book in the series is on the way, so never fear!

 

Put on your thinking caps and some glitter, because we're headed to the heart of gambling and desert show business tonight, in Anything Ghost.

 

Tome Thursday: Here Ghost Nothing

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm back with a slightly shorter book to review this week, but that's okay because I'm probably going to drag out some sort of behemoth some other time.

 

I usually do, in any event.

 

But that doesn't mean the book I picked is bad or anything of the sort!

 

Actually, it's the kind of cozy read that I really love during the late autumn/early spring days, when it's still dreary enough outside that you want to just snuggle up under a blanket and not leave your room for the foreseeable future.

 

Anyone else feel that way? No? Just me? Hmm ..

 

Anyway, without further ado, let's hop right back in, because Salem awaits us, and it isn't with the witch trials, either.

 

It's with an amateur sleuth who returns in Here Ghost Nothing!

 

Talkie Tuesday: Reality Bites

 

"Inevitably, there are always surprises."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back to the delightfully delicious reviews that center all around Hannah Swensen and her moonlighting gig as a detective.

 

Honestly, the whole premise is cute, even if slightly unbelievable, but hey, we've seen way worse on this blog site.

 

The latest installment in the series FINALLY seems to establish a bit more ground in the romantic department, and here's to hoping the writing follows up on what's already been TWO invitations to a date, or else we riot.

 

I mean, Hannah's already basically said yes twice.

 

So without further ado and more jabbering from me, let's get right down to the nitty-gritty, and figure out why this one didn't land as well as the others before it.

 

The resident baker-sleuth is back in Reality Bites!

 

Talkie Tuesday: A Sprinkle of Deceit

 

"Not again."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I seem to be in a rather mysterious mood at the moment. Or, at the very least, in a mood to solve a whole lot of mysteries, judging by the book blog from last week and this week's choice of movie review.

 

Yes, yes, I know, the inauguration was yesterday, blablabla.

 

Not really in the mood. I'd prefer something a lot more drama-friendly!

 

So here we are, returning to one of my usual favourite sleuthers that I kind of tucked away by the wayside to return to at some point or other. The movie I watched this weekend actually aired, er, well, in autumn of last year. They're releasing the newest installment this February so I thought to myself, you know what? Maybe I should catch up!

 

So I did.

 

And honestly, I keep forgetting how much I enjoy this light-hearted kind of thing where you don't have to use so much brain energy and just have fun.

 

Hallmark Movies and Mysteries serves a lot of that in A Sprinkle of Deceit.

 

Tome Thusday: Ghost Writer

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to another fun, cozy mystery review.

 

I like me some of those, particularly when the weather turns a little bit foul in some aspects. There's something so NICE about curling up with a book that deals with, say, crime of some sort, or even Jane Austen (completely other end of the spectrum, I know), as opposed to action and adventure when it's all sunny and nice outside.

 

But I digress.

 

I'm actually working through a backlog of my book list, because I'd been reading these voraciously as last year was drawing to a close, and then of course December happened and I always only do Christmas-themed reviews at that time.

 

And so, more typing fodder now!

 

So hop along for the ride as we return to Salem and a really fun author, Dina Marie, takes us along for a ride with her character, Clara. She's renovating an old house and running into spirits of the deceased, because apparently the renovation is a hobby, and the investigation is her main job now! As you'll see in Ghost Writer.

 

Tome Thursday: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

 

Hello everyone!

 

This week's book is just a little bit different in the sense that it's not all happy-go-lucky, merry, or bright. Well, some of it certainly is, but for the most part ... not really.

 

Obviously you can have all the sweetness and Christmas-y adorable feelings whenever you pick a book up, but every once in a while there can also be another thing happening, and it's kind of fun to deviate a little.

 

Plus, I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan, so naturally I'll try and sneak in one of her books if I possibly can along the way.

It doesn't help that watching His Dark Materials and hearing David Suchet's voice as he portrays one of the daemons is one of the best things that's happened in a while, because honestly, I LOVE this man, and his portrayal of Hercule Poirot is probably one that will last for all time.

 

The fact remains there is only one REALLY good Belgian detective.

 

And he also had an interesting Christmas a couple of times.

 

Hercule Poirot's Christmas covers just one of those adventures.

 

Talkie Tuesday: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

 

"Hercule Poirot is a detective, not a bodyguard."

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome back.

 

Tonight, we're taking a look at another slightly less Christmas-y entry, although it's STILL just festive enough to warrant being added to our list on here.

 

I seem to be on a detective kick lately, and who can blame me?

 

You gotta have some of the nitty-gritty alongside all the fluff that usually surrounds the holidays!

 

Hercule Poirot is just the right man for the job, too, if you can't get your hands on some Sherlock Holmes (although come to think of it, I might dig up one of Jeremy Brett's entries into the series and see if HE made a Christmas one ...).

 

And you just can't say no to the tiny detective, really, you can't.

 

He's impossible to resist.

 

Which is why we're having a look at Hercule Poirot's Christmas.