Watching What I’m Reading . . .

New Zealand is certainly living up to its Maori name of Aotearoa this week. Translated, it means land of the long white cloud. It has been cloudy or raining all week. I am making a point, as part of my mindfulness routine, to watch the sunrise each morning. I have been photographing it each day and posting to my Instagram page which, if you would  like to take a look, goes by the same name as my webpage @sandysbookaday

My three year old grandson came on his own for a sleepover weekend and has just gone home with his Dad. He was so very good, but he certainly kept me busy. He has added two new books to his collection here and I will review those during the week.

I have just started reading Her Perfect Life by Rebecca Taylor

 

and I am a little more than halfway through listening to In the Dark by Cara Hunter

 

This week I am planning on reading The Red,Red Snow by Caro Ramsey

A family  man is stabbed to death at a crowded Christmas Ice Show. Murdered in plain sight. No clues, no witnesses, no known motive.

A week later, two bodies are discovered at a holiday cottage in a remote highland glen: one in the kitchen; the other sprawled outside on the icy lawn. The killer would appear to have arrived and left without leaving a trace, not even a footprint in the snow.

What secrets are lurking within this isolated, superstitious community? As the snow piles higher, detectives Anderson and Costello put their wits to solving a seemingly impossible crime, and gradually uncover a twisted tale of greed, obsession – and cold-blooded murder.

And The Summer House by Lauren K. Denton

Lily Bishop wakes up one morning to find a good-bye note and divorce papers from her husband on the kitchen counter. Having moved to Alabama for his job only weeks before, Lily is devastated, but a flyer at the grocery store for a hair stylist position in a local retirement community provides a refuge while she contemplates her next steps.

Rose Carrigan built the small retirement village of Safe Harbor years ago—just before her husband ran off with his assistant. Now she runs a tight ship, making sure the residents follow her strict rules. Rose keeps everyone at arm’s length, including her own family. But when Lily shows up asking for a job and a place to live, Rose’s cold exterior begins to thaw.

Lily and Rose form an unlikely friendship, and Lily’s salon soon becomes the place where residents share town gossip, as well as a few secrets. Lily soon finds herself drawn to Rose’s nephew, Rawlins—a single dad and shrimper who’s had some practice at starting over—and one of the residents may be carrying a torch for Rose as well.

Neither Lily nor Rose is where she expected to be, but the summer makes them both wonder if there’s more to life and love than what they’ve experienced so far. The Summer House weaves Lauren K. Denton’s inviting Southern charm around a woman’s journey to find herself.

This week I received five new ARCs from NetGalley, including The Summer House, above.

The other four are The Gilded Cage by Camilla Lackberg

It Started With A Secret by Jill Mansell

The Last Piece by Imogen Clark

The Descent (Detective Louise Blackwell #2) by Matt Brolly

I have a big crockpot of Pumpkin and Coconut Cream soup simmering away and some nice crusty garlic bread to heat up, so that is dinner taken care of. The remainder of the afternoon is for reading.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Happy reading!

Cheers,

Sandy ❤😍📚☕🍪