The Boxer Boys Are Not Happy 🤣

 

TITLE: Cat's People

AUTHOR: Tanya Guerrero

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

PUBLISHING DATE: April 1, 2025

PAGES: 304   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Annie Núria, a single-by-choice barista with a resentment for the “crazy cat lady” label, is a member of The Meow-Yorkers, a group in Brooklyn who takes care of the neighborhood’s stray cats. On one of her volunteering days, she starts finding Post-It notes from a secret admirer at the spot where her favorite stray lives—a black cat named Cat. Like most cats, he is rather curious and sly, so of course he knows who the notes are from. Núria, however, is clueless. 

Are the notes from Collin, a bestselling author and self-professed hermit with a weakness for good coffee? Are they from Lily, a fresh-out-of-high school Georgia native searching for her long-lost half-sister? Are they from Omar, the beloved neighborhood mailman going through an early mid-life crisis? Or are they from Bong, the grieving widower who owns her favorite bodega? When Cat suddenly falls ill, these five strangers find themselves connected in their desire to care for him and discover that chance encounters can lead to the meaningful connections they've been searching for.

MY THOUGHTS: First of all, my dogs may never forgive me for reading a book featuring a cat.  Especially since some of the chapters are from the cat's POV.  However, I was in a slump, grabbed this from the library on a whim, and proceeded to devour it so they are just going to have to get over it right?  I mean, cats are cool too even if the dogs don't think so.

Cat is a stray living on the streets of Brooklyn.  He has been on his own for many years and sees what damage people can do.  Yet he is still somewhat trusting of a select few who interact with him while conducting their daily routines.  There's Rainbow Lady (Núria) who is a barista who also volunteers to take care and feed stray cats, Cheery Mailman (Omar), Sad Bodega Man (Bong), Pink Unicorn Woman (Lily) and Awkward Neighbor Guy (Collin).  All five of these individuals are living their own lonely lives with their own lonely problems and have no idea that Cat is about to bring them together.

This is the ideal book for someone who loves found families.  Colling is trying to write his next bestseller and is basically a shut-in who doesn't like to associate with people, but he watches Núria feed Cat outside his brownstone each day.  Bong is grieving his wife and struggles to open up his bodega each morning until he finds a new friendship with Omar.  And Lily has moved from Georgia to meet her half-sister who has no idea she even exists. I loved learning about these people and seeing how they finally come together to form a quirky little family all of their own.  And Cat?  Cat never trusted enough to be an indoor cat, but he finally learns that family isn't such a bad thing.  

I can't say enough about Cat as a character.  Guerrero nails Cat's perspective and shows he really is smarter than most people he encounters - typical thought process for a cat, right?  This book hit at the right time for me and since found family is one of my favorite tropes, it's no surprise how much I enjoyed it!

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

Feed Your TBR - Red Rabbit Ghost

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

July 22, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: The town of Blacknot is not what it appears, and a place on its desolate edge known only as The Night House is calling... 

What remains of Jesse’s mother can fit inside an old jerky tin. Photos, postcards, a single, worn-out bracelet. But nothing that can explain why she was found dead eighteen years earlier on the bank of a river, her infant son left wailing by her side. When Jesse starts to receive anonymous messages promising him answers, he returns home to the regressive town of Blacknot, North Carolina so that his lifelong obsession can finally be laid to rest. 
  
But Jesse’s investigation is stirring up trouble with the locals, including his well-armed ex-boyfriend and the mysterious daughter of a local businessman, each with their own inscrutable agendas. They will soon find that this backwater town holds a power more volatile than any of them could have imagined, and that the answers they seek might be better left buried.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: I really need to learn more about The Night House and the town sounds like it might be pretty ominous, so I need to know more.

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK???

Farm News - May 25, 2025

 

It's been about three weeks since my last life update and a lot has happened.  I went to my work retreat.  It was fine and the usual cluster when we get together.  Upper management is historically horrible about making decisions - great at coming up with ideas, poor on follow through.  I survived until the next one in October.  Apollo hated for me to be gone overnight but Zekey enjoyed Daddy time tremendously.

Finally got a deal done with Stupid Uncle on my grandfather's property.  It finalized on Thursday this past week and we celebrated by buying a second car.  We had been looking for a while and didn't want a new car or a new car payment, so we stumbled on a good used vehicle in good shape with one previous owner, an older couple, and pick it up from the dealer on Tuesday.  I will introduce "Pops" and explain his nickname at the next update.  He is a Silver Nissan Rogue Sport and I love him.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump this month.  I've read some good books, just not as much as I wanted to get done.  I'm going to have to kick it in gear in June.  I'm gonna share a few arcs I received the past few weeks but will do a bigger haul soon.  I've also bought several books I want to share but I'm in a time crunch to get this posted this week.

