Can't Wait Wednesday

  

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa at Wishful Endings which spotlights and discusses forthcoming books that bloggers are looking forward to reading. Generally it's about books that haven't been released yet. This meme is based on Waiting on Wednesday, formerly hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

There are so many exciting new books on the horizon, so without further ado, this week's Can't Wait For book is . . . 

 

Release Date:  February 26, 2019

Publisher:  William Morrow

From Goodreads:  Before Meghan and Harry, another American ‘princess’ captured the hand of an English aristocrat. Now, Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”

On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St Thomas Episcopal Church on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo, bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things.

At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an overwhelming list of duties, including producing an “heir and a spare,” but her relationship with the duke quickly disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston Churchill, as she fights for women’s suffrage. And when she takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last…?

From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles of the Second World War, American Duchess is a riveting tale of one woman’s quest to attain independence—at any price.

My thoughts:  I'm a huge fan of historical fiction, and am drawn to the saga-like quality of this story of  "American royalty" and a woman ahead of her time.

This Can't Wait Wednesday post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.  

Today I'm featuring a recent blog tour read, A Very Merry Murder by Mary Angela.  The excerpt shared is from the electronic version I received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  

 

Chapter One

Up and down Oxford Street, Christmas decorations were beginning to twinkle, lighting up the snow in globes of red, green, and gold.  In my little bungalow, nestled in the middle of the block, I was decking the halls (or porch, rather) with tiny white lights.  I danced delicately between tacking up strands and shooing away my cat, Dickinson. It was late Thursday afternoon, and with Dean Martin crooning in the background and my first batch of sugar cookies in the oven, the holiday spirit was upon me.  The Grinch himself couldn't have stolen it away.

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?

The opening paragraph has a charming holiday feel, reminding me of the things I like best about the season.  Although this is the third book in the Professor Prather mystery series, it can be read as a standalone, and is a good entry point into this wonderful cozy series.  I have since read and thoroughly enjoyed the first book, An Act of Murder.  Book two, Passport to Murder is in my reading queue, and I am eagerly anticipating a fourth book in the series.

You can read my review of A Very Merry Murder here.  You'll also find a GoodReads synopsis and link for a giveaway in the blog tour post.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: A Very Merry Murder by Mary Angela

  

Today I'm participating in the A Very Merry Murder Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.

About the book . . .

 

A Very Merry Murder (A Professor Prather Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Camel Press (October 1, 2018)
Paperback: 258 pages
ISBN-10: 1603816550
ISBN-13: 978-1603816557
Digital ASIN: B07G2VLLCV

 ADD TO GoodReads

Synopsis . . .  It’s December in Copper Bluff, and from hillside to hallowed hall, everyone is merry—or will be as soon as semester break arrives. Students are studying, professors are grading, and Emmeline Prather is anticipating the university-sponsored holiday concert. Friend and colleague Lenny Jenkins will be accompanying the visiting quartet, Jazz Underground, and Em can’t think of a better way to kick-start the holiday season.

But before she can say “Jingle Bell Rock,” trouble arrives at Candlelight Inn, the bed and breakfast where the quartet is staying. One of the band members dies unexpectedly, and suspicion falls on Em, whose altercation with the man ends with him on the floor. He never recovers, and now she’s worried her reputation might not either. When Emmeline starts to see parallels between an Agatha Christie novel she’s teaching and the victim, Lenny claims she’s read one too many mysteries.

As the clues unravel, so does the murderer’s patience. Em is close to finding the truth, but will the truth—or the murderer—push her over the edge? It will take a Christmas miracle to solve this case, but if there’s one thing in surplus this time of year, it’s faith.

My review . . .  Holiday spirit is in the air on the campus of the sleepy Midwestern college in Copper Bluff, South Dakota.  The Music Department is involved in preparations for the upcoming concert; English Professor Emmeline Prather is immersed in teaching her literature course, Crimes and Passion; and students and faculty alike are anticipating the town's holiday festival.  What could possibly interfere with the merriment of the season?  A mysterious death, of course.  

The sudden demise of Miles Jamison—visiting professor from Minnesota and charismatic leader of the Jazz Underground, the quartet headlining the holiday concert—throws a damper on the upcoming festivities.  And during the investigation into what appears to be a suspicious death, the police identify Professor Prather as their main person of interest.  It's true that Em clashed with Miles at a group breakfast at The Candlelight Inn and later rebuffed the pass he made at her, but she wasn't the only one Miles sparred with that morning.  

In an attempt to clear her name, Em and her close ally, fellow English professor Lenny Jenkins undertake an investigation of their own.  It quickly becomes apparent that someone is trying to frame Em for the murder because techniques from the plot of the Agatha Christie novel she is using in her class lessons have been implemented in the crime.  As she pursues her hunches, Em discovers that several students, faculty, and townspeople had previous ties to Miles—and possible grudges against him.  As Em closes in on the truth, narrowly escaping from an attempt on her life, the final pieces of the puzzle come together, and Em convenes a meeting of the suspects at The Candlelight Inn to reveal the killer and the motive for the crime.

A Very Merry Murder is a classically crafted and masterfully methodical mystery with carefully placed subtle clues.  It is a gem of a read with its Agatha Christie feel, and although it is part of a series, it can be very satisfyingly read as a stand-alone.  Mary Angela has populated the Copper Bluff campus and town with a solid cast of interesting and realistic characters, much like what you would expect in a small college community.  The setting and characters envelop readers in an inviting environment, making the Professor Prather Mystery Series a welcome addition to the cozy mystery genre.  In fact, after reading A Very Merry Murder I have treated myself to reading An Act of Murder, the first book in the series, and will soon be reading book 2, Passport to Murder.

