Jumping from one holiday to the next. Our Thanksgiving was surprisingly good, but now the countdown to Christmas which, I think, will be harder for us. We are taking it one day at a time. We've started decorating in hopes that color and memories will keep us cheerful throughout the season.
We finally got some cold weather, so my husband built a fire and put on Christmas music. Fee also bought me some Christmas pajama bottoms. Size XS. I laughed and laughed! In fact, every time I think about it, I cackle. Fee is a wonderful and thoughtful husband, but not very observant :) I've been debating putting them in with the Goodwill stuff...or sewing up the bottoms of the legs and hanging them for a Christmas stocking!
I'm really behind on reviews. Because I'm so busy. ??? Well, busy reading, anyway.
Chasing the Shadows was another fun romp with Lyra, who has survived the attack on her life. To keep Jarren from realizing that Lyra is still alive, she has been given a funeral and a new name--Ara Lawrence, and Ara has a new job in security.
Creative and suspenseful YA science fiction with an absorbing plot. I've read several books lately that make use of AI, and Chasing the Shadows has a unique take. Each of Lyra's strange experiences has made connecting with the Q-net easier; it appears that Q-net has chosen her for a purpose.
I still think the romantic interest takes too much time, but then the book isn't written for me, but for a YA audience. I've enjoyed the experience for it's adventure. :)
I'm ready for the third book!
Purchased.
I already have seven reviews scheduled for next year releases, and I'm finding it hard to write reviews that far ahead of time, so I'm going ahead with this one.
The first chapter had me a little at a loss with the MC's situation, but it wasn't long before my immersion in the book was complete.
from description:From the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife comes an atmospheric novel of intertwined destinies and heart-wrenching suspense: A detective hiding away from the world. A series of disappearances that reach into her past. Can solving them help her heal?
As a missing persons detective, Anna Hart has been part of some somber outcomes, then a personal tragedy becomes the breaking point. Anna retreats to Mendocino, where Hap and Eden, her foster parents, helped her recover from childhood trauma.
She becomes involved with the case of a missing girl that reminds her and others of a case from years earlier. The theme of "missing" is covered in many ways: missing persons cases, missing information, missing people we have cared about, missing a sense of home and belonging . Paula McLain's beautiful prose leads the reader through the past as well as the present, and even makes reference to the real life case of Polly Klass.
A mystery with twists and turns, a study of trauma and resilience, When the Stars Go Dark is an absorbing read.
NetGalley/Random House
Psychological Mystery. April, 2021. Print length: 384 pages.
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I don't usually do Christmas cards, partly because I decorate my Christmas letters and envelopes. This year, I'm actually going to send some Christmas cards--it will be one more thing to keep me busy and involved. And I need to be busy and involved.
How are things going with you? Books, Christmas prep? Holding things together?
I'm glad you enjoyed Chasing the Shadows. I was so upset over having to wait a year for book three. That ending, oh my! Thankfully you don't have to wait that long for it since it just came out. That's one of the nice things about starting the series after all the books are out. :D
ReplyDeleteI did, and thanks for the heads up on the first book. I agree finding a series that all the books are out is SO much better than having to wait a year between installments!
DeleteI'm adding both of these books to my TBR list. And I know what you mean about Christmas. It is going to be different this year, isn't it? I've been playing a lot of Christmas music lately because it makes me smile. And we've got our tree up already (mostly for my mom who lives with me). But I don't know how much more decorating I'll be doing this year.
ReplyDeleteStart with the first book in the Sentinels of the Galaxy trilogy. :) And yes, McLain is worth reading, too! I haven't read McLain's The Paris Wife, but I may look for that one. Christmas music works on my heart, so yes, there is Christmas music here, too.
DeleteBoth books sound interesting to me. Will keep them in mind. And I'd received your letter yesterday! My card is already on its way so hopefully you'll get it soon. Will try to reply to your letter one of these days. :)
ReplyDeleteBoth books were good and in such different ways. :) Yay, it takes a while for letters to go international. Look forward to your card, Melody!
