The Sunday Salon #12

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

This past week has been crazy! Work has been busy as all get out, and then I had errands to run almost every day of the week. On top of packing and getting all set up for camping this weekend. I’ve been so busy and not having time to relax that once I sit down for dinner I am completely WIPED OUT! My husband and I have been going to bed early because my body needed rest.

Currently:

Just Finished:


If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year)


Books Acquired In September 2025
Library Stats and Savings For September
Blog Goal
Monthly Wrap Up

Review: Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass #thrillerbookloversthepulse @Seraphinanovaglass @thrillerbookloversthepulse @htp_hive @htpbooks @parkrowbooks

Title: Too Close To Home
Author: Seraphina Nova Glass
Format: eBook
Length: 304
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: April 14, 2026

Review: I enjoyed this book! The short, fast paced chapters made it a book that I could fly through. I even stayed up way past my bedtime because I could not put this book down. At some points in the story you had to stretch your imagination a little bit, but overall a great read from Seraphina Nova Glass.

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse, the author, HTP Books and Park Row for allowing me to read this ARC through Netgalley.

I was sent a complimentary ebook through Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse.

WWW Wednesday – September 24, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?


I am currently reading an eBook library loan, Whispers Of The Lake. I’ve been crazy busy this week so I did not get a ton of eyeball reading in. So far I am intrigued with this story. I am hoping to make some good progress on it this weekend.

I had an audiobook of Night Will Find You on Netgalley since 2023 and just never got around to it. I should be done with this one by Friday. It’s a good story and I will probably rate it pretty high.

I received a physical ARC of The Picasso Heist by James Patterson, for being apart of his Street Team. It publishes early next month so I put it on my September TBR. I am hoping to also make a dent in this one come the weekend.

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

The Sunday Salon #11

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

This week of work was alright, but I am completely wiped out! I didn’t do much after I walked in the door… except for spending time with my dog. I’ve been taking him on an late afternoon walk and we’ve both been happy about it! My husband was away for work the last three days, so I did a whole bunch of nothing, except for reading lol.

Yep, a pretty boring week.

Currently:

I am currently reading The Wife Deserved It and Whispers Of The Lake on my Kindle.

I DNFed my last audiobook. It was not holding my interest and the pacing was so damn slow that I just could not force myself past 30%. I had Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin, a Netgalley backlog audiobook. I am actually enjoying the hell out of this one and can’t believe I waited so long to get to this one!

Just Finished:


If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads and refuse to go back.

I am currently in the middle of Season 3.


October TBR Plans
WWW Wednesday
Review: Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass
Camping Weekend
Saturday Series
The Sunday Salon #12

Review: The Chateau by Avery Bishop @averybishopbooks @audible #thrillerbookloversthepulse #audible

Title: The Chateau
Author: Avery Bishop
Narrator: Christine Lakin
Format: Audiobook
Length: 7 hours 32 minutes
Rating: 3.5 stars
Publication Date: August 21, 2025

Challenges: Audiobook, COYER

Review: I was really into this story for most of the book, but once the reveal showed itself it started to lose me.  By the end I was just wanting the book to be over. I’m fine with an unreliable narrator but the last two hours of this audiobook was a struggle to get through. I gave it a little more than an average rating because I like how the story started off with the police interviewing guests at the resort and you’re trying to figure out what happened and what’s going on.
I did enjoy the narrator, Christine Lakin. She did a great job!

I was sent a complimentary audiobook through Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse.

WWW Wednesday – September 17, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

I am really trying to focus on keeping up with my ARCs before publication day this month.

I signed up to receive Darby Kane’s newest Novella (that is coming out next month) titled The Wife Deserved It, thanks to Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse. It’s only 115 pages should I should be through it rather quickly.

I had an audiobook of Party of Liars on Netgalley, but the Netgalley Shelf app is AWFUL and somehow Netgalley Admins are saying I did not download the audio before it archived. Bullocks because I always download my Netgalley books and audiobooks the minute I am approved because I am paranoid I would lose access to an ARC/ALC. ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!! I ended up borrowing it through Libby so I can review it on Netgalley when I am finished.

I received a physical ARC of The Picasso Heist by James Patterson, for being apart of his Street Team. It publishes early next month so I put it on my September TBR.

