It's Monday, What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Kathryn at the Book Date.  She describes it as a place to meet up and share what you have been reading, are currently reading, and are about to be reading over the week. She also mentions that this is a meme that often causes our already overflowing TBR lists to grow even longer.  So true...

Spring is crazy for us here in the Agnella household.  One child has soccer, karate, and track and the other has art, karate, and basketball.  I feel during this season, that I live in the car. However, one advantage to this is that I get some extra reading time in while I wait for them to finish their activities.  

I try to always have one book in print and one audiobook with me at all times.  This way, I am never without a way to enjoy reading while I am out and about. :)

Last week I read

    

This week I am reading

    

Next up, I plan to begin

     
What are you reading?

Waiting on Wednesday: March 2, 2016

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. I actually have several books that I'm waiting for, most of which come out this spring and I already posted about Lady Midnight, which is probably the one I am looking forward to the most. That being said, another favorite is the Mary Russell series by Laurie R. King. The first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, is in my top favorites of all time list. So, for this week's post, I'm going with the next book in this series which comes out next month. :)

The Murder of Mary Russell
By Laurie R. King
Publication Date: April 5, 2016

From Amazon:

Mary Russell is used to dark secrets—her own, and those of her famous partner and husband, Sherlock Holmes. Trust is a thing slowly given, but over the course of a decade together, the two have forged an indissoluble bond.

And what of the other person to whom Mary Russell has opened her heart: the couple’s longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson? Russell’s faith and affection are suddenly shattered when a man arrives on the doorstep claiming to be Mrs. Hudson’s son.

What Samuel Hudson tells Russell cannot possibly be true, yet she believes him—as surely as she believes the threat of the gun in his hand. In a devastating instant, everything changes. And when the scene is discovered—a pool of blood on the floor, the smell of gunpowder in the air—the most shocking revelation of all is that the grim clues point directly to Clara Hudson.

Or rather to Clarissa, the woman she was before Baker Street.

The key to Russell’s sacrifice lies in Mrs. Hudson’s past. To uncover the truth, a frantic Sherlock Holmes must put aside his anguish and push deep into his housekeeper’s secrets—to a time before her disguise was assumed, before her crimes were buried away.

There is death here, and murder, and trust betrayed.

And nothing will ever be the same.

What are you waiting for?                                                                                         

Review: What Was Mine

This book is one of our Shereads.org books of winter, given to me generously in exchange for an honest review.  Each time the seasonal book picks are shared, we select the books we would like to read and review for the site.  It is almost always a tough choice because I want to read all of them.  I chose What Was Mine by Helen Klein Ross because the synopsis was intriguing.  We hear the heart-wrenching stories of missing or kidnapped children on the news way too often but the news often gives us only a one-sided view of the story. Although I knew this would be an emotional read, I also thought it would be interesting to see how the author gave voices to all those involved, from when the event initially occurred until the conclusion over twenty years later.

Within the first few pages, as the baby is being taken, I found myself on the edge of my seat, full of apprehension as the event unfolded on the pages in front of me.  I was completely able, as a mom myself, to put myself in the position of the slightly frazzled mother, Marilyn, who just stepped away from her baby for a brief moment, but also to empathize with Lucy, a woman who desperately wanted to be a mother but couldn't, who sees this baby alone in a shopping cart in the middle of IKEA and makes an reckless, irrational decision that affects the lives of everyone involved, forever.  

What did I like about the story? Quite a lot actually. In fact, I loved it! It was fast-paced, keeping me deeply absorbed throughout, it was realistically portrayed, completely believable, and I could feel the emotions of the characters to the point of tears on several occasions. The alternating points of view really worked for this book and although Lucy, Mia, and Marilyn were the main three perspectives, other characters with opinions on the event were also represented, even if it was only for a short, two page chapter.  I felt that, although these smaller snippets were only minor characters, their insights gave me a more well-rounded experience of the reactions and emotions of everyone touched by what happened.

I did a lot of thinking during this story.  If any of us were in the situation, what would we do? What decisions would we make compared to the decisions of the characters presented to us? I thought a lot about the themes of love, loss, family, and especially about forgiveness and whether punishment is always the right path. So many factors came into play as we approached the end of the book and not everyone ends up having the same opinions about resolution.  We are left with a few questions and a lot to think about. 

