Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Love Just For Their Gorgeous Covers

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is a cover freebie choice and I went with, "Books I love just for their gorgeous covers." This is something that I find ridiculous but here we are! Seriously, I am a sucker for beautiful covers although I won't buy it if the subject is completely boring to me but there are many books that draw me in simply because the covers are so engaging. 

Click on the picture to go to Goodreads to find more information about the book.

Click on the book title for my review if I've read and reviewed it on my blog.

1. Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright- It is hard to pick just one of these books for a beautiful cover choice. They are all stunning but this one was a favorite for its Christmas theme.

2. A Christmas Vanishing by Anne Perry- Another Christmas cover that I find gorgeous. I've finished all of Perry's Christmas books now but some I'd like to re-read. 

3. Midwinter Murder by Agatha Christie- This has been on my TBR list for awhile. I love the snow mixed with the purple and blue font. It is so striking.

4. The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency by Lydia Travers- I love everything about this cover from the plaid skirt to the car to the green grass. It says Scottish Highlands for sure! It is hard to pick from her novels because all the books have amazing covers.

5. Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel- I fell in love with this cover the minute I saw it. Who doesn't love these elephants? And the story, set in 1920's Ceylon is so unique. Anothe series I want to get back to reading soon.

6. Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer- I've read several from this series and her covers are always beautiful and really do a great job of representing the time and place of the book.

7. Death of a Dishonorable Gentleman by Tessa Arlen- I haven't read this one yet but I loved the Downton Abbey type house and water reflection all set at twilight. 

8. The King's Commoner by David Field- I love all the covers in this Tudors series but this one is especially beautiful with the purple background and fancy font.

9. The Alpine Christmas Mystery by Benedict Brown- This author has so many beautiful covers but this one with the snow and gorgeous mansion is my favorite. 

10. Murder On the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett- This is one of my absolute favorites. I can almost imagine myself going down the Nile on this boat a hundred years ago. 

Stacking the Shelves #99

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters (The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Book 0.5)

Kindle purchase: Free with points or $2.99 to by this week

I need to read this one before I continue with the series as it is the prequel and explains how Brother Cadfael went from Crusader to monk. I have been collecting these over the years and the library has them all but I am glad I could find this one for free.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare 

Libby borrow: Free

I am returning to my teaching job after almost a full year off due to medical issues. I am a reading specialist and am so excited to get back to teaching kids to read! This book came up in the Libby America 250 celebration book list and it made me want to read it again. Looking forward to sharing it with my kids too. It is about a young girl, Kit Tyler, who tries to survive her harsh Puritan community in Colonial America. 

Water Under the Bridge by Jason Vail

Kindle purchase: Free with points or $2.99 to buy this week

The cover and title of this book caught my eye. It was published this year and is by an author I'd featured before for his other series. When I read the summary and saw it was a murder mystery set in Henry VII's England I had to check it out. The main character is in hiding from the King and imprisonment and works undercover to solve the murder of a friend in medieval London. 

 

Trouble On a Country Lane by Isabella Bassett (Lady Caroline Murder Mysteries Book 4)

 

Publication Date:

June 15, 2023

Genre: 

Cozy Mysteries, Historical Mysteries

Length:  

240 pages

Series:

Lady Caroline Murder Mysteries

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

Beautiful, rich and young, for Lady Caroline, life is an easy road trip full of adventure. But when the road ends with a dead body, things quickly get complicated.

England, 1925 It’s summertime in England, and for Lady Caroline and her nimble roadster, life is as breezy and full of promise as a winding country road. Unfortunately, on the way to the latest party, the road ends with a body. And when a guest at the party dies next, Lady Caroline finds herself at a dead end. Now, devious mothers with grand designs, mysterious American busybodies, and unhelpful uncles all seem to conspire to keep Lady Caroline from uncovering the truth. With a befuddled police force, Lady Caroline must take the investigation into her own hands and unravel this frustrating tangle of events, lest the course of her life be changed forever. 

Trouble on a Country Lane is Book 4 of the Lady Caroline Murder Mysteries series. In the glamorous world of 1920s Europe, money and privilege rub shoulders, and greed, envy, and murder are never far behind. Follow Lady Caroline, intelligent and witty, with a fondness for breaking rules, on a fun romp through the golden age of murder mysteries. Each book contains the requisite eccentric characters, fun historical tidbits, and puzzling murders with no gore or gloom.

My Thoughts:

One of the reasons I have loved this series was the character of Uncle Albert. Early on I started realizing he wouldn't factor in much in this story and was disappointed. But it turned out to be a really fun read anyway! I also had put off reading this one because it takes place in England and part of the enjoyment of the series has been the exotic locations. But again, it was a fun story and included some history that intrigued me enough to look up more information about it. 