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

Review: The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards @markedwardsauthor @this_is_edelweiss #publicationday #edelweiss

Title: The Wasp Trap
Author: Mark Edwards
Format: eBook
Length: 336 pages
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: September 16, 2025

Challenges: COYER, Netgalley/Edelweiss

Synopsis: A dinner party in a beautiful Notting Hill townhouse turns into a sinister game, as six old friends are forced to spill their darkest secrets…or else.

Six friends reunite in London to celebrate the life of their recently deceased ex-employer, a professor that brought them together in 1999 to help build a dating website based on psychological testing.

 But what is meant to be a night of bittersweet nostalgia soon becomes a twisted and deadly game when the old friends find themselves held at gunpoint. They are given an ultimatum: reveal their darkest secrets to the group or pick each other off one-by-one.

 It soon becomes clear that their current predicament is related to their shared past. The love questionnaire they helped develop in 1999 for the dating site was also turned into a tool for weeding out psychopaths: The Wasp Trap. This and the other tragic events of that summer long ago may help reveal the truth behind a killer hiding in plain sight.

Review: I thought the beginning of this story started off slow, but it was really laying down groundwork for later in the plot. The story goes between the present and the summer of 1999, where the group of friends met to work for a start up company for a website to find love on the internet. Of course the twists were twisting, and I did not see the ending coming (I feel like I should of, but I was looking the other way lol). Overall, I would recommend this book to all my friends who enjoy locked room thrillers.

I received a complimentary e-copy. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read this ARC through Edelweiss.

The Sunday Salon #10

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

This past week was my first full week of work, and it completely wiped me out! I didn’t do much after I walked in the door… except for spending time with my dog. I’ve been taking him on an late afternoon walk and we’ve both been happy about it!

Currently:

I am currently reading Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass, an ARC I received. I am enjoying it and I am about halfway through. Looks real promising for a great star rating.

I am listening to The Chateau by Avery Bishop, a free audiobook compliments of Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse.

Just Finished:


If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.


Mailbox Monday
Review: The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards
WWW Wednesday
Review: The Chateau by Avery Bishop
First Line Friday
Saturday Series: The Murderbot Diaries
The Sunday Salon #11

The Curse Bearer Series by Veronica Roth @veronicaroth @macmillan.audio #veronicaroth #macmillanaudio

Last year I went out of my comfort zone and chose a book with an interesting cover that is not in my usual genre for a Macmillan Audio Influencer pick. I ended up liking the story (I think it needed to be a little longer, to really get in depth with the characters).

Now I chose the second book in the series as last month’s Macmillan Audio pick. I plan to listen to it before the end of the month!

Synopsis for When Among Crows:
When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear.

We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly mission: find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill.

Pain is Ala’s inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

Together they must fight against time and the wrath of the Chicago underworld. But Dymitr’s secrets—and his true motives—may be the thing that actually destroys them.

Synopsis for To Clutch A Razor:
A funeral. A heist. A mission born of desperation. 

When someone in Dymitr’s family dies, he’s called back home for the Empty Night, a funeral rite intended to keep evil at bay. 

The secret Dymitr is keeping from them makes returning home downright dangerous, but if he wants to get his hands on a book of curses that might appease Baba Jaga’s blood lust, he has no choice. And when that same funeral brings ferocious creature-of-legend Niko to town for his own bloody purposes, Dymitr’s charade becomes impossible to maintain. 

Family gatherings can be brutal. Dymitr’s might just be fatal.

I received both of these audiobooks through Macmillan Audio Influencer Program.

Review: The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve

Title: The Memory Collectors
Author: Dete Meserve
Format: audiobook
Length: 8 hours 51 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: May 20,2025

Challenges: COYER, Library Love

Review: I can absolutely get behind a sci-fi time traveling story! I love different takes on time traveling and the current time line we are all living in. I enjoyed how you could slowly see how the characters stories intertwined as they were navigating their past.

This audiobook has multiple narrators, which was absolutely stellar! It really helped separate which character was which while listening to the story. All of them did a fabulous job! Every single narrator of this story REALLY made me get into this book. They felt like they were real people and not characters within a book.

This book is written by a Jewish author.


I borrowed this book through Libby.

WWW Wednesday – September 10, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

I am really trying to focus on keeping up with my ARCs before publication day this month, so all my library books are on the back burner (boooooo!)

