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: City of Mirth and Malice

 

Hello everyone!

 

Welcome to a book feast.

 

And when I say feast, I MEAN feast.

 

Even though, for some inexplicable reason, I apparently DON'T have the first of this duology on my blog here.

 

Which I only JUST discovered, and how the HELLS it happened, I have no clue.

 

I'm going to rectify this mistake in the very near future and post about that as well; apparently I was missing some brain cells when I was reading the book last autumn and somehow didn't think to put it on here.

 

It makes zero sense, because I loved it so much, and now I love the sequel too, but there you have it.

 

Not everything always makes sense.

 

Without further ado, then, let's jump right into City of Mirth and Malice.

 

Tome Thursday: Ghastly Mistake

 

Hello everyone!

 

Well, we did it.

 

WE DID IT.

 

I say, as if I were single-handedly responsible for getting these books out. HA. I wish.

 

Better words to use would be that Byrd Nash did it, getting all six parts of her gaslight romantasy series out into the world at large, and with such ample success too!

 

I accidentally stumbled over Madame Chalamet on BookSirens, but then after the first three books discovered the author would actually be doing ARCs personally as well, and got myself hooked up to that.

 

Because there was no way, NO WAY, I'm telling you, that I would be missing out.

 

Elinor Chalamet is everything you might want in a female hero, and I was going to hitch myself along for the ride to witness her story come to a satisfying conclusion.

 

And boy, did it!

 

Time to talk to ghosts one last time (for now) in Ghastly Mistake.

 

Tome Thursday: Haunted Grave

 

Hello everyone!

 

And welcome to the first post-Christmas book blog that is an ABSOLUTE treat.

 

When I originally stumbled across this book series as a member of BookSirens (you know, that online platform which brings together authors and readers for mutual benefits of free books - free reviews), I was hesitant because a "Sherlock Holmes inspired story" has been done before, and not very well.

 

Then I started reading Madame Chalamet and her mysteries, and changed my mind.

 

Byrd Nash has such a way with words and manages to draw you in with her characters, in particular in this series, but I'm absolutely going to try and get my hands on some of her other works.

 

I may have found another favourite, after all!

 

But for right now, I need to not digress.

 

Because things are going bump in the night, and turning uglier and deadlier.

 

Which is probably why this book is quite appropriately titled Haunted Grave.

Tome Thursday: Gray Lady

 

Hello everyone!

 

A full April spent perusing and browsing through a single book series.

 

What could possibly be better, I ask you?

 

While the previous three books could be picked up on BookSirens - the lovely, lovely online resource for readers and writers alike when it comes to exchanging ARCs and reviews - this one was only available to the people lucky enough for Ms Nash to specifically choose for her team.

 

I count myself extremely honoured and humble to be a part of it.

 

And I am LOVING this series.

 

Like, seriously!

 

When all is said and done, this is a magnificent slow burn paranormal-based romance, and I truly wish that everyone would pick up a copy to read. It's just THAT good.

 

So without further ado - we return to the realm of ghosts tonight, in Gray Lady.

 

Tome Thursday: Spirit Guide

 

Hello everyone!

 

Yes, yes we are back to spirits and ghosts and some poltergeists to top it all off.

 

I'm honestly super stoked about these novellas, or should I say short books because I don't think all of them qualify for novellas, but truth be told it's about what's in them rather than what the actual length of the book is.

 

And I've fallen in love with the characters.

 

Not just the main one either!

 

The supporting cast is absolutely stellar in my personal opinion, you have a core group and then some who flit in and out depending on when and how they're needed.

 

It's a smart decision not to overwhelm readers, I think, because sometimes you get books that introduce far too many people and then attempt to juggle everyone without losing focus. It doesn't always work out, so this is a much better logic.

 

Also, yes, it's an ARC! The first three were available on BookSirens. 

 

So come along with me and let's discover everything there is to find about Spirit Guide.

Tome Thursday: Delicious Death

 

Hello everyone!

 

Back again with another really, really good book, and I can tell you right now straight off the bat that I'll be doing a speed-run through these that have already been published until I run out of material.

 

The best part?

 

There's two more still to come.

 

Or at least it's projected to cover six novellas and we're supposed to get a conclusion this year, which is always exciting, because I feel that as readers we do often have to sit and wait for what feels like forever to get to a certain point (looking at you, Martin and Rothfuss).