We Are All Guilty Here: Karin Slaughter

How to Fake a Haunting: Christa Carmen

Howl: Lindy Ryan and Stephanie M. Wytovich

The Ghostwriter: Julie Clark 

Hope everyone is having a great weekend and those with a 3-day one, like me, make the most of it.  Thanks for visiting Booker T's Farm!

I Hear a Train A-Coming...

 

TITLE: Whistle

AUTHOR: Linwood Barclay

PUBLISHER: William Morrow

PUBLISHING DATE: May 20, 2025

PAGES: 464   

SOURCE: ARC

FROM GOODREADS: Annie Blunt has had an unimaginably terrible year. First, her husband was killed in a tragic hit-and-run accident, then one of the children’s books she’s built her writing and illustrating career on ignited a major scandal. Desperate for a fresh start, she moves with her son Charlie to a charming small town in upstate New York where they can begin to heal. 

But Annie’s year is about to get worse. 

Bored and lonely in their isolated new surroundings, Charlie is thrilled when he finds a forgotten train set in a locked shed on their property. Annie is glad to see Charlie happy, but there’s something unsettling about his new toy. Strange sounds wake Annie in the night—she could swear she hears a train, but there isn’t an active track for miles—and bizarre things begin happening in the neighborhood. Worse, Annie can’t seem to stop drawing a disturbing new character that has no place in a children’s book. 

Grief can do strange things to the mind, but Annie is beginning to think she’s walked out of one nightmare straight into another, only this one is far more terrifying…

MY THOUGHTS: The main thought running through my head right now is that everyone who loves the horror or thriller genres needs to grab a copy of the book right away - especially fans of old school Stephen King.  I devoured this book in two days and still wanted more.

Annie Blunt, a famous children's author, has had a lot of loss and trauma in her life recently so she decides to take her son Charlie to upstate New York for the summer. Her editor has found the perfect rental home outside a small town in the hopes it will get Annie's creative juices flowing again.  

In a separate and earlier timeline, Lucknow Chief Cook is facing some pretty strange occurrences in his small town.  Several men have gone missing and peculiar events, which are initially written off as accidents, are popping up all over.  On top of that, an odd individual, Edwin Nabler, has just opened a model train store in town called "Choo Choo's."  Is it just coincidence or does Nabler have ulterior motives for settling in Lucknow. Soon the two timelines collide and the ride the reader is taken on by Barclay is one I won't soon forget.  

I loved everything about this book, and it is definitely in the running for one of my favorites of 2025.  The characters are well-written, and the story contains all the intrigue, death and supernatural elements I come to love in a book. Chief Cook really wants to save his town, and Annie wants only to make some positive memories with Charlie for the summer. But both are hearing mysterious train whistles at night and Charlie eventually runs away, in hopes of finding his dead father, and all train tracks seem to lead to Lucknow though, where evil awaits.

The formatting of this book really makes the story work.  Instead of alternating POVs each chapter, Barclay has divided the book up into five parts, alternating each part from either Annie's POV or Chief Cook's POV.  This worked really well for me because it allowed me some pretty big chunks of time in each world, learning more about the characters and how everything might eventually converge. Edwin Nable is one of the creepiest villains I've met in a long time and being inside his mind for any length of time is no real summer vacation. 

I can't say enough good things about this book.  It has a "Needful Things" vibe to it yet is a completely different story altogether.  I can't help but believe Barclay must have had the same feeling because he has several references to some of King's earlier works. I will close by saying I feel any horror-lover needs to pick this one up.

MY RATING: 5 PAWS

I Want a Magical House

 

TITLE: Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)

AUTHOR: Ilona Andrews

PUBLISHER: NYLA

PUBLISHING DATE: May 20, 2014

PAGES: 225   

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina. 

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

MY THOUGHTS: I was thrilled to be asked by Anne of Books of My Heart to participate in the read-along for the Innkeeper Chronicles and share my thoughts. May kicks off the first book and after reading it, I can wait to continue on with a book a month for the next few months.

Dina runs a local inn in a small community.  No one really knows who she is or what she does, and she works hard to keep everything on the down-low which keeping her patrons safe. The book starts out with local dogs turning up dead and Dina trying to find out what is going on.  She ends up enlisting Sean to assist because he knows there is more to Sean than meets the eye.  Sean is new to the neighborhood and is a werewolf, trying to stake out his territory.  Sean finally agrees to help Dina and the action ensues.  