Overall, I felt that the book wrapped up nicely and ended in the perfect spot, where I, as a reader, was left satisfied, and having another favorite author that I will be following.  This was an emotional story but also one that, in my opinion, you should immediately put on your TBR list for 2016. It is definitely a story that you don't want to miss.
                                                                                                                                            

Series Review: Finishing School Series

A couple of years ago, I first read Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate Series and fell in love with it. There was something about the author's style, mixed with the old-world steampunk setting, and engaging characters that pulled me right in. I read the whole series in less than two weeks and then went through a short withdrawal, unable to find a new book that satisfied for a while.

With Carriger's Finishing School Series, I found that same joy as soon as I began the first book, Etiquiette and Espionage. This time, I purchased the Audible version and was delighted with the narrator. Having the story told with the British accent was an added bonus, a perfect accompaniment to the story.

The books follow the main character, Sephronia, and her friends as they begin finishing school. However, this isn't your ordinary finishing school. These girls are not only learning manners, fashion, and etiquette, but also poisons, weaponry, and diversion, all while attending the most popular balls and shopping for the latest fashion accessories. The girls bond while attending school in the flying dirigible and deal with all of the normal teenage dramas with a good deal of espionage added in.

I'm being honest when I say that I couldn't wait to drive to work in the morning and take the dog for a walk in the afternoon. I listened every chance I got and enjoyed every minute. I found myself wanting to talk with a British accent and wishing I could have my own small mechanical sausage dog. I couldn't have asked for more. Such fun to read, with much action while still keeping a light-hearted feel to the stories. I highly recommend the Finishing School Series for both young adults and adults if you are a fan of the steampunk genre. If you are looking for something more edgy but just as engaging, try the Parasol Protectorate books. I will definitely be reading everything I can get my hands on from Gail Carriger!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

#Sixtybooks: January Check-in

Hello #Sixtybooks readers!

We are almost at the end of our first month together and we are truly ecstatic about all of the people who have joined the #Sixtybooks in 2016 challenge. Over 270 people have already pledged to participate in this movement to make reading a regular part of our daily lives! Readers are posting on Twitter at #Sixtybooks, we are up to almost fifty members in our #Sixtybooks group on Goodreads, and thirty-six members in #Sixtybooks on Facebook. Thank you for spreading the word and please continue to share!

Melissa and I are hoping to post regularly to all sites about the books we are reading. Since it is still fairly early in the challenge, we thought a good starting place would be to share a couple of books from our TBR lists that we are really looking forward to reading this year. I know my TBR is entirely out of control but there are a few books that will move right to the top as soon as I get my hands on them. 

Here are our “can’t wait to read” titles:

Laura’s Books

Melissa’s Books



Leave a comment to let us know what books you are looking forward to this year.

Happy reading! 

Laura (@lagnella) and Melissa (@mmorriswrite)

#Sixtybooks Bling

Looking for some bling to show that you are a part of the #Sixtybooks movement?  We've got some options for you...

Add the badge below to your profile picture on Twitter or Facebook by going to picbadges.com/t/EXocKt8Z

Have a blog and want to show that you are participating?  Grab our #Sixtybooks button code below!

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#Sixtybooks in 2016 Reading Challenge

The #Sixtybooks Challenge is hosted by Laura@thebookjunkie (that’s me!) and Melissa@www.melissamorrisinoa.com.  We have also created a blog dedicated to the sixty books movement at www.sixtybooks.com. The goal is simple:

Read #Sixtybooks in 2016 and share your reading to motivate and inspire other people to make reading part of their daily routine.

Join us by clicking here! Then, decide how you will keep track of your books. You can log you reading however you like. Some options include: Joining Goodreads to track books, keeping a paper log, using a Google Map or your own Google Form, or whatever method you choose.

There will be updates and activities each month. To stay connected, you can:

1. Follow Laura’s blog
2. Follow Melissa’s blog
3. Join our #Sixtybooks group on Goodreads
4. Use #Sixtybooks on Twitter
5. Follow us on Twitter @lagnella and/or @mmorriswrite

We love comments!  Let us know you joined below and about any books you are excited about reading this year.  I already have quite a few books in my TBR pile ready to go.  

#Sixtybooks in 2016, here we come!