Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Wednesday, 18 June 2025

Yellowface by RF Kuang

Format: 319 pages, Paperback

Published: May 25, 2023 by William Morrow

Fiction

Library

I enjoyed it, but, oh you know the story, for me it was too hyped up. So for me I did feel somewhat disappointing when it was not amazing. And that is why I should not listen to hype cos then I would not have felt disappointed, I would just have enjoyed a good book.

This one is so hard to review, it is one of those twitter trainwrecks that we all used to watch back in the day. Oh you know you watched it. One could not look away.

Juniper´s friend dies. And she then steals the manuscript for a book that friend was working on...and finishes it. Damn, ok, wtf girl. She becomes a huge success. But there is the voices about how she is white, she writes about Chinese workers. The name she uses that can be mistaken for Chinese, and last how her friend was a well known American-Chinese author.

The trainwreck begins.

Then she makes it worse.

And she is loosing her mind too, seeing her dead friend. About that, I would have loved that aspect to be honest, a horror story. Alas no.

The ending was a bit too open for me. I would just have crawled under a rock, but Juniper is not going down. And we do not know what will happen.

Honestly so much to say about this one, so many aspects of the publishing world. The good, and the bad.

Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena is a literary darling while June is a nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls?, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse, stealing Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

TMST

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

I used to have a system when I had lots of review books, now I go by whatever. A review book that should be read, a library book that is due, or just a book that seems the most interesting, or a genre I could enjoy.

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

If you are interested in participating in TMST or receiving periodic emails that list the upcoming TMST topics and questions, please fill out this GOOGLE FORM. Participation is optional and never required.

Monday, 16 June 2025

Carole´s Monday: The Last Party

Author: AR Torre

Narrator: Amy Bentley, Will Damron, Neil Hellegers, & Ellen Quay

Title: The Last Party

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Format: Audiobook

Published: August 20, 2024

Where I got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary:

Perla Wultz lives with her husband, Grant, and their precious daughter, Sophie, in a gated Pasadena community. Affluent, sociable, and accomplished, Perla plays the part of loving wife and mother to perfection. It seems an ideal life, if not for a decades-old crime that has become Perla’s dark and consuming secret obsession.

Twenty-three years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murdering two young girls during a birthday party. Though he’s been condemned to a life sentence, his crime is not forgotten. Not by Perla, nor by an inquisitive doctoral student interviewing Folcrum for his dissertation. He’s getting the killer to open up—about his motives, his confession, and the truth of what really happened on that horrible night.

As the past and the present entwine, the deceptions behind the infamous murder begin to surface. But who’s deceiving who now? And why? And as an ingeniously twisted plan is set in motion, who will be the next to die?

Review:

I've read a couple of books by this author so I was excited this was selected for book club.

Everything may seem perfect in the Wultz home. A perfect wife, smart husband, and a beautiful daughter. They are affluent, sociable, and accomplished. However, there is a darkness there. There is a decades-old crime that haunts this family in more ways than one. Years ago, Leewood Folcrum confessed to murder but never gave any motive. Now a doctoral student is interviewing him and trying to get the truth about the motive and what really happened that night.

This was intense. I didn't want to stop listening!!!

What can I even say without giving away huge spoilers? Maybe I'll divide and conquer this review:

The Good

- The characters. OMG they were complex.

- The writing is amazing. The author really knows how to tell a story.

- This was a wild ride especially near the end. I had no idea what was going to happen at the end there. A web of lies can ruin a lot of lives.

- Twists and turns galore. But my original idea and belief was proved right! Yayy!

- The narrators were really good. They really brought everything to life.

The Bad and the Ugly

- One thing and one thing only.....................it ended. I want to follow these characters further. I worry for one of them.

Conclusion

This was a great read. Be warned there are some triggers in here since the focus of the past crime was the murder of two young girls. Nothing horribly graphic is discussed, but it can be triggering for some.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Like I mentioned...I didn't want to stop listening. This author is great. I need to read more by them. I can't wait to discuss this at Book Club. Weeee.

5 stars.

- Favorite Character(s): ....Grant? Maybe....I don't know honestly

- Least Favorite Character(s): Perla

Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #26

- Cloak & Dagger #13

Saturday, 14 June 2025

The Frozen People by Elly Griffits

Series: Ali Dawson (#1)

Format: 343 pages, Paperback

Published: January 1, 2025 by Quercus

Mystery Fiction /library

Somehow I managed to miss that this one actually contains timetravel. Maybe I though oh that is a very cold case, but nope, time travel.