Before we know it, the reader is introduced to an otherworldly creature called the dahaka and his stalkers, and a hot vampire, Arland, who has come to Earth hunting it. Along the way we also meet Dina's permanent guest, Caldenia, who has murdered lots of people and who would be killed immediately if she left Dina's property, an extremely suspicious local cop, and a few other neighbors. 

Up front, this book started out on the wrong foot with me by the whole killing dogs plotline. However, I love the authors and trusted their process and I ended up loving both the journey and the resolution and am glad I gave the book a chance. Dina is a fun character and it was interesting to see a new world being developed from the beginning.  The inn Dina's runs is magical and shapes and shifts to keep her and her guests safe as well as foster its own growth and capabilities.  I also love Dina's Shih Tzu Beast and just know there is more than meets the eye to this little one.

Finally, I can't go without mentioning Sean and Arland and the brewing love triangle which may be forming.  Sean pulls at my heart because I love me strong moody shifter, but Arland is a mysterious hot vampire.  I feel that Dina couldn't go wrong picking either as a suitor but given the ending, have no clue which way the authors are headed.  

I will always recommend Ilona Andrews to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy.  The Kate Daniels series remains one of my top favorites and I am sure the Innkeeper Chronicles won't be far behind!  This could have been a 5/5 read for me if not for the dead dogs in the beginning.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Feed Your TBR

 

Can't Wait Wednesday, which I have adapted to better suit my blog as "Feed Your TBR" is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings to spotlight highly anticipated books.  It is based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme which used to be hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

August 5, 2025

FROM GOODREADS: The Crucible meets The Virgin Suicides in this haunting debut about five sisters in a small village in eighteenth century England whose neighbors are convinced they’re turning into dogs.

Even before the rumors about the Mansfield girls begin, Little Nettlebed is a village steeped in the uncanny, from strange creatures that wash up on the riverbed to portentous ravens gathering on the roofs of people about to die. But when the villagers start to hear barking, and one claims to see the Mansfield sisters transform before his very eyes, the allegations spark fascination and fear like nothing has before.

The truth is that though the inhabitants of Little Nettlebed have never much liked the Mansfield girls—a little odd, think some; a little high on themselves, perhaps—they’ve always had plenty to say about them. As the rotating perspectives of five villagers quickly make clear, now is no exception. Even if local belief in witchcraft is waning, an aversion to difference is as widespread as ever, and these conflicting narratives all point to the same ultimate conclusion: something isn’t right in Little Nettlebed, and the sisters will be the ones to pay for it.

As relevant today as any time before, The Hounding celebrates the wild breaks from convention we’re all sometimes pulled toward, and wonders if, in a world like this one, it isn’t safer to be a dog than an unusual young girl.

WHY I CAN'T WAIT: This sounds like it might be a bit slower than my normal read but I am curious about the dog aspect - go figure, right?

WHAT BOOK CAN'T YOU WAIT FOR THIS WEEK????

So, I Needed a Raven

 

TITLE: Raven Hill

AUTHOR: Jools G. King

PUBLISHER: Self Published

PUBLISHING DATE: October 12, 2023

PAGES: 144   

SOURCE: KU

FROM GOODREADS: A grim horror overlooks the village. A horror more than three hundred years old. 

A witch with a chokehold on the folk that live at the foot of Raven Hill. 

A witch gone rogue, an evil crone with a vengeance that must be satisfied at all costs. Fish are dying. Crops are withering. The birds no longer sing. Everywhere, flocks of malevolent ravens darken the skies. The air is poisoned. 

Nate fears the life is slowly being choked from the village. But he has no idea why. For the villagers, time is fast running out. 

Who is the mysterious but enchanting Abbie who has set up camp close by? Is her travelling folk band here merely to entertain the locals? Or is their purpose far more ominous?

MY THOUGHTS: First, a bit of backstory. One of my Facebook reading groups is holding a 6-week "Year of Birds" challenge.  We are split into two teams and the goal is to locate birds and provide pictures of them.  They can be real, in stores, on books, from everyday household items, you get the drift.  There was a bonus challenge where you could get extra points for your team one week for reading a book with the word "raven" in the title.  So, I went off searching on Kindle Unlimited and found this novella and started it right away.  It was a risk, but luckily one that paid off. 

Nate and Miranda live in the small town of Raven Hill.  They have been together for several years and the relationship has grown stagnate.  Nate is perfectly fine with the status quo, but Miranda wants to get married and start a family.  One night while out at a pub, they watch a traveling folk band perform and Nate is suddenly mesmerized by the lead singer, Abbie. So much for the stagnate relationship.

