Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell

Tuesday, 23 September 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.

9/23/2025 Which fictional character do you wish were a real person?

I have no idea. So many people I read about are rather scary in person. So do I really want to meet them? Not to mention that they always herald the darker days as they are fighting evil and such. So.....

Maybe fictional characters better stay fictional.

Though Julius Heartstrikers sounds like such a good guy, and friendly to all. Not scary at all. And you know like anyone that has magic so that I could see magic!

9/30/2025 If you could live in a different country for a year, which country would you choose?

10/7/2025 What's a movie or TV show that you'd recommend to everyone?

10/14/2025 Has a book ever ignited a hobby/passion in you?

10/21/2025 What’s something you rebelled against as a kid?

10/28/2025 What was your favorite Halloween (or cosplay) costume? *Bonus for photos!

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, 22 September 2025

Carole´s Monday: The fourth Daughter

Author: Lyn Liao Butler

Title: The Fourth Daughter

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary

Format: ebook

Pages: 280

Published: August 1, 2025

Where I got It: Amazon

Summary:

In Taiwan, the bond between grandmother and granddaughter opens up a healing world for them both in an inspiring family saga about the comfort of food, untold histories, and indomitable mother love.

Chef Liv Kuo’s star is on the rise…until a traumatic incident leaves her emotionally unable to venture outside her Manhattan apartment. But an unexpected reason to break free comes from Ah-Ma, Liv’s beloved grandmother in Taiwan. Ah-Ma needs Liv’s help in finding her fourth daughter, taken from her when the girl was an infant. After all these years, it seems impossible. It’s also a Ah-Ma’s fourth daughter is an aunt Liv never even knew existed.

After landing in Taiwan, Liv hears the heartbreaking story of her grandmother’s plight in a country once under martial law, of choices made for her, and of the hopeful search for a lost girl that has endured for more than sixty years. Like the enriching food and traditions that bind Liv and Ah-Ma, their journey for answers brings them together.

And it’s a quest that turns up both a precious old cookbook and a tale of fatal betrayal that shakes everything Liv believed about her family—revelations that could also give her the courage to face the trauma she left behind.

Review:

A member of my Twitch community (if you're curious, my name on Twitch is Carole_Rae) picked this book for me to read. I was instantly curious when I read the summary because I love books like this!!

The story follows Liv and her grandmother. Liv went through a terrible tragedy and can't get out of her house because of the fear. However, everything changes when she speaks to her grandma who is convinced she seen her missing daughter at the store. It has been decades since grandma had last seen her daughter, but she believes it is her. Years previous, her fourth daughter was taken away from her because of a superstition that the number 4 is a bad luck number. To help her beloved grandma, Liv forces herself to fly out to help find this woman.

This hit me so hard especially near the end. I was in tears. Happy and sad tears. So many years wasted because of the mistakes of people in the past.

I loved following along with the current POV and the past POVs. It made me sad seeing how people had good intentions and some not so good bring such sadness to everyone. Yes, there was happiness and joy, but so much could've been avoided.

Gah! Grandma's husband was a rat bastard! *shakes fist* Bad man.

There was a sprinkle of romance between Liv and Simon. I didn't really think it was needed, but it was lovely seeing Liv finally find peace again and he helped her. It didn't overtake the story (thankfully) but the love was wildly quick.

The ending was lovely. I loved how it ended SO much. That letter? GAH! Beautiful.

Such a good book. I for sure recommend it. The romance didn't seem needed, but it was fine overall. It was lovely seeing Liv find some peace after what she went through. I hope she finally gets the therapy she needs. I'll stamp this with 4 stars.

Favorite Character(s): grandma and Liv

Least Favorite Character(s): Grandma's husband

Challenge(s):

- Cloak and Dagger #26

Saturday, 20 September 2025

Audio: Honky tonk Christmas by Carolyn Brpwn

Series: Honky Tonk, Book 4

By: Carolyn Brown

Narrated by: Cassandra Myles

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Release date: 07-29-25

Publisher: Tantor Media

Brown knows how to write her cowboys, well, Holt is not really a cowboy cowboy, but hey almost.

Sharlene is a war veteran, and honestly, this girl needs a support group. She was a sniper, and not allowed to talk about it, but suffers from ptsd. All her time goes to the Bar she has, the bar passed down from person to person as they find love and leave.