 

Byrd Nash isn't like that. She's also a lovely woman to chat to, so if you haven't picked any of her books up yet, I highly suggest you do so.

 

Last week we started on our journey with Ghost Talker, so this week it's only right and proper that we keep on keeping on with its sequel.

 

After all, ghosts - and ghouls - don't usually wait for anyone, so let's see what Delicious Death has to offer.

 

Tome Thursday: Ghost Talker

 

Hello everyone!

 

We're starting April off properly, with a good, old bang.

 

As you all know by now, I tend to meander around BookSirens and usually have between three to five books in the works from that particular site - because they're awesome like that.

 

I've mentioned them multiple times before: they're an online cross-roads where authors can list their ARCs up for grabs and readers can get them for free in exchange for reviews. It's honestly a really, really great site to have on your list if you're like me and love to read, but don't always want to head on down to the library or buy something you aren't sure of.

 

I tend to buy about three quarters of the e-books which I first have a look at on the site, though.

 

This one tonight is no exception!

 

I was suggested this one in one of their 'books you might like' e-mails, and because I'm a fan of whodunit mysteries it was a no-brainer, really.

 

Especially since it also promises a slow burn romance!

 

So here we go, everyone. Ghost Talker is the first novella of this six-part series, and tonight's reading of choice.

 

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes III

 

Hello everyone!

 

And so, we come to the end of our Sherlock Holmes journey.

As promised, this week I'm bringing this collection of short stories to a close, and starting something new and exciting come next Thursday.

Given that this weekend is the first Sunday of Advent already, I would say we're just about on time, wouldn't you?

Sherlock has had his run, and a fantastic run at that.

His time in the hansoms and chasing villains through the fog of London is basically at an end as he gives way to that inevitable Christmas cheer that's right around the corner.

As every year, I'll be covering some hopefully lovely seasonal books, but before we can get on to that, it's time to say a proper farewell to our super sleuth.

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, ladies and gentlemen, one last time.

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes II

 

Hello everyone!

 

We are back for another round of 'who the heck did this and how?!'

 

Or, in other words, for another round of Sherlock Holmes stories.

 

It really looks to be the time for these, especially if you look out the window and, for most of the view if you're living in the Northern hemisphere, you get foggy outskirts.

 

I was just watching it crawl in yesterday, and man did it remind me of London!

 

I grew up watching Jeremy Brett playing Holmes, you see, and that was a proper, Victorian era one.

 

So this is legitimately right up my alley, which is why I keep going back to the books and reading them again and again.

 

Let's not keep our master sleuth waiting for too long then, shall we?

 

Because we haven't finished The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes yet, and the detective has this thing about unfinished business.

Tome Thursday: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes I

 

Hello everyone!

 

Continuing on in the vein of what we began with this week, I'll be taking a look at a compilation of short stories through the rest of November.

You guessed right, watching Enola Holmes 2 made me dig out and dust off my copies of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Victorian era sleuth.

And let nobody fool you, this is the perfect time to read them.

There's fog outside, the weather's particularly dreary (for the most part) and you just need something cozy to read while you wrap up and sip your hot beverage of choice. Doyle made sure, back in the day, to provide everything you'd ever need in that aspect.

So did several others writing on the topic of crime and solving crime, but I digress.

Tonight we take a look at the original who snooped around London way before Enola was conceived in the heads of Netflix producers.

There's a plethora of stories to choose from, but I picked the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

Talkie Tuesday: Enola Holmes 2

"If you stay true to yourself, the path will always find you again."

 

Hello everyone!

 

I'm actually almost right on the money with this one for the particular round we're in, which is a surprise considering I usually spend SO LONG before getting to a movie.

Looking at you, The Next 365 Days.

Yes, I'm still debating whether or not I'll sacrifice some more of my brain cells to watch that, as I've already seen the first two, but I digress.

Because tonight's choice has absolutely nothing to do with anything Italian mafia related.

Rather, we take a step back into the past to Victorian England.

And we have a look at the youngest of the Holmes brood once more.

Yep, that's right, it's time to pay a visit to the England of cabbies, top hats, chaperones and corsets, and just what on Earth was going on with the suffragette movement at the time.

Our sleuth is here to help us. We're talking Enola Holmes 2.

Tome Thursday: A Holiday by Gaslight

 

Hello everyone!