Giveaway . . . Enter the A Very Merry Murder giveaway by clicking on this link.

About the author . . . 

  Mary Angela is the author of the Professor Prather academic mystery series, which has been called “enjoyable” and “clever” by Publishers Weekly. She is also an educator and has taught English and humanities at South Dakota’s public and private universities for over ten years. When Mary isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Connect with the author . . .

Webpage     Blog     GoodReads      Facebook     Twitter 

Purchase links . . .

Amazon   B&N  Kobo 

Tour participants . . .

October 1 – A Cozy Experience – REVIEW

October 1 – A Holland Reads - SPOTLIGHT
October 2 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW 
October 2 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT 
October 3 – Mallory Heart's Cozies – REVIEW 
October 3 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
October 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW 
October 4 – Babs Book Bistro -SPOTLIGHT 
October 5 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW 
October 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy - CHARACTER GUEST POST 
October 5 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT 
October 6 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW 
October 6 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT 
October 7 – Island Confidential – REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW 
October 8 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW  
October 8 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT 
October 9 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW 
October 9 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT  
October 10 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  
October 11 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW 
October 11 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST 
October 11 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT  
October 12 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 
October 12 – Here's How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT 
October 13 – Varietats – REVIEW 
October 13 – MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW 
October 14 – Melina's Book Blog – REVIEW 
October 14 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of A Very Merry Murder from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 

Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings

It's Friday . . . time to share book excerpts with:

• Book Beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader, where bloggers share the first sentence or more of a current read, as well as initial thoughts about the sentence(s), impressions of the book, or anything else that the opening inspires.  
• The Friday 56 hosted by Freda's Voice, where you grab a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% of an ebook), find one or more interesting sentences (no spoilers), and post them.

Today I'm featuring an upcoming read,  I Know You Know by Gilly Macmillan.  The excerpts shared are from a trade paperback version borrowed from the library.

 

Beginning:  The weather is raw.  Horizontal rain spatters Fletcher's glasses and slaps his cheeks.

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Page 56:   He didn't see it coming.  He remembers acutely the humiliation of loading bags into the boot of the car while she explained across the laden shopping trolley that their marriage was over.

********************

My thoughts:   This author is known for her taut thrillers.  I'm curious to find out how Macmillan connects the excerpts from the present with a story that also features past misdeeds.

********************

From Goodreads:  Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Page and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later, questions still linger.

For his whole life, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don’t want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie’s mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands.

When a long-dead body is found in the same location the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Now Detective John Fletcher, the investigator on the original case, must reopen his dusty files and decide if the two murders are linked. With his career at risk, the clock is ticking and lives are in jeopardy… 

********************

  

This Friday Focus: The Friday 56 & Book Beginnings post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

Thursday Thoughts ~ Books from the Backlog

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Can't Wait Wednesday

  

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tessa at Wishful Endings which spotlights and discusses forthcoming books that bloggers are looking forward to reading. Generally it's about books that haven't been released yet. This meme is based on Waiting on Wednesday, formerly hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

There are so many exciting new books on the horizon, so without further ado, this week's Can't Wait For book is . . . 

 

Release Date:  February 19, 2019

Publisher:  William Morrow

From Goodreads:  The New York Times bestselling author of The House Girl explores the lives of four siblings in this ambitious and absorbing novel in the vein of Commonwealth and The Interestings.

“The greatest works of poetry, what makes each of us a poet, are the stories we tell about ourselves. We create them out of family and blood and friends and love and hate and what we’ve read and watched and witnessed. Longing and regret, illness, broken bones, broken hearts, achievements, money won and lost, palm readings and visions. We tell these stories until we believe them.”

When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.

It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected.  Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love.

A sweeping yet intimate epic about one American family, The Last Romantics is an unforgettable exploration of the ties that bind us together, the responsibilities we embrace and the duties we resent, and how we can lose—and sometimes rescue—the ones we love. A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, it is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories—how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.

My thoughts:  I'm always fascinated by family stories that explore the dynamics between siblings and the bonds they forge.  For these reasons, Conklin's forthcoming novel sounds especially appealing to me.

This Can't Wait Wednesday post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph

It's Tuesday . . . time for . . . 

                                                      

 

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, now hosted by Vicki at I'd Rather Be At The Beach, where bloggers post the first paragraph(s) of a book they are currently reading or planning to read sometime soon.  

Today I'm featuring a book club selection, Loving Eleanor by Susan Wittig Albert.  The excerpt shared is from the hardcover edition I borrowed from the library.  

   

Prologue: Goodbye

Hyde Park, 1962

Hick didn't go to the funeral.

Oh, she was invited, and for that she had Sisty to thank -- Eleanor's granddaughter, the one Hick had known and loved since she was a little girl.  During her grandmother's last illness, it was Sisty who kept in touch.  And who took down Eleanor's last letter because her grandmother couldn't manage the pen: Dearest Hick, I'm still horribly weak, but as soon as I'm able to hold the phone I'll call you.

Chapter One: Hello

I met Mrs. Roosevelt in 1928, the year that Herbert Hoover beat the pants off Al Smith.

 

What do you think?  Would you continue reading?
I like how well the the prologue and first chapter relate to each other.  They frame the parameters of the story, signalling to readers that this will be a (fictional) account of the relationship of historical figures Eleanor Roosevelt and AP reporter Lorena Hickok.

This First Chapter ~ First Paragraph post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution. Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.