Hold is a contractor that she hires to get her bar some extra room. He has two adorable kids with him, and she will fall for them as much as she falls for him.

The drama then, well he is only passing through as this is a job, and she really loves her bar.

And everything will work out and everyone will live happily ever after.

Great narration with accents and everything that got me into the story. A sweet romance.

She Means business...

Sharlene Waverly is determined to have the "new and improved" Honky Tonk up and running before the holiday. For that, she'll need Holt Jackson, the best darn carpenter in the state. But his warm, whisky-colored eyes make her insides melt, and before she knows it, she's sharing her darkest secrets and talking about the nightmares...

He's determined to keep things professional...

Holt Jackson needs the job at the Honky Tonk, but is completely unprepared to handle the beautiful new bar owner he's working for.

Sharlene and Holt try like crazy to deny the sparks flying between them, but their love may just be the best Christmas present either one of them ever got.

Thursday, 18 September 2025

Emily Wilde´s encyclopaedia of fairies by Heather Hawcett

Series: Emily Wilde (#1)

Format: 336 pages, Paperback

Published: January 19, 2023 by Orbit

Historical fantasy/own

This was delightful! I am very happy I tried it.

Our world, but with fairies. Emily is putting together an Encyclopedia and goes on a trip to an island far way. A cold Island with elusive fairies. And Fae who suddenly steal more people then they used to.

Then her annoying rival Wendell shows up too, and so easily befriends everyone! While she just want to write her paper!

There is some tension there that is more than just anger at a rival, so just let it go Emily.

I liked the Island and its people, Think Iceland ;)

But trouble is coming, why are so many stolen? I cant say more.

I really enjoyed it. It was like a warm blanket

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.

Wednesday, 17 September 2025

Carole´s Wednesday: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers

Author: Angie Fox

Title: The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers

Series: Demon Slayer #2

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, UF

Format: ebook

Pages: 294

Published: April 28, 2009

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary:

Demon slaying powers should come with an instruction book ... Seriously. Why does a new hair dryer have a twelve-page how-to manual, but when it comes to ancient demon-fighting hocus-pocus, my biker witch granny gives me just half a dozen switch stars and a rah-rah speech? Oh, and a talking terrier, but that's another story. It's not like my job as a preschool teacher prepared me for this kind of thing.

So I've decided to write my own manual, The Dangerous Book for Demon Slayers, because no one tells me anything. Dimitri my "protector" may be one stud of a shape-shifting griffin, but he always thinks he can handle everything by himself. Only he's no match for the soul-stealing succubi taking over Las Vegas. If I can't figure out how to save him—and Sin City—there'll be hell to pay.

Review:

Yayyy for the TBR challenge making me dig through the archives of books I've meant to read but just forgot. This is a slight stretch to the prompt for this month, but it works ;)

We are back with Lizzy. She wanted a nice quiet life as a preschool teacher, but she has demon slaying powers that she needs to learn how to use. This should've come with an instruction book...maybe she'll just write it herself. While still training and learning, another task pops up. Soul-stealing succubi are taking over Las Vegas. With her friends, she will have to save Sin City and her uncle AND her protector, Dimitri.

I really should've done a quick read of book 1. It has been SO long since I read it. I don't really remember a lot. The book did fine as a standalone I guess, but (if I remember right) there is a lot from book 1 that is important to know.

Awwwwww that puppers of hers! I forgot how adorable he was.

Her granny made me chuckle.

Lizzy was sweet.

Love our gang of biker witches. So fresh! So cool!

I wanted more of Dimitri because I barely remember him.

But yes, this was okay. I'm glad I finally got to read this. However, I really should've done at least a quick scan read of book 1 to refresh my memory of these characters and what happened.

I think I would've appreciated this more if I remembered more. I was confused a lot.

3 stars from me.

Favorite Character(s): Pirate!!!! Lizzy is lovely

Least Favorite Character(s): The uncle

Challenge(s):

- TBR #9 (Friend squad)

Tuesday, 16 September 2025

TMST

9/16/2025 What would you do if you won the lottery?

How much are we talking about here? Enough to quit my job and live well the rest of my life? I could like temp now and then when they need someone...or not.