I received an ARC for Too Close To Home by Seraphina Nova Glass, her newest novel that comes out Spring of next year. I promised to review it here on my blog & Instagram before the end of the month, and with keeping to keep up with my ARCs this one is next on the list to get to.

I also have an ALC from Macmillan Audio of the second book in the Curse Bearer series, To Clutch A Razor by Veronica Roth. It’s a short audiobook so I am hoping to power through it this week. (And lets hope I remember what happened in the first book haha!)

I have not had a lot of time to sit with my physical library book of All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. I am enjoying the book so far, it’s just being pushed so I can keep up with ARCs. I know I will finish it before the end of the month, it’s just gonna be a slow go with it.

Q: How is your September reading journey going so far?

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

Publication Day: The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson @ragnarjo @macmillan.audio #macmillanaudio #macaudio2025 #netgalley

Title: The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer
Author: Ragnar Jónasson
Narrator:  Cicely Whitehead, Jane Slavin, Rufus Wright 
Format: eBook / Audiobook
Length: 283 pages / 5 hours 54 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: September 9, 2025

Challenges: Audiobook, COYER, HRCYED 2.0, NetGalley

Review: We get to meet up with Helgi Reykdal again, as he solves the case of a missing crime writer named Elín S. Jónsdóttir. As Helgi interviews the people closest to her (a publisher, an accountant, a retired judge) he realizes that Elín’s life wasn’t what it seemed. In fact, her past is even stranger than the fiction she wrote. I was totally invested in this story and could not believe the ending!

If you’re a fan of Agatha Christie type books, with a Nordic flair, this one is for you! 

I received two complimentary copies. Thank you to Sara Beth at St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC via Netgalley widget, and Macmillan Audio Influencer Program for sending me an ALC.

Review: Death At The Sanatorium by Ragnar Jónasson @ragnarjo @StMartinsPress @macmillan.audio #DeathAtTheSanatorium #macmillanaudio

Title: Death At The Sanatorium
Author: Ragnar Jónasson
Narrator: Sam Woolf
Format: eBook / Audiobook
Length: 279 pages / 6 hours 42 minutes
Rating: 4 stars
Publication Date: September 10, 2024

Challenges: Audiobook, Beat The Backlist, COYER, HRCYED 2.0, Mount TBR, NetGalley

Review: Ragnar Jónasson’s love for Agatha Christie shows in all of his work. This book was a rather good representation of that. It was all slowly building up to who the murder was at the very end. I enjoyed getting to know Helgi also. Another Christie-like detective you are rooting for.

I will recommend this to all my friends who enjoy mystery novels.

I received two complimentary copies. Thank you to Sara Beth at St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC via Netgalley widget, and Macmillan Audio Influencer Program for sending me an ALC.

The Sunday Salon #9

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Honestly, a whole bunch of nothing happened. The weather has been beautiful here and I want to soak up as much of it as I can! I’ve spent a lot of time in my backyard playing with my dog, and reading.

I started a new job on Friday and I wanted to do as much relaxing as I possibly could before going back to work. As a lunch lady I get the summer’s off, and I am never ready for how quickly the warm months fly by.

Currently:

I am currently reading The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. It’s a locked room thriller with a lot of characters. So far I am just rolling with it and seeing how it’s playing out. I am 55% in at the writing up of this post.
I am trying my very best to read my ARCs before their publication date for the rest of the year. This one publishes in two weeks.

I borrowed a physical copy of All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby from the libray. It’s due back at the end of the month so I better gets to gettin’!

I am listening to The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve via Libby. I had seen it on Netgalley a few months ago, requested it, but I was denied. I had Libby notify me when it was added to their catalog and jumped on the waitlist. The other day it was my turn to borrow it. So far, it’s holding my interest. I like the multiple narrators, which I think the story definitely needs.

Just Finished:


If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.


Review: Death At The Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson
Review: The Mysterious Case of The Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jonasson
WWW Wednesday
The Sunday Salon #10

WWW Wednesday (on Thursday)- September 4, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?


I am currently reading The Wasp Trap by Mark Edwards. It’s a locked room thriller with a lot of characters. So far I am just rolling with it and seeing how it’s playing out. I am 50% in at the writing up of this post.
I am trying my very best to read my ARCs before their publication date for the rest of the year. This one publishes in two weeks.

I borrowed a physical copy of All The Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby. It’s due back at the library soon, so I made it a priority!