Ali works with cold cases, but her department is also really secret because someone invented a way to travel in time. But it is not like hey lets all travel in time. No it is not that advanced. It is dangerous, and not that safe. And when Ali goes back into 1850 she misses her window and she is stuck.

Ali is a 3 time divorcee with a kid. She was down to earth and just got the job done. The case she is on is a politician wanting to clear an ancestors name. Which leads to her getting stuck in the past, and things heating up in bad ways back home.

We get the now and the then when she is trying to make it back then and trying to figure out if that ancestor did those bad things or not...

And back home, well just say it gets intense and I wanted to know what was going to happen. There is murder, secrets and I mean is Ali gonna get home or not?!

It was a good one.

Cold cases are a lot easier to solve when you can travel back in time to find new evidence—unless, that is, you get stuck in the nineteenth century.

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old they’re frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Ali’s work seems like a safe desk job, but what her friends—and even her beloved son—don’t know is that her team has a secret: They can travel back in time to look for evidence.

So far Ali has made trips only to the recent past, so she’s surprised when she’s asked to investigate a murder that took place in 1850. The killing has been pinned on an aristocratic patron of the arts and antiquities, a member of a sinister group called "The Collectors." She arrives in the Victorian era during a mini ice age to find another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions. But when her son is arrested, Ali attempts to return home only to find herself trapped in 1850.

Wednesday, 11 June 2025

Audio: Cowboy under the mistletoe - Grace Elena

By: Grace Elena

Narrated by: John William Maddux, Stacy Gonzalez

Series: Alpine Ridge 2

Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins

Release date: 05-27-25 by Tantor Audio

Contemporary romance/ from Tantor

The holidays, a novella, sure thing why not read this when summer starts. I am not familiar with this series, I just dove straight in for a short story.

Katherine is divorced, and thinking of doing some changes in her life. Then one night she steps under the mistletoe and meets a cowboy.

It was short, it was intense at times....in that way. And there was a happy ending. This could have been a full book too. But I take what I can.

It was two narrators and they both did well with their parts. Sometimes I find that one narrator has one speed and the other has another speed, but here it worked when they changed from one to the other.

Wishing for a Christmas miracle is harder than it seems. Katherine Pearson has lived her whole life in Alpine Ridge, TN. From marrying her high school sweetheart to being divorced in her mid-thirties, Katherine is feeling stuck. Stuck in life, stuck in her hometown, and stuck in love.

When she finds herself at a dive bar at the edge of town, there’s a sense of solace that she can’t quite place. A sense of belonging that she hasn’t felt in a long time. Stumbling into a cowboy under a mistletoe is the last thing she expects to happen to her. It doesn’t help that he’s a cowboy who just seems to understand everything she’s feeling this holiday season.

Maybe Santa does have Katherine at the top of his list this year.

Tuesday, 10 June 2025

TMST

6/10/2025 New to me authors: who have you discovered in the past 12 months?

I would say T.Kingfisher, I tried my first a year ago and after that I have tried a few more. I like that her style differs. First up was horror, then more fairytale, and now I am reading a fantasy. I like her books.

As for other new authors, well Kingfisher is the only one I have tried more than once. So as for others, I just do not know if I would like their other books. But ;

Liz Nugent, the book I read was just amazing

Caitlin Rozakis, I do want to try more by this author

Jen Beagin, a good storyteller

6/17/2025 How do you choose what to read next?

6/24/2025 Do you have any travel or staycation plans for the summer?

Monday, 9 June 2025

Carole´s Monday: The one that got away

Author: Mike Gayle

Title: The One That Got Away

Genre: Romance, Novella, Short Story

Format: ebook

Pages: 100

Published: May 1, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary:

Reuben thought he’d spend the rest of his life with Beth, until she broke his heart six months ago. He’s not even remotely over her, so he’s devastated to hear she’s getting married—this weekend.

Now he’s faced with the ultimate what should he do on the day of the wedding? Grieve? Disrupt the ceremony? Or do everything in his power to pretend it’s not happening?

Enlisting the help of his friends, Reuben is all set to mark the occasion with distraction on a grand Ferraris, champagne, and a VIP box at the races.

But on the morning of the Big Day, Reuben gets a phone call that not only derails his elaborate it may well change his life completely…

Review:

This was a freebie and I love a good freebie.

Here we follow Reuben who was in love with Beth but she broke up with him. He's not over her so his heart breaks again after he hears she is getting married...this weekend. His friends spirit him away to get his mind off it, but things get murky when Reuben receives a phone call that could change everything.

My favorite part of this story was the ending when everyone grows the heck up.

