Weekly Reads (10/07/16)

So I decided to change graphics for this weekly feature.  I just can't leave things alone for too long. Hope you guys like it and I'm sure my little beagle will be back eventually.  This week has been pretty uneventful - just the way I like them.  All kinds of well wishes go out to those of you dealing with Hurricane Matthew.  Hope everyone stays safe.

I managed to read some this week but just not enough!  I'll have to see what I can do to remedy that this weekend.  I did decorate the Halloween mantle and will try to add pictures next week.  We only watched one movie, but that's primarily because we have so many TV shows/movies DVR'd that we've been busy catching up on them.  We watched "The Purge: Election Day."  My husband loves this series and while I can usually take them or leave them, I found this third installment the best yet.I really loved some of the characters and it seemed to have more plot than the others.

The pups have to go get shots tomorrow so that will be a fun adventure.  I'm sure all will go well and I really like their vet.  He had cancer a few years ago and we were really worried we would lose him. He had to slow down some but he has always treated the boys great so we're glad he's still working.

So here are the books that are up next on the TBR.  I can't wait to lose myself in the rest of "The Graveyard Apartment" and the other two look great as well!

So what is everyone else doing this weekend?  Are you reading any good books?  And most of all, stay safe!!!!

A Whole New Sherlock Holmes - A Study in Scarlet Women (review)

TITLE: A Study in Scarlet Women (Lady Sherlock #1)
AUTHOR: Sherry Thomas
PUBLISHER: Berkley
PUBLISHING DATE: October 18, 2017

FROM GOODREADS: With her inquisitive mind, Charlotte Holmes has never felt comfortable with the demureness expected of the fairer sex in upper class society.  But even she never thought that she would become a social pariah, an outcast fending for herself on the mean streets of London.

When the city is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. She’ll have help from friends new and old—a kind-hearted widow, a police inspector, and a man who has long loved her. But in the end, it will be up to Charlotte, under the assumed name Sherlock Holmes, to challenge society’s expectations and match wits against an unseen mastermind.

MY THOUGHTS: 
This book was an extremely enjoyable read and a lot of fun. Charlotte Holmes is an independent, intelligent and resourceful individual who unfortunately is living in a time period where women really aren't supposed to be any of that. She comes from a family of four girls, and since she has no desire to marry and become a prim and proper lady of society, her sisters and parents constantly worry about what will become of her. At the age of 18, Charlotte makes a deal with her father that if she hasn't met a respectable man and fallen in love by the age of 25, he will pay for her to get an education so she can become a head mistress. Her father agrees, yet he doesn't fall through, which doesn't really surprise Charlotte or her sister and best friend, Livia. Charlotte is angered and devises a plan to blackmail him into paying, but the plan doesn't work well and she ends up being the ridicule of the town. So instead of being banished to the cottage in the country where she can no longer embarrass her family, she leaves home to make her own way. Charlotte has always had a knack for being able to "read" people, deduce facts and solve problems, so by using these talents, she slowly morphs into "Sherlock" Holmes and starts the path to supporting herself and becoming a famous figure along the way.

It was such a great idea for Thomas to portray Holmes as a female who because of stereotypes and the time period, has to create an alter-ego in order to do what she does best and make a living for herself on her own. Charlotte is a great character and although I questioned a few of her choices along the way, she has such a pizzazz that I almost immediately liked her. Charlotte really doesn't care what people think of her and all she wants to do is be able to take care of herself and her two younger sisters, once who is mentally ill, and one who has yet to find a proper suitor, without the help of family. Along the way, Charlotte meets Mrs. Watson and as they say "the rest is history."

There are a lot of great characters in the book and at the heart of it is a rather convoluted mystery. The book really kept me guessing to the end and I have to confess, "A Study in Scarlet Women" is chocked full of people who aren't quite what they seem to be. The only real complaint I have with the book is the massive amount of characters that are introduced before the story and mystery begin to form which made it hard for me to quickly catch on. However, I feel some of this can be credited to the novel being the first in the series and the fact that Thomas has to create a lot of backstory and history in order for everything to come together for the reader.

I am finding that I am quickly developing a love for historical mysteries. I've read several great ones this year and "A Study in Scarlet Women" is definitely one of them. I know there will probably be quite a long wait until the next installment is released, but I am already to find out what happens next for "Sherlock" and Mrs. Watson.

I received this novel from the Penguin First to Read program in exchange for an honest review.

RATING: 4 PAWS

BOOKER T's THOUGHTS: Lady Sherlock needs a dog!

Waiting on Wednesday (76) - Booker T and Cassius Confiscate the Computer!

"Waiting on" Wednesday" is weekly meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming anticipated releases. 

HI GUYS!  Mom's been so busy we were FINALLY able to grab the computer from her and schedule this post before she found out.  It's been a while since we got to show you what books WE are waiting for Mom to add to her shelves (or at least ones we think she should add).  We've really missed you guys so here we go!