Weird things are happening in Raven's Hill and one day, while seeking out a man who resides in the community, Nate runs into the band living in a camper in the woods.  Nate is enchanted by Abbie and soon learns that she and her bandmates have come to town to banish an evil witch - one which might be the root of all they deterioration and death for the villagers. Nate, who unknowingly has been marked by this evil witch himself, teams up with the colorful characters but will it be enough and what do they all stand to lose in the process.

I consider myself pretty lucky with this find.  It wasn't spectacular but it was actually pretty good, and I enjoyed the story.  I had a few problems with the book especially the insta-love/insta-lust between Nate and Abbie.  However, the author eventually addresses this, and it does explain a lot. Secondly, I'm not a fan of cheating in books.  I know it happens but avoid it when I can.  I will say the horror elements were pretty interesting though and I loved learning more about the evil witch and her motives.  

This isn't a book I might have given a chance had I just stumbled across it, but it was a nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.  Plus, it never hurts to put that KU subscription to work since I pay for it.   

MY RATING: 3 PAWS

Like I Didn't See THAT Coming

 

TITLE: The Lodge

AUTHOR: Kayla Olson

PUBLISHER: Atria Books

PUBLISHING DATE: January 7, 2025

PAGES: 352   

SOURCE: Library

FROM GOODREADS: Alix Morgan just got her big break as the ghostwriter of a memoir by Sebastian Green, a former member of the boy band True North. And when he offers her a penthouse at a luxurious resort in Vermont, she jumps at the chance to work far away from her noisy, cramped apartment. 

Her career as an entertainment journalist has been building toward this dream job—after all, she used to cover True North and was one of the last people to interview former front man Jett Beckett before he disappeared. As she combs through her client’s voice memos, the specter of the missing lead singer remains, and fans are desperate to know the full story. 

But Alix also has time for some fun at this glamorous resort, where she begins ski lessons with a handsome instructor named Tyler. As Alix and Tyler fall in love on the slopes, Alix’s work takes a complicated turn—and the mystery of True North’s downfall may be hers to solve.

MY THOUGHTS: I picked this book up on a whim as I've had it checked out from my local library for quite some time and realized I should read it or return it.  I ended up flying though it which means I must have needed a break from my normal horrific and heavier reads.  It was fun, it was fast and even if it was predictable, it was enjoyable and I'm glad I read it.

Alix finally has the big break she needs.  After spending several years of an entertainment reporter, she has been hired to be the ghostwriter on a memoir about a member of the band True North, who disbanded years ago.  Sebastian Green was one the main members, along with Jett Beckett.  The two never really got along and one day, Jett just disappeared and was never heard from again.  Sebastian now has a solo career but lives in the shadows of the band and what happened to Jett.  

Sebastian has arranged for Alix to spend a month at a resort in Vermont.  Still reeling from a breakup that happened quite a bit ago, Alix has been all work and no play for too long.  She finally focuses on herself for a bit and starts spending time with Tyler, the local ski instructor.  But will their relationship fall apart before it even gets started once Tyler learns about Alix's project?  And is it possible that Tyler has more secrets than Alix ever imagined?

This book has predictability written all over it, yet I really did enjoy it.  Alix is a likeable character and has a sister and family who drive her crazy which makes for some additional drama and a bit more of an in-depth plot. Sebastian was flighty and annoying but I am sure that it was intentionally and played up to the "bad boy" boy band persona.  I enjoyed many of the side characters and the mountain setting was a plus as well.  Especially now that winter is over and I'm not sick to death of snow and cold temps.

The Lodge is a fun rom-com read.  If you like that genre and some of the typical romance trope, then I don't think you'd be upset by picking this one up.  I also really like the writing style and will be checking more out from Kayla Olson in the future.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Two Bloggers One Series - A Rodent-Filled Meet Cute?

 

TITLE: Lair (Rats #2)

AUTHOR: James Herbert

PUBLISHER: Pan Books

PUBLISHING DATE: January 1, 1979

PAGES: 273   

SOURCE: Own Library

FROM GOODREADS: The mutant white rat had grown and mated, creating offspring in its own image. They dominated the others, the dark-furred ones, who foraged for food and brought it back to The Lair. Now the dark rats were restless, tormented by a craving they could not satisfy. But the white slug-like thing that ruled them knew. Its two heads weaved to and fro and a stickiness drooled from its mouth as it remembered the taste of human flesh.