And buy books! Not think just buy. I also wanna build a tower to read in and see the sea ;) Oh and buy a summer cottage by the sea.

Buy better things.

9/23/2025 Which fictional character do you wish were a real person?

9/30/2025 If you could live in a different country for a year, which country would you choose?

10/7/2025 What's a movie or TV show that you'd recommend to everyone?

10/14/2025 Has a book ever ignited a hobby/passion in you?

10/21/2025 What’s something you rebelled against as a kid?

10/28/2025 What was your favorite Halloween (or cosplay) costume? *Bonus for photos!

Sunday, 14 September 2025

The innocent sleep by Seanan MCGuire

Series: October Daye (#18)

Format: 419 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published: August 27, 2024 by DAW

UF/own

Did we really need Tybalt´s view? Eh, maybe not. I would honestly just had a new book and not the same story just from this pov. Sure it brought more to the story, the plight of the Cat Sidhe and everyone else not worthy.

Right, same story as in book 17 but here Tybalt is not under the illusion as the rest of the Fae and he must find his wife and set the world right.

It was still good.

For one bright, shining moment, Tybalt, King of Cats, had everything he had ever wanted. He was soon to set his crown aside; he had married the woman he loved; he was going to be a father. After centuries of searching for a family of his own, he had finally found a way to construct the life of his dreams, and was looking forward to a period of peace—or at least as much peace as is ever in the offing for the husband of a hero.

Alas for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen, Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which does not include meddlesome shapeshifters getting in her way. Tybalt quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea and the rest of the Court of Cats.

To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart.

For Tybalt, King of Cats, the happily ever after was just the beginning.

Thursday, 11 September 2025

The Housemaid´s secret by Freida McFadden

Series: The Housemaid (#2)

Format: 352 pages, Paperback

Published: July 11, 2023 by Hachette Mobius

Thriller/Library

It did start a bit slower. I am also happy that I read it because I remember reading some reviews that said it was alike book 1. It was not!

McFadden managed to surprise me again with her twists and turns. Bravo. Some dark stuff going on here.

Millie has a new job, but something is wrong. The wife hides in a bedroom. The husband seems caring, but there is blood. And Millie does solve problems....

Again, I can not say much, because twists and turns! It gets really dark for Millie this time around.

Good book. Now I wonder about that next one. Will she really manage to surprise me again?

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything...

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go...

Tuesday, 9 September 2025

TMST

9/9/2025 What’s your favorite room in your house?

I do not know if I have a favorite room, I like all rooms equally. But if I have to choose I guess the bedroom cos there you read and relax. But...I mean our terrace is just outside our house, but still apart so I would like to choose that too. It is always so warm and lovely there.

9/16/2025 What would you do if you won the lottery?

9/23/2025 Which fictional character do you wish were a real person?

9/30/2025 If you could live in a different country for a year, which country would you choose?

10/7/2025 What's a movie or TV show that you'd recommend to everyone?

10/14/2025 Has a book ever ignited a hobby/passion in you?

10/21/2025 What’s something you rebelled against as a kid?

10/28/2025 What was your favorite Halloween (or cosplay) costume? *Bonus for photos!

Monday, 8 September 2025

Carole's Monday. Secret, lies and fireflies

Author: Angie Fox

Narrator: Hollie Jackson
Title: Secrets, Lies, and Fireflies

Series: Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries #14

Genre: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Published: August 5, 2025
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary:

Verity’s grandmother returns to help Verity and Frankie solve a mystery that reveals a shocking family secret, as well as the heartwarming history of Verity’s home. This is one family reunion you don’t want to miss!

Review:

I love, love, love this series. I'm sad I'm all caught up and now have to wait for the next one???? WHAT!?!?!?! EEE.

We are back with Verity and the gang. Things have found a nice calmness. However, things are about to be shook up when a fire breaks out at the library and Verity's grandmother's ghost returns. She is back to help Verity and Frankie with this mystery that is tied to a family secret.

First off..........where did my beloved narrator go?! She IS Verity and all the other characters. I am so bummed she did not read this one. I should look it up and see why we has to switch. Don't get me wrong.......I did warm up to this narrator but it just wasn't the same.