October 20, 2016

DESCRIPTION:

Bertie is alone, devastated after his beloved sister and fellow beagle Molly is adopted, leaving him behind. When Bertie is taken in by the Green family, it seems he's finally found a place to call home...
Yet Bertie swiftly realises that the kind and loving Green family is in crisis. After a tragedy two years ago, they've never recovered - and as Christmas approaches, grief is pulling them apart.
Never has a four-legged friend been more in need - and brave, warm-hearted Bertie must rise to the challenge. Can he find Molly and bring the Green family back together again... all in time for Christmas?

WHY BOOKER T IS WAITING:  Mom has promised me that come December, she will take a break from some of her spooky, horror reads and try to adopt a little Christmas cheer.  I know she has a few titles lined up featuring us pups and I think this would be a great addition for her.  Plus, I love Christmas and can't wait to see what magic Bertie can work on her new family.

August 2017

DESCRIPTION: The start of a hilarious new cozy mystery series features a woman who is a talent agent for show biz animalsand discovers that she has a talent herself: solving crimes. Kay Powell wants to find that break-out client who will become a star. And she thinks she’s found him: His name is Bruno, and he has to be walked three times a day. Bruno’s humans, Trent and Louise, butt in a lot and Les McMaster, the famous director now mounting a revival of Annie, might not hire Bruno just because he can’t stand Trent in particular. That becomes less of an issue when Trent is discovered face down in Bruno’s water dish. With a kitchen knife in his back. Laugh-out-loud funny, this series debut is a delight. 

 

WHY CASSIUS IS WAITING:  This sounds like a fun mystery and I like finding things and I REALLY like dog dishes so to me, this is a no-brainer.  Plus, let it go on record that this time around I did not let Booker T influence my choice at all!  

 

So are you guys waiting on anything fun this week??? 

 

TTT - All About Villains!

This top 10 weekly meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and can be found HERE.  Each week they focus on lists which cover various topics related to books and reading. This week I am sharing with you my favorite villains - people I love to hate and hate to love.

Pam from The Sookie Stackhouse series - While I always loved her in the books, it wasn't until I watched the series that I saw what a truly likable villain she is!

Algaliarept "Al" from Kin Harrison's The Hollow Series - he is such a bad demon but I love him anyways.

Lizzie Borden - I love Lizzie no matter what book or TV show she is in.

I love all the evil vampires from The Suicide Motor Club.  If you haven't read it yet and you like your vampires ruthless and unlikable, then grab a copy NOW!

I guess technically he is a villain, but I LOVE The Headless Horseman and always will.

Professor Snape...enough said.

It's really no secret that I don't like Peter Pan much, but I love Captain Hook!

I don't know if he is technically a villain, and he sends chills down my spine, but you gotta love Pennywise!

My favorite DC character - Harley Quinn

I adore Jean Lafitte, the bad boy pirate in Johnson's The Sentinel series.

So tell me, who do you love to hate?

October TBR(P) - I Think We've Been Here Before

Ok, so it's no secret I didn't read ALL the books last month, surprise surprise.  However I read a lot of good books so I guess it was a compromise.  And really, don't we all want to read ALL the books, ALL the time?  Also, just this week I posted the 10 books I wanted to read for my Halloween TBR so instead of putting you through all that again, I'm just going to leave a link.

HALLOWEEN TBR

However, there are a few more title I would LOVE to squeeze in so here they are!

So what do you plan to read this  month?  Are you having a "Must Read All The Horror Books" feeling as well???

September 2016 Wrap Up

So I read fewer books this month but I'm still pretty impressed with them, especially since several were rather long.  It also was a pretty good reading month rating wise so all in all, nothing to complain about.  I also started 2 more this past week so they will likely get finished the first few days of October.  So on to the challenge update!

GOODREADS: 90/100
WHAT AN ANIMAL IX: 21/12 (finished in July)
CLOAK & DAGGER CHALLENGE: 23/20 (finished in August)
HORROR READING CHALLENGE: 20/16 (finished in August)
NEW RELEASE CHALLENGE: 62/30 (finished in June)
R.I.P. XI: I finished Peril the First and read 4/4 books which qualified.  I also finished Peril on the Screen and watched The Conjuring 2 and stared The Exorcist and American Horror series on TV. I've also watched The Neighbor which is a thriller.

As I mentioned, it was a month full of pretty good reads as well.  I had 2 3-paw reads, 4 4-paw reads, and 2 5-paw reads.

So how was your reading this past month and is everybody ready for October???

Stacking the Shelves (83)

Stacking the Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves or TBR piles, may it be physical or virtual.  This means you can include books you buy in a physical store, online, books you borrow from the library or friends, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks! The original meme was started over at Tynga's Reviews.  Clicking on the book (or title) should take you to the Goodreads page.

I only requested a few ARCs this week but am really excited about the ones I received.  

I was thrilled to get Timekeeper and Deadlight Jack, although I will have to read the first one before this one releases in January.  Tor sent me the new Seanan McQuire book Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day (and can I add I will NEVER keep that title straight).  Finally, I featured Dracula vs. Hitler a few weeks ago on a W.O.W. so I couldn't resist requested it when I saw it came available.

I also snagged a few titles for my Kindle:

On Deadly Ground, Hell's Chapel and Hollow's Blood were free when I grabbed them and then I had to get The Faceless One because Deadlight Jack is #2 in the series.

So have you guys read any of these and what did you add to your shelves this week???