Once again I did a lot of reading but almost no reviewing for the month. I finished April with a total of eight books read. Now that the husband is travelling less for work the reading will probably slow back down to my regular pace. Here's what I read for April:
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs - Book 8 in the Mercy Thompson series. The pack is threatened when Adam's ex-wife brings an unnatural stalker to their doorstep. This is another great addition to the series, although a bit smaller in scope than some of the other novels.
Men and Dogs by Katie Crouch - I enjoyed the majority of this story about Hannah, whose father disappeared when she was young and whose adult life is a mess, but I was disappointed with the ending.
Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts - an Oprah Book Club Selection. I have no idea where I picked up this story of Novalee Nation and I wasn't sure about it when I grabbed it off the bookshelf but I was sucked into the story and the characters. I had a hard time putting the book down to do the things I needed to be doing.
The Hollows Insider by Kim Harrison - This is not a Rachel Morgan novel but fits into the series at book 9.5. I love the way Kim Harrison used a story device to present the complete world of The Hollows from character bios to spells to how magic works to interspecies relations. This is a must read for all Rachel Morgan fans.
Emeralds Included by Betsy Woodman (available for pre-order, release date July 8, 2014) - The third book in the Jana Bibi series. I greatly enjoyed the first two Jana Bibi novels and the third did not disappoint. I loved learning more about Jana's family and seeing her push through a more personal difficulty. It was also fun to learn more about the supporting characters in the novels.
Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman - The first in the Yarn Retreat series. Cozy mysteries are exactly my speed and when they include crafting or cooking even better. The Yarn Retreat series includes both as Casey Feldstein is a dessert chef who takes over her aunt's yarn business after her sudden death. This was a fun novel that left me wanting to bake and learn to knit.
Twisted Sisters by Jen Lancaster - I wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I never liked the main character, although I don't think I was supposed to. While Reagan did have some realizations about her life by the end of the novel, it somehow felt like too little, too late to undo the damage she had caused within her own relationships.
The Ups and Downs of Being Dead by M. R. Cornelius - I won this book from Girl Who Reads but wasn't entirely convinced I would enjoy it. Boy, was I wrong! I was completely sucked into the story and the characters were all incredibly interesting. Just as Robert Malone is given much to think about while he waits for technology to bring him back from the dead, this book offered a lot for me to contemplate about relationships and personal choices.
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Southern Fried Sushi by Jennifer Rogers Spinola - Shiloh Jacobs must navigate a change in circumstances from her dream job in Japan to unemployment in rural Virginia. Can she come to terms with her past and move into a new future with the help of some new friends? I was not aware when I started reading this book that it was Christian fiction. I enjoyed the first several chapters of the story until it started to feel like I was being beaten over the head with a Bible.
The Undead Pool by Kim Harrison - The twelfth book in The Hollows series is a must read for Rachel Morgan fans. Although the main threat to the characters is interesting, it is the relationship between Rachel and Trent that held my attention in this one. Harrison finally seems to answer the will they or won't they question and it only remains to see what the fallout will be.
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - I adore the magical realism in Sarah Addison Allen's books and The Sugar Queen is no exception. The characters are all searching for something and have unique talents and quirks which bring them together. Josey, Della Lee, and Chloe give the reader hope that lives can change and lost dreams can be recovered.
Dear Money by Martha McPhee - India Palmer is a novelist turned bonds trader in this story of rags to riches in New York City before the fall of the real estate market. While the book had moments that captured my attention, I found the majority of it to be boring and I'm not sure why I bothered reading to the end.
Cold Days by Jim Butcher - The fourteenth book of The Dresden Files follows Harry Dresden as he attempts to navigate his new role as Winter Knight. Harry has never been one for politics and he can sometimes be a bit slow on putting the clues together but his daring attitude makes for some fine adventures.
Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - Kate has been sleepwalking through her life for the year after her husband's death. When her daughter finds an old postcard reminding her of happier times, they decide to go on an adventure to Lost Lake to reconnect with Kate's aunt Eby. One after another people show up to Lost Lake to find something even if they don't realize what they are looking for. Again Sarah Addison Allen creates a world with magical realism but I found the characters in this novel a bit less developed than in previous books. The story and characters were engaging but I wish it had gone a bit deeper.