Besides my world being tilted because of the change of the narrator.......I enjoyed this one a lot. Verity will be face-to-face with her grandma who she loved so much. However, she has been scared that she disappointed her since the family house had to be stripped away when Verity had zero money years and years ago. Some things have been replaced but she has had a lot of guilt on her shoulders losing some of her grandma's things. I loved that Verity got this chance to finally get a chance to talk to her grandma and let go of this guilt.

I also loved watching Verity grow more. There were times she was acting so selfish in this book, but I get it. If my grandma came back from the light....I wouldn't want her to go back either. However, grandma staying wasn't going to help anyone.

Frankie!!! I love him. My heart broke when he was all, "This is the only home I've ever had!" OMG. Some nice growth and emotional break throughs for this boy.

And Lucy. They true MVP!!!!!

I love them all!!!!

Ooo and the mystery was so good. I don't want to spoil anything!

All-in-all, I enjoyed this one and the series is still as good as book 1. Some ups and some less ups (hehe), but all good overall. I can't wait for the next book! I hope and pray our old narrator comes back, but this new one did okay overall. 4 stars from me.

Favorite Character(s): Lucy!!! And I do love Ellis a lot

Least Favorite Character(s): Our baddie and that lawyer fella!

Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #40

- Cloak & Dagger #25

Sunday, 7 September 2025

How to become a Dark Lord or Die trying

Series: Dark Lord Davi (#1)

Format: 392 pages, Paperback

Published: May 21, 2024 by Orbit

Fantasy/own

I do hate a groundhog type of book, luckily, most of that is over with already. Davi has been doing this for 1000 years! And just said F it all, I am going evil.

Davi came from our world, fell into a fantasy world and was told she was their saviour, but for the last 1000 years she has been killed by different Dark Lords and everything has started again. Yeah I would be fed up with it too.

It is written with humour, very dark too, and there is lots of talk about suicide and other dark things. She has been been brutally murdered and tortured for a 1000 years.

She gathers a horde and sets out to become a Dark Lord....things will get tricky...

I liked it, and I do want the next one to see how it all ends. Because, I mean, will she go and kill all humans? That is the path of the Dark Lord. We will see.

Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

Davi has done this all before. She’s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she’s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she’s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she’s been defeated every time.

This time? She’s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that’s who she needs to be. It’s Davi’s turn to play on the winning side

Thursday, 4 September 2025

Audio: Wearing the Lion by John Wiswell

Author John Wiswell

Narrated by Christian Black, Elizabeth Klett

Publication date Jun 17, 2025 by Tantor

Running time 14 hrs

Historical fiction/fantasy

Heracles never really gets to be the big hero here. He is mostly a broken man, suffering from PTSD and walking around doing his heroic things. But instead of doing it with violence he finds that even monsters needs to be saved.

It is narrated via him and her. His voice is always so calm, always praying to Hera. Then there is Hera who is more modern, and I frankly liked that. She is angry with her husband, and with Heracles who is always praying.

So...yes stuff happens. He falls apart and goes to kill monsters, but he is too broken for that even. So instead he builds himself a new family without even realising.

As for Hera, I could not hate her at all, I mean obvi, dang woman! But she is so broken too by actions that she did not mean to happen. I liked her, she had quite the mouth and she was so frustrated all the time,

Good narration, that calm male voice and a more highstrung female one.

Heracles, hero of Greece, dedicates all his feats to Hera, goddess of family. Heracles’ mother raised him to revere Hera, as her attempt to avoid the goddess’ wrath. Unbeknownst to Heracles, he is yet another child Hera’s husband, Zeus, had out of wedlock.

Hera loathes every minute of Heracles’ devotion. She finally snaps and sends the Furies to make Heracles kill himself. But the moment Heracles goes mad, his children playfully ambush him, and he slays them instead. When the madness fades, Heracles’s wife, Megara, convinces him to seek revenge. Together they’ll hunt the Furies and learn which god did this.

Believing Hera is the only god he can still trust, Heracles prays to Hera, who is wracked with guilt over killing his children. To mislead Heracles, Hera sends him on monster-slaying quests, but he is too traumatized to enact more violence. Instead, Heracles cares for the Nemean lion, cures the illness of the Lernaean hydra, and bonds with Crete’s giant bull.

Hera struggles with her role in Heracles life as Heracles begins to heal psychologically by connecting with the monsters—while also amassing an army that could lay siege to Olympos.