Lady Caroline spends most of the story at a country manor house trying to figure out why an American family is so keen on buying it and marrying their daughter off to one of the English sons residing there. In doing so she finds two murders to solve and has to do so while agonizing over her encounters with her love interest, James. She uses her skills honed in cases past solved with her loveable, bumbling Uncle who happens to play a very small role here but she visits him in one chapter. While the premise and time period are a common theme in these cozies, I thought this one was a lot of fun. I enjoy this series and plan on continuing with it. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: Rivals at Ashmore Castle by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (Ashmore Castle Book Five)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Rivals at Ashmore Castle, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles. I've read the first book in this series, The Secrets of Ashmore Castle, and enjoyed it and she has written another more famous series detailing British history from medieval times to World War II. This book set at the beginning of the 20th century looks like the perfect read for Downton Abbey fans like me! I need to continue with the series soon.

Historical Fiction

August 13, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

England, 1905

At Ashmore Castle, scandal is never far away...

When a train crash rocks Ashmore, unlikely heroes emerge - and old secrets begin to stir. Kitty is still finding her feet at the castle, though her sharp-tongued mother-in-law and the old earl's dark secret threaten her newfound confidence. Richard is certain he'll never love again now that Molly has sailed for America - until a new arrival catches his eye.

Downstairs, hearts and tempers are just as tested. Mr Moss nurses a quiet heartbreak, new footman Frederick isn't all he seems, and someone from Afton's past returns with unfinished business.

Meanwhile, Nina is facing motherhood and marriage with mixed feelings, Rachel's love life is teetering on disaster, and Alice's artistic ambitions lead her into dangerous territory.

From whispered secrets to forbidden passions, life at Ashmore Castle is full of surprises - but as rivalries flare and loyalties shift, the harmony of the castle is more fragile than ever.

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I HAD to Have Immediately but Still Haven't Read

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is Books I HAD to have immediately but still haven't read. Okay this one makes me laugh....because it's a looonngggg list with me! And I suspect with most of my blogger friends. And teacher friends. Anyone who loves to read and loves books and loves to browse books is always buying, borrowing, getting gifted books they have no time to read. So why do we keep doing this???

I have really tried to work on this this past year. To weed out what I know I won't ever read and focus on those that I know I'll like if I can just get going. The internet and apps have ruined me over the years. And my Kindle....too many choices. So here is my very short list that could be a mile long of books I just had to have but haven't gotten around to reading yet.

Click on the title to go to Goodreads to learn more about the book.

1. Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie

2. A Court of Betrayal by Anne O'Brien

3. The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd

4. Blood Royal by Eric Jager

5. Plantagenet Princesses by Douglas Boyd

6. Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir

7. The Castle of Kings by Oliver Potzsch

8. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

9. Simon the Coldheart by Georgette Heyer

10. Blood On the Tracks (Railway Mysteries) Edited by Martin Edwards

Stacking the Shelves #98

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

The Bangalore Detectives Club (Bangalore Detectives Club Book One)

Hoopla Digital Borrow: Free

I love mysteries and I love books set in India so this one looked like a win. It is a 1920's cozy murder mystery series which is not hard to come by but books set in India definitely are! This features a married doctor's wife turned sleuth who works to find out who murdered someone at a fancy country club. It will take her to the highest and lowest parts of society.

The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (The Lymond Chronicles Book Two)

Kindle Deal: $1.99

This is a book that many have praised and so it is considered somewhat of a classic to me. Set in 1500's Scotland written in the 1960's it traces the story of the Crawford family and the main character's attempt to save his Scottish homeland from English invaders. 

Countenance of War by J.R. Tomlin (The Black Douglas Trilogy Book Two)

Kindle Deal: $2.99

I have book one in this series and have read another by this author. She has several series set in medieval Scotland and this one concerns the Black Douglas, a real Scottish warrior named James who fights Edward I's attempts to conquer Scotland.

The Enemy and Miss Innes by Martha Keyes (Tales From the Highlands Book Two)

 

Publication Date:

June 2, 2021

Genre: 

Cozy Mysteries, Historical Mysteries

Length:  

311 pages

Series:

Tales From the Highlands

Book description courtesy of Goodreads:

All that stands between him and freedom? Turning her hatred to love.

Elizabeth Innes has a tongue too sharp for her own good, and she is never more ready to employ it than when faced with the MacKinnons. With just one piece of evidence connecting their clan to a near-deadly attack, she is determined to prove the laird guilty and see him brought to justice. So, when chance throws her in the company of one of the MacKinnon men, she resolves to take advantage of the opportunity to glean more information.

Malcolm MacKinnon has long lived under the thumb of his cousin and laird, Angus, who keeps a secret with the power to ruin him. With his mother and siblings entirely dependent upon Angus's capricious generosity, he cannot afford to offend his cousin. When Angus proposes a way for him to finally be free of his shackles, Malcolm is more than ready to oblige. All he must do is help Angus seek revenge upon the rival, neighboring clan. The way to do it? Gain the trust—and love—of one of their young women.