I am listening to The Memory Collectors by Dete Meserve via Libby. I had seen it on Netgalley a few months ago, requested it, but I was denied. I had Libby notify me when it was added to their catalog and jumped on the waitlist. The other day it was my turn to borrow it. So far, it’s holding my interest. I like the multiple narrators, which I think the story definitely needs.

Q: Which books do you plan to get to this Fall?

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

Books Acquired In August 2025

Good morning readers! These are all of the books that I acquired/received/borrowed onto my shelves, virtual and/or physical, for the entire month of July:

These were my First Reads choice for the month of August.

I borrowed these three books from friends.

I signed up for an ARC with a new company. This is the first book I chose with them.

Acquired: 17

Total spent this month: $0.00

Total spent this year: $0.00

WWW Wednesday – August 27, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

The weather here in New Jersey has been cooler and less summery, so I switched to a Fall theme for this post :)

I am currently reading Play Dirty by Luna K. Wicked. Not my typical genre but I signed up to review this ARC before publication date (which is in September).

I borrowed a physical copy of Thirteen by Steven Cavanaugh. It’s a book I borrowed from a friend so I’m making it a priority instead of my library books.

I am listening to Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell. I received an ARC through Edelweiss a few months back but decided to borrow the audiobook through the library to get through it quicker, since I missed the publication date in July.

Q: Which books do you plan to get to this Fall?

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!

The Sunday Salon #8

What is the Sunday Salon? 

The Sunday Salon is a place to link up and share what we have been doing during the week. It’s also a great opportunity to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Both of my kids were moved into college by Thursday night. This is my son’s last year so it’s all like old hat to him. But my daughter… this is her first year, and she’s been barely away from me. She became very clingy to me when the pandemic hit and then we really became best friends when she went to high school. We both miss each other so much! We’ve chatted every day she has been gone. Yes, I need to pull back some and let her become the woman she’s meant to be… but she’s my baby girl! They both start classes tomorrow. I pray they have a great school year :)

This weekend it was just my husband and I here at the house. And the dog lol. We literally did barely anything. We did go out to dinner Saturday night because I did not want to cook. Today we have no real plans either. The weather has been beautiful here and I want to soak up as much of it as I can while it’s still here.

Currently:

I am currently reading Bad Date by Ellery Lloyd. It’s a short story that was available as a First Reads choice. I am liking it so far!

I borrowed a physical copy of Thirteen by Steve Cavanaugh from a friend.

I am listening to The Locked Ward by Sarah Pekkanen. This one isn’t really keeping my interest, but I am halfway through so I think I am gonna push though it.

Just Finished:


My review of The Deceiving Look is on Storygraph [here]. I have not sat and wrote out the review of Guess Again just yet. I did give it four stars!

If you’d like to be friends with me on Storygraph, this is my profile page.
I stopped using Goodreads this year (and didn’t really keep up with it last year) because I want to support a black woman business owner over a white male billionaire.

Books Acquired In August 2025
Another Chapter
Library Stats and Savings August 2025
Sunday Salon #9

Review: The Shepard & Gray Trilogy by Victor Methos @victormethos #victormethos

Challenges: Amazon First Reads Backlog, Beat The Backlist, COYER, Read For The Stars

Review: Victor Methos is becoming one of my favorite authors! His writing style is smooth and all of his stories flow easily, which helps move the story along at such a good pace where absolutely nothing feels forced. His characters are genuine and feel like real people you can relate to and root for throughout the whole series.

I received The Secret Witness as a First Reads choice in 2022. I redeemed a gift card to acquire The Grave Singer and The Deceiving Look earlier this year.

WWW Wednesday – August 20, 2025

Welcome to WWW Wednesday! This meme was formerly hosted by MizB at A Daily Rhythm and revived on Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?


I am currently reading The Deceiving Look, the last book in the Shepard & Gray trilogy. I’m halfway through the book as of this morning. I don’t want this series to end :(

I borrowed a physical copy of Thirteen by Steven Cavanaugh. It’s a book I borrowed from a friend so I made it a priority instead of my library books.

I NFNed (not for now) the audiobook of Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham- it just wasn’t hitting for me. This afternoon I am starting The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson. It’s for a challenge I am doing and it’ll be a quick listen. Plus it’ll break up the thriller streak I am on, lol!

Q: Any last minute books you want to fit in before the summer is over?

Don’t forget to link up with Taking On A World Of Words to share your WWW!