DeleteI've got my decorating done, but I do need to get a move on and get my cards in the mail, especially since so many of them go to the UK. The decorating did give me a boost. I was in the thick of the attack of cellulitis this time last year and a hospital stay and being forced to keep my leg elevated practically 24/7 meant that no decorating whatsoever got done last year.
ReplyDeleteYes, I remember the handicap of your leg last year--so glad you were able to get your decorating done this year. Yep, there is a rush for the Christmas mail that goes abroad!
DeleteI've totally decorated the house, some of which you've seen on FB. Ricky has his Santa and bikes back on the roof this year after two years of staging them in the front yard. He says this is more dramatic, and he's right. I love Christmas decorations so having the house crammed full makes me happy, yet nostalgic. Three friends have died since COVID emerged last March. While they didn't die of COVID, there were no services for the Louisiana ones because of the pandemic. I'm happy at home but I get lured away, then suffer from anxiety because I get lax, forgetting for awhile about COVID. I need to be back at the gym. How sweet of Fee to get some lounging clothes for you, but how typical of men not to have a clue about sizes. I like Paula McLain but wasn't aware that she ever wrote mysteries. Even my reclusive Ricky said yesterday that he's ready to go visiting people as soon as a vaccine is available to us elders! You all stay safe, hope you have a great holiday.
ReplyDeleteYay, on Santa and the bikes back on the roof! Christmas decorations are nostalgic, aren't they? Lots of love and memories wrapped up in ornaments and decorations. We do what we can to evade Covid anxiety, especially as numbers increase.
DeleteHopefully, we will all be able to resume a semblance of our lives before. I have some books that need to be delivered to your Little Free Library. Now that no one is picking through the box and taking what they want it has filled up again. :)
I am finding it difficult to settle down to read, so I am a bit jealous you are busy reading :) However, When the Stars go Dark is looks intense and kinda compelling!
ReplyDeleteOh, I hide my head in a book to escape the chaos in my head! When the Stars Go Dark kept me engaged with the characters and the prose. :)
DeleteYour pajama story made me laugh. It made me think about an old story (probably apocryphal) I read about a little kid buying his mom a nightgown for Mother's Day at a department store. The sales lady asks his mother's size and he says she is "just perfect" so she gives him a size 6 and the mom comes back after Mother's Day to exchange it for a size 10. :)
ReplyDeleteTrue or not, I love that story! She is "just perfect" says it all!
DeleteI've read Paula McLain previously and remembering enjoying her writing so I would like to find out more about this one. Glad you shared.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly kept my interest! I didn't like the first chapter much, but once my interest was engaged, I enjoyed it. :)
DeleteI love that your hubby bought you Christmas pjs in an XS. Much better than an XL, right? :)
ReplyDeleteWe've been burning a fire in our fireplace almost every night since Thanksgiving. It makes the living room feel so cozy, especially with all our Christmas decorations. Of course, this spring it will require a serious chimney sweep, but it's worth it!
I wasn't a huge fan of The Paris Wife, but this new one sounds intriguing.
I'm hoping to get in the mood to do some Christmas baking later this weekend. We don't need a lot of sweets around the house (my husband was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes), but I can give most of what I make to friends and neighbors. I skipped Christmas cards the past couple of years, but I may send a few out this year. I think everyone can enjoy some cheerful snail mail right about now, don't you think?
Poor man, his intentions are good, but XS is a thing of the past. A fire in the fireplace is so cozy this time of year! I'm having a problem with all of the sweets this year, the praline pecans and chocolate covered pecans are my current temptations. And yes, I think cheerful snail mail is more appreciated now than ever before!
DeleteChristmas will definitely be harder for us than Thanksgiving was in some ways. I am trying to focus on the positive though at this point. No pressure and no rush. Sending hugs, Jenclair.
ReplyDeleteThat's too funny about the XS pajama bottoms. I like your idea of turning them into a stocking.
Paula McLain's book has such a pretty cover. I couldn't get through The Paris Wife, and so I have been hesitant to try anything else by her. I'm looking forward to reading Chasing the Shadows.
Christmas without the pressure and rush is one nice thing. It will be a quiet Christmas for most people, but I think everyone is trying to focus on the positive. I hope you enjoy Chasing the Shadows!
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