Category: books

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Recent Reads in Crime Fiction

I don’t read a wide range of crime fiction, but there are a few authors that I always read when they have a new book out.

Stolen In Death by J.D. Robb came out in February and is book 62 of her In Death series. This series is my favorite because the main character is a woman and because it is set in a futuristic New York City. I love the way Eve Dallas looks at the world and how she tracks down the killers. There is an interesting array of supporting characters as well.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman also came out in February and is book 41 in the Alex Delaware series. Alex Delaware is a child psychologist who specializes in child custody cases and also consults with the LAPD, specifically with Detective Milo Sturgis. I enjoy the psychological intricacies of the cases Alex gets pulled into, and I really like the characters of Milo and Alex’s partner Robin.

Revenge Prey by John Sandford came out in April and is book 36 of the Lucas Davenport series. Lucas Davenport is a member of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension who does things his own way at times. I also enjoy the books with Virgil Flowers and Lucas’ daughter Letty.

I hope all three of these authors keep writing for a long, long time!

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Recent Reads from Sonali Dev

Sonali Dev has become one of my favorite authors, and I have recently read a novel and a short story of hers. The novel, Lies and Other Love Languages, is the story of Vandy Guru and her daughter Mallika. Vandy Guru is an advice columnist who is struggling with grief after the loss of her husband, and her daughter Mallika is an aspiring choreographer who is struggling to find her niche. The story also involves Vandy’s estranged childhood friend Rani Parekh and the secrets that tore them apart.

The book moves back and forth between the past and the present day until finally the story merges near the end of the book. Sometimes all that switching is difficult for me to follow or engage with, but I didn’t have any trouble with this one and was interested in both storylines. I was most invested in Vandy and Rani but gradually connected with Mallika as her character was fleshed out more and more. I also really liked the ending.

The Wedding Setup is a short story about Ayesha Shetty, a young woman who has thrown herself into the family business after the death of her brother. At her best friend’s wedding, she runs into an old flame while trying to avoid a doctor her mother is trying to set her up with. It was cute but mostly predictable, but I did enjoy the little twist at the end.

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Rome, Kentucky Series

I just finished the Rome, Kentucky series by Sarah Adams, and it definitely ended on a strong note. I think the fourth book was my favorite because it went deep into what was driving each of the characters’ feelings and actions and showed the main characters slowly getting to know each other better.

This is a series that follows each of the four Walker siblings as they find love in their small town. They are open-door romances, but (at least in the last two books) Adams identifies which chapters a reader should skip if they prefer to avoid that. 

I really enjoyed this series. If you are a fan of small town romance, these would definitely be right up your alley.

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School by the Sea Series (Maggie Adair)

The School by the Sea, aka Maggie Adair, is a charming series about an English boarding school for girls. Jenny Colgan tells the story of how she loved books about boarding schools but realized there weren’t very many for adults, so she wrote the first two books of the series and published them under the name Jane Beaton. A few years later, she republished them under Jenny Colgan and wrote the last two books to finish out the story.

I read the first two books back in 2022 and just read the last two books this year. The main character is Maggie Adair, a Scottish literature teacher who comes to teach at the school, and we see how she adjusts to this new situation and how it affects her personal and romantic life. The story also follows several of the girls in the school and explores their different backgrounds and experiences.

I am a big fan of Jenny Colgan and really enjoyed this series. I especially liked that we got to see things from the perspectives of both the teachers and the students, and I liked the interactions they had with the nearby boys’ school. Overall, this is a charming series that I would highly recommend!

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What I’m Reading – May 2026

What I’m Reading Now

Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev – I have enjoyed several books by this author. This one is pretty good so far. It does have a dual timeline, and I am still trying to put together how the story from the past fits in with the present events. I have a vague idea but it hasn’t been revealed yet.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware #41) – I really like this series. When my turn came for it on Libby, I was in a bit of a reading slump and I only got to 80% before it got automatically returned. Now I am back on the waiting list to get it again so I can finish it. Update: I am still on the waiting list for this one!

What I Recently Finished

  • Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld
  • Meg and Jo by Virginia Kantra (The March Sisters #1)
  • Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra (The March Sisters #2)
  • Revenge Prey by John Sandford (Lucas Davenport #36)
  • Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (When in Rome #3)
  • Lessons at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (School by the Sea #3)
  • Studies at the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan (School by the Sea #4)
  • Everybody’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center (short story)

What I Added to my TBR

  • Allegiant by Veronica Roth (Divergent #3)
  • The Sixth Faction by Veronica Roth (The Sixth Faction #1)
  • Start at the End by Emmy Grey
  • The Last Love Note by Emma Grey
  • Pictures of You by Emma Grey

TBR Stats/Goal Updates

  • I currently have 184 books on my TBR. Of these, 8 are nonfiction and 176 are fiction.
  • I have read 24 books so far in 2026. My goal is 100, so I am 8 books behind. It’s okay if I don’t meet my goal, though. My reading ebbs and flows depending on my mood and circumstances.
  • I have not finished any nonfiction books so far in 2026. My goal is 6.
  • I ended my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I read 15 books and had 1 DNF during the time I had KU.
  • Here are some more stats from StoryGraph:
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The March Sisters

I have read many adaptations and retellings of books by Jane Austen, but it’s not that often that I come across books based on 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 by Louisa May Alcott. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 is a two-book series that was published in 2019 and 2020. The first book focuses on Meg & Jo, while the second book focuses on Beth & Amy. We also get a glimpse into their parents’ relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed this modern take on a beloved classic. Each sister faces different challenges in her life and in her relationships, and I appreciated the way Kantra shows how their childhood experiences mix with their personalities to contribute to their current issues.