 

Hello, and welcome to what will now be Christmas-themed (or holiday-themed) blog posts for the rest of this calendar year.

 

Can you believe it's December already?

 

I honestly can't, it's gone by SO fast, and when you think about it, it literally feels like we only just turned around after last New Year's to begin 2021, but now we're finishing it up and heading into 2022.

 

It's completely bizarre and something that I wasn't expecting!

 

Then again though, this last month of the year is usually pretty magical, or it attempts to be, so why not try to enjoy it while we can, right?

 

Especially with ALL the current craziness, it's basically enough to turn anyone away from mainstream media.

 

So without further ado, let's get right into it, shall we?

 

A Holiday by Gaslight, by Mimi Matthews, is here to start the show.

 

The Sign of Four (Booktober)

 

"When you have eliminated the impossible, 

whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

 

 

Okay so I MAY have made a slight doo-doo since I mixed up A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four. Oops! My apologies. In my defense ... well, there isn't a good one really. But that said and done, what would ANY fall read-a-ton be without a look at the classic sleuth in Victorian London? Sherlock Holmes has held the hearts of people around the world since his very first appearance, and the recent dive into stories about the fictional Enola Holmes have reinvigorated public interest. If you're waiting for cute teenagers running amok in London, however, be warned: the OG Holmes stories are NOT for the faint-hearted, especially not with epic riverboat scenes like in this one! Arthur Conan Doyle knew his stuff.

 

 

 

As a dense yellow fog swirls through the streets of London, a deep melancholy has descended on Sherlock Holmes, who sits in a cocaine-induced haze at 221B Baker Street. His mood is only lifted by a visit from a beautiful but distressed young woman - Mary Morstan, whose father vanished ten years before. Four years later she began to receive an exquisite gift every year: a large, lustrous pearl. Now she has had an intriguing invitation to meet her unknown benefactor and urges Holmes and Watson to accompany her. And in the ensuing investigation - which involves a wronged woman, a stolen hoard of Indian treasure, a wooden-legged ruffian, a helpful dog and a love affair - even the jaded Holmes is moved to exclaim, 'Isn't it gorgeous!'

(from book jacket)

 

xx

*image not mine

 

Harry Potter #2 (Booktober)

Troublemaker (Booktober)

The Lord of the Rings (Booktober)

Talkie Tuesday: Enola Holmes

"To be a Holmes, you must find your own path."

 

Hello everyone!

 

So my original plan for this week's blog post for Tuesday was to follow up the previous one about Mulan with our all-time favourite, the 1998 version, but something else happened and the plan went right off the rails.

 

Kind of like jumping off a train!

 

Here's the thing.

 

I forgot Netflix was premiering their new movie about Sherlock Holmes' younger sister last week.

 

I know, I know, I should have ACTUALLY been paying attention, but sadly my mind's been all over the place, so while I clocked into the trailer and the date, I didn't realize the date was REALLY just around the corner!

 

And there you have it. Paying attention is everything, kids.

 

Which means that the Mulan cartoon is unfortunately getting bumped right along. Because without further ado, allow me to introduce yet another member of the prodigiously talented Holmes family: Enola Holmes.

 

The Infernal Devices (Booktober)

"Until such time as I die, I will be Nephilim."

Once again, I'm here with a full book series, because ... I can't pick one of these three. I loved the entire trilogy, and ironically enough, probably because I read it first, I finished it already, but have yet to finish Mortal Instruments. Go figure. BUT anyway! If you're up for some hunting, mundanes, and a certain Herondale, you've come to the right place. Cassandra Clare has certain topics to her name that make her rather notorious, but this trilogy is GOOD. And since it mostly happens in foggy Victorian era London, why not stroll down those streets yourselves?

In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever; in the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. Danger and betrayal, love and loss, secrets and enchantment are woven together in the breathtaking Infernal Devices Trilogy, prequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

(from Goodreads)

xx

*image not mine

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter (Booktober)

Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Booktober)
Broken Sky (Booktober)

The Shadow of the Wind (Booktober)

Dracula (Booktober)

Life and Death (Booktober)

ACOTAR series (Booktober)

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (Booktober)

Sepulchre (Booktober)

Pride and Prejudice (Booktober)

Tempting Autumn (Booktober)

Harry Potter (Booktober)

The Hobbit (Booktober)