Month In Review

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAHere we are a new month and so many books to look forward to but before I talk about that, let me go over what February was like.

I’m happy to look back on my books read and see that I’ve kept up my reading pace and read six books: A Barricade in Hell by Jaime Lee Moyer, The Last Policeman by Ben Winters, A Scream in Soho by John G. Brandon, Midnight in Mexico by Alfredo Corchado, Doll God by Luanne Castle, Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm and A Game for Swallows by Zeina Abirached.

What I’m most excited about is that I had a good mix of poetry, fiction, mystery, non-fiction and even a graphic novel. One book was a translation and two books count toward my reading challenges. Woot! Hopefully I’ll get around to all reviews soon.

This weekend I cleared off one of my craft tables and set out some paper to prepare for some bookbinding. Oh and a big event that happened this week is that I reached 400 sales in my Etsy shop!

So between that, dinner with friends, errands and a quick trip to the library (more on that soon) the weekend is quickly coming to a close. I hope you have a great reading month ahead. Tell me what books you are looking forward to?

...Read More

Tag, You’re It

mustache-questionsI saw this fun meme over at Literary Feline’s blog and it’s been so long since I’ve done one of these that I couldn’t resist.

Here are my answers to the “I Mustache You a Question” meme.

Four names people call me other than my real name (could only come up with three):
1. Bookgirl
2. ili
3. Chica

Four Jobs I’ve Had:
1. Executive Assistant
2. Marketing Coordinator
3. Public Relations Account Coordinator
4. Human Resources Generalist (current and most experience)

Four Movies I Have Watched More Than Once:
1. Bridget Jones’s Diary
2. Little Miss Sunshine
3. Love Actually
4. Garden State

 Four Books I’d Recommend (I looked on my “keeper” shelf for this one):
1. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier
2. Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
3. The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig
4. The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Four Places I’ve Been (Other than Germany & Mexico):
1. Iceland
2. Belgium
3. Denmark
4. Austria

Four Places I’d Rather Be:
1. At a crafty retreat
2. Hanging out at a bookstore
3. On the beach in Isla de Mujeres, Mexico
4. At a spa in the Harz, Germany

Four Things I Don’t Eat:
1. Grapefruit
2. Hot Dogs
3. Kale
4. Steak

Four of my Favorite Foods (I love carbs!):
1. Breakfast tacos
2. Spinach and cheese omelette
3. Rice
4. Baked goods

Four TV Shows That I Watch:
1. Bosch
2. Grimm
3. Gotham
4. La Sombra del Pasado (telenovela I watch with my mom)

Four Things I’m Looking Forward to This Year (2015):
1. Going on vacation
2. Planting more succulents in our garden
3. Trying our Vitamix (we just got it today!)
4. Coloring my hair (maybe). Too many grays now and I may finally take the plunge.

Four Things I’m Always Saying:
1. “What are you thinking about?”
2. “I heard on NPR”
3. “I’m overwhelmed”
4. “Another book for my TBR list”

Four People I Tag: I’m not tagging anyone but I hope you’ll do this.

I don’t know what you guys are up to this weekend but I have gotten the dreaded “Holds Available” email from the library which means I have four books to pick up. Yikes. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I plan to do a bit of reading!

...Read More

Barricade In Hell

barricade-hell“Moonlight filled our bedroom with windblown tree shadows and uncertain light that gathered in pools on the carpet. Gabe still slept peacefully next to me, one hand splayed on his chest and unaware anything was amiss. I envied him that. Nocturnal visitors seldom summoned my husband from dreams. A ghost, a tiny girl of no more than four or five, stood in one puddle of light.”

Barricade in Hell
By Jaime Lee Moyer

In the follow up to Delia’s Shadow, a couple of years have passed by and Delia continues to use her special gift of seeing ghosts to help her husband Police Captain Gabe Ryan solve crimes. The couple has faced some difficult personal situations but overall has settled into a tranquil life.

Unfortunately that peace is threatened by the appearance of a new ghost. While it may be the ghost of a small child, it is proving to be very difficult to make disappear and the little girl is attached to Gabe. Delia fears for Gabe and brings in her friend Dora, who is a medium, to help her understand what this spirit wants and get rid of it.

Meanwhile Gabe is facing another difficult case this one involving the murder of the commissioner’s son-in-law. Gabe’s leads take him to a charismatic evangelist who preaches peace but it is clear there is something evil that is taking hold of the people who follow this evangelist.

This is an enjoyable mystery series with a paranormal twist. I found the first in the series to be a bit bogged down by the introduction of so many characters, the special circumstances and by the romance aspect but I feel like the author is now comfortable in that she’s established the premise and can move into a more substantial mystery.

I think the writer did a great job especially in the first part of the book with setting the scene and really going for a creepy, spooky atmosphere. Which you would expect when dealing with ghosts, right? I’m looking forward to the next Delia and Gabe adventure.

Source: Advance review copy

...Read More