As Malcolm and Elizabeth pursue their goals, they find their tasks much more difficult than anticipated, with challenges to their loyalties at every turn. Both must decide how far they are willing to go for revenge—and love.

My Thoughts:

This was my third Martha Keyes book to read. I like the setting of Scotland and hadn't read any of her romance books set in England. While she does a good job of creating atmosphere through dialect and description, her books are definitely geared toward the reader who likes the "enemies into lovers" story with a happy ending. In this book, the plot revolves around Elizabeth and Malcolm who work to trick one another into falling for them in order to obtain information that can help their families. Of course, in doing so they fall for one another, resulting in their surprise as well as that of their families. Having read the first book and gotten to know the clans and their families, I was looking forward to seeing what happened to the sister, Elizabeth, of the first book's main character. Malcolm, being part of a rival clan from the first book made him intriguing too.

While I have enjoyed some of her other books, this one just wasn't my cup of tea. I think this has more to do with my own personal tastes than Keyes writing, however, this book did feel a bit repetitive and short on content. A lot of time was spent with Malcolm's "secret" in the background and Elizabeth's exasperation with him. There were whole chapters on the dog, Fergus, and how he was bringing them together. I can appreciate the readers who want a romance more than historical fiction but in this book the history part was almost non existent. It was definitely more romance and if you like that then you will probably love this book.

There are two more in this series that I might read later just because they involve different characters and a different story line. I started thinking halfway throughout the book that it might just be the actual people in the book I wasn't bonding with. In her other books, I just liked them more. 

While it wasn't my favorite, my previous reading makes me want to try again, if nothing else than to just finish out the series and see what happens to the families. 

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder at Rosecliff by Alyssa Maxwell (A Gilded Newport Mystery Book Fourteen)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Murder at Rosecliff, by Alyssa Maxwell. It's book fourteen in a series I've only read three books from but I have enjoyed them. In this installment, now married newspaper owners, Emma and Derrick, must clear the name of one of their reporters, accused of murdering a blackmailer during a high society party. 

The fun of these books is that each is set in a mansion during the Gilded Age and the author does a fabulous job of describing the era and homes. It makes you want to go there and see them all for yourself. 

Historical Mysteries, Historical Fiction

August 25, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

When a troublemaking party crasher is found dead in a fountain during an elegant soiree in Newport, Rhode Island, newspaper editor Emma Cross Andrews must clear her own society reporter from suspicion of murder…

August 1903. Emma and her husband Derrick are among the men in white tie and tails and the women wearing white gowns from the House of Worth at Tessie Oelrichs’s Bal Blanc, or White Ball, at Rosecliff, her grand cottage on Bellevue Avenue. There to cover the event of the season is young Ethan Merriman, society reporter for the Newport Messenger, the newspaper owned by Emma and Derrick.

It’s an utterly charming affair until a stranger intrudes flaunting a green-striped necktie and matching vest in defiance of their hostess’s theme. But his fashion crime is a mere misdemeanor compared to his intention to blackmail Mrs. Oelrichs by producing a compromising document supposedly signed by Tessie over a decade ago.

Insisting it’s a forgery but terrified of scandal, she agrees to his terms, but the blackmailer will not live to see payday. His body is found face down in a fountain before the party’s end. Beside him stands a very wet Ethan, who was seen being confronted by the man earlier in the evening. Coming to the aid of their luckless cub reporter, Emma and Derrick must sort through the white lies and blackened reputations to discover the identity of the true killer.

Stacking the Shelves #97

 

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

A Dangerous Fortune by Ken Follett 

Kindle Purchase: $1.99 on sale this week

I wanted to read this rare stand alone book by Follett as he is best known for his series ones. I just thought it was interesting he wrote this one all by itself. It is one of those sweeping sagas that takes place over many years, beginning with the death of a young boy at an exclusive private school. The summary reminded me of Anne Perry's books and the setting in 1866 is similar. 

The Lives and Deaths of the Princesses of Hesse: The Curious Destinies of Queen Victoria's Granddaughters by Frances Welch

Kindle Purchase: $1.99

I will always be fascinated with Queen Victoria but it is her children and grandchildren I have read even more about. They all led extraordinary lives and this book is the first I've ever come across that focuses entirely on the Hesse granddaughters exclusively. They all married powerful, influential men and several had tragic endings. I am excited to see them all discussed in one book.

Double Sin and Other Stories by Agatha Christie  

Kindle Purchase: $1.99

This collection of short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple is on sale for a great price this week. There are eight stories in all and seem to be a good variety of different locations, sleuths, and plots. It should be a good book to have when I want to read a quick story here and there.