LOTS of spoilers heading your way.

Reuben and Beth are so unlikeable. *spoiler starts* Beth doesn't believe in love and Reuben does...but they stay together. Reuben does a bad thing and Beth breaks up with him. 6 months later she is marrying another man AND now is calling Reuben to save her? ......He drops his friends like a bag of rotten potatoes and goes and saves her and helps her escape her wedding. They fight. They kiss. Beth gets a call that her intended, Leo, has now run away and she is suddenly in love with him and wants Leo back? Reuben agrees to track him down. They work it out and Reuben goes to the wedding. Sure he finds love there, but WHAT.ON.EARTH. *spoiler ends*

Don't get me twisted I did enjoy the drama but holy hannah did I want to smack everyone. Minus Pete...he seemed like a cool guy. Everyone grow up please. I think I could've been more forgiving of Beth if her dawn of realization was done a little differently. It just seemed selfish. She was so selfish the whole time. She had no character growth. Reuben took a minute, but he did grow as a character so I'll tip my hat to him. Boo to Beth!

I'm glad the author made this nice and short.

All-in-all....this was drama-filled with some characters that you will want to shake.

I'll give this 2 stars.

Favorite Character(s): Pete

Least Favorite Character(s): Beth and Reuben

Saturday, 7 June 2025

Audio: Booked for the holidays - Liz Maverick

By: Liz Maverick

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky, Andrew Eiden

Length: 3 hrs and 41 mins

Release date: 11-14-24

Publisher: Audible Originals

Categories: Contemporary romance

I am really hunting down these audible shorter books. I like it. And this one I recognized because Carole and Jen had read it.

Abi is sent to help a mystery author to finish her book...surprise, the author died and her grandson is struggling to finish it.

Is it doomed? Or can they work together to finish this last book?! Oh I know that feeling. Biggest fear if any book lover. Not getting that last book.

And of course they also have time to fall in love.

Good narration, good story. I enjoyed it. Best of all, short!

When mystery author D. B. Ziegler is late delivering her book, Abi Schore steps in to help. Surely she can give her favorite author moral support over the holiday break and get the manuscript to her boss at Tea & Sympathy Publishing in time for the new year.

When Abi shows up on Ms. Ziegler’s doorstep bearing holiday treats, she’s met by the author’s handsome grandson Dov, who reveals a startling plot twist. His grandmother isn’t able to finish the book and Dov promised he’d complete it so fans won’t be disappointed—a task that’s harder than he ever imagined.

As Hanukkah unfolds, Abi and Dov cozy up in his grandmother’s brownstone apartment working their way through his writer’s block and untangling plot threads. Before long, the novel starts taking shape ... and so does their simmering attraction. Will their own story end once the book is written, or is this just the first chapter?

Thursday, 5 June 2025

Audio: Sweet talk by Cara Bastone

By: Cara Bastone

Narrated by: Lidia Dornet, Chris Brinkley

Series: Love Lines #2

Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins

Release date: 04-22-21

Publisher: Audible Originals

Categories: Romance, Contemporary

I found another cute audible one and this one takes place mostly on the phone. I do like this concept because you are really in their heads.

Elliott voice messages the wrong person, but she responds and they start talking. And then they talk the next day too. But he does not know who she is, but she knows him. So all he calls her JD.

Oh it was fun. Him trying to figure out who she is, and she doing her best to dodge his questions.

But she does have reasons, and they are good reasons.

But they fall in love over the phone. But will they still feel something when they meet? Obviously ;)

Two narrators and they were both good and it worked really well.

It’s officially booty o’clock, I’m alone again in my kitchen choking down a slice of terrible chocolate cake…and I’m pretty sure I just got drunk texted by the man I have a ginormous crush on.

I’ve been daydreaming about Eliot Hoffman’s dimples for two months, and even though I’m sure this was a mistake on his end, it doesn’t mean it’s not an opportunity on mine. It’s the middle of the night, and I just wanna talk to him. So I text him back.

And then somehow we keep talking…ALL NIGHT. We’re both insomniacs, so talking all night soon turns into talking EVERY night.

And talking about nothing soon turns into talking about something.

And here we go from in-depth analysis of reality TV to my relationship with my family to his amazing artwork. There’s no topic we don’t cover…

Except for who I really am. It’s the only question of his I won’t answer.

As my crush turns into an avalanche of Eliot, I think of him all the time now. But if he knew who I was, the entire house of cards we’ve built this relationship on would come toppling down. I want him to be mine, but we might never be more than just a sweet dream….