MY THOUGHTS: I buddy read the first in this series last year so when my friend asked if I was interested in picking up the second one, I jumped at the opportunity. 

It has been several years since the rats invaded London and caused death and mayhem.  This installment takes place in Eppling Forest, a small community which focuses on wildlife preservation.  Luke Pender is called to the area to look into some suspected rat activity, as it is his primary job with RatKill to make sure the dreaded black rats don't return.  Well, guess what?  They have returned and they are bigger and nastier than ever.  Along the way Luke meets Jenny, a tutor at the local conversation center.  Together, they work to get the community to take the new threat seriously before it's too late.

This book is basically a full-on creature feature full of lots of action and very little plot.  The reader encounters some interesting characters along the way, but none have a very pertinent role in Lair other than becoming rat-chewed victims.  I am a bit amazed that Herbert managed to work a love story into so much carnage but hey, it kind of worked.  At least it gives the reader something else to cheer for other than the destruction of the giant rates or the death of some shady men and women.  

This was a fun read and I'm glad I picked it up.  As I mentioned, not a whole lot in the way of plot other than wiping out a giant rat colony but it provided some good entertainment.  I will definitely be picking up the third one.

MY RATING: 4 PAWS

Farm News - May 4, 2025

 

Well, it's been three weeks since my last update and quite a bit has been going on.  And why does that sound like the opening of a confession 😂.  We decided to accept Stupid Uncle's offer on Grandpa's house, and wouldn't you know it, we only had 2 weeks to decide but now he is at work in the middle of the Mississippi River until mid to late May.  Typical Stupid Uncle.  

Mr. Barb ended up at the hospital for three days mid-month.  He ended up with an infection he really had very few symptoms for until bam, he did. By that time, he was already septic, so he had to stay in the hospital and get IV antibiotics.  He never did feel as sick as he was and was the perfect patient.  He had a room by himself and by the second day was working out in his hospital room and hanging out watching movies on my tablet.  I am glad he is better and was really worried.  He's had a few follow up appointments which he is getting tired of but so far, everything is good.  

On top of that, Apollo ended up with some allergy issues and is on ear meds now.  It is clearing up, but he was miserable for a few days.  Poor puppy.  My friend came in from out-of-town last weekend.  We work for the same state unit, and we had an event, so she ended up staying all weekend.  We hung out, watched "Sinners," which was awesome by the way, and I can't wait to see again, as well as "Locked" which was much better than I thought it would be.  I highly recommend both of them.

It's been a good couple of weeks for ARCs and as always, I'm extremely excited and appreciative for all of them.

This Is Not a Ghost Story - Amerie

How to Survive a Horror Story - Mallory Arnold

The House of Quiet - Kiersten White

An Amateur Witch's Guide to Murder - K. Valentin

The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre - Philip Fracassi

Blood in the Water - Tiffany D. Jackson

Breathe In, Bleed Out - Brian McAuley

Showstopper - Lily Anderson

Hope everyone is having a great start to May.  I can't believe we are in May already.  I have a work trip Wednesday and Thursday but hope to schedule some posts before I leave.  Until next time!

Thanks for visiting Booker T's Farm.

May Coming Attractions

 

I am pretty sure April wasn't a great reading month.  In fact, I need to look and see how I did. Ok - I looked.  I read five of the books featured on my Coming Attractions post plus a few others, so I guess I'll consider it a win even though I wanted to do better.  I had a friend come in for a weekend which took up some of my reading time, but we had a blast and saw some really good movies, so it was a great trade off.  I'll talk more about it on the Sunday wrap up.  So, let's look at what you might see in May.  

First up we have some buddy reads and book club picks.  I am participating in a series read along of Ilona Andrews Innkeeper Chronicles.  I am even the featured reviewer for May.  I love the author so I'm hoping this first installment is fine.  Stormi and I continuing on with the last book in the Blackbird Trilogy.  My Darling Dreadful Thing is the Mel Screams book club pick for May and then I'm trying to squeeze The Storm of Paper Starlings in for a Year of Birds challenge.

Next up are a few ARCs I need to make time for.  I plan to at least get Whistle and The Night Birds read for sure.

And finally, we have some carryovers.  It's a good thing Stormi wanted to take a month off on the Dresden Files for May because I didn't get to it last month.  Talk about perfect timing.  I grabbed The Lodge from my local library for some reason, and I was feeling a bit slumpy, so I started it knowing romance books tends to be a palette cleansing quick read for me and it worked.  I have less than 100 pages left.

There you have it.  What do you hope to read this month?  As always, these aren't guaranteed reads but things you might see pop up here in May at Booker T's Farm.