Highly recommended!

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Week in Review: April 5, 2026

Happy Easter!

This was a pretty good week. I felt fairly productive at work and Michael’s job seems to be going pretty well. One thing I have been avoiding is making a phone call to the place where I got my dental implants a few years ago to discuss the issues I am having now. My dentist feels like it would be a good idea to pursue whether they will do anything for me since the implants seem to have been placed too close together, but that seems like a terrifying phone call for me to make so I didn’t get it done last week.

I have still not been reading as much as usual, but I did finish one book last week. It was a short story collection called Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. I have enjoyed several of her novels, but this book was a bit more difficult to read. The stories seemed designed to expose toxic beliefs and prejudices, and I have to admit some of them hit close to home. The two stories I liked the most were “Follow-Up” and “Lost But Not Forgotten.”

I hope all of you who are celebrating Easter have a wonderful day however you choose to spend it. I will be having a quiet day at home with Michael.

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What I’m Reading – April 2026

What I’m Reading Now

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld – this is a collection of short stories. I am not sure how I feel about it so far. It seems to be designed to expose the hidden parts of ourselves and our beliefs about ourselves and others.

Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman (Alex Delaware #41) – I really like this series. When my turn came for it on Libby, I was in a bit of a reading slump and I only got to 80% before it got automatically returned. Now I am back on the waiting list to get it again so I can finish it.

What I Recently Finished

  • Stolen in Death by J.D. Robb (In Death #62)
  • Storm Peak by John A. Flanagan (Jesse Parker Mystery #1)
  • Avalanche Pass by John A. Flanagan (Jesse Parker Mystery #2)

What I Added to my TBR

  • Braving the Truth: Essential Essays for Reckoning with and Reimagining Faith by Rachel Held Evans
  • The Someday Garden by Ashley Poston
  • The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod (Austentatious #2)
  • The Fake Matchmaker by Sonya Singh
  • Everyone’s Favorite Guy by Katherine Center

TBR Stats/Goal Updates

  • I currently have 187 books on my TBR. Of these, 8 are nonfiction and 179 are fiction.
  • I have read 16 books so far in 2026. My goal is 100, so I am 9 books behind. I do occasionally have times where I read less than my usual, so I’m sure it will pick up later in the year.
  • I have not finished any nonfiction books so far in 2026. My goal is 6.
  • I ended my Kindle Unlimited subscription. I read 15 books and had 1 DNF during the time I had KU.
  • Here are some more stats from StoryGraph:
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Jesse Parker Mystery Duology

I have been a fan of John Flanagan for several years. His main claim to fame is his middle grade series Ranger’s Apprentice and its spinoff series, The Brotherband Chronicles and Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger. I have read them all and loved them, so when I learned that he had written a mystery duology, I was excited to read it.

The main character in the books is Jesse Parker, a former Denver police detective, who has returned to his hometown in Colorado to work with the ski patrol. When there are a series of killings in town, he is pulled into the investigation by Sheriff Lee Torrens, a longtime friend and former flame. I really enjoyed the mystery and the rekindling of the relationship between Jesse and Lee.

In the second book, Jesse has taken a trip to Utah to face his fears after a skiing accident and ends up in the middle of a hostage situation. It was interesting to see the character in a very different type of mystery, and I really liked the ending, especially the epilogue.

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ICYMI: Benni Harper series by Earlene Fowler

ICYMI: my quest to highlight books you may have missed

The Benni Harper series by Earlene Fowler consists of fifteen books published between 1994-2011. The protagonist, Benni Harper, has moved to fictional San Celina, California after losing her husband a few months earlier and is managing an artist’s co-op and art gallery. When she encounters a fellow artist’s dead body, she decides to play amateur sleuth and try to solve the mystery.

I really enjoyed these cozy mysteries. I liked the main character a lot, even though she is quite headstrong, and appreciated the inclusion of the arts. Each book title was taken from the name of a quilt pattern, which I found really charming.

The book names in order:

  • Fool’s Puzzle
  • Irish Chain
  • Kansas Troubles
  • Goose in the Pond
  • Dove in the Window
  • Mariner’s Compass
  • Seven Sisters
  • Arkansas Traveler
  • Steps to the Altar
  • Sunshine and Shadow
  • Broken Dishes
  • Delectable Mountains
  • Tumbling Blocks
  • State Fair
  • Spider Web

Have you ever run across these? Are you familiar with any of the quilt patterns?