Water Grave: An Abbey Rhodes Mystery Volume 1 by Mitchell S. Karnes

(Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Six years ago, Hannah Leah Abelard needed a fresh start. She changed her name to Abbey Rhodes and enlisted in the United States Army as a part of the "Ever Vigilant," 18th Military Police Brigade. They taught her how to be a great cop. Abbey moved to Tennessee three years later and joined Metro Nashville's Police Department.

Now, in her third month with Homicide, Abbey is thrust into a case that may bring the walls she built crashing down around her, exposing a dark past she thought she'd left behind. A young pastor is found dead in the bottom of his baptistery and Abbey is forced to investigate the one place she swore never to return—the church. The case takes Abbey deeper into a tangled web of lies and secrets where the most dangerous ones may be her own.

my thoughts:

Whoa! Talk about the perfect crime thriller mystery! Chock full of twists and turns, gripping story lines, biblical themes, complex characters, a brutal murder mystery, and so much more, Water Grave: An Abbey Rhodes Mystery, is Mitchell S. Karnes' first book in his terrific new series. I absolutely LOVED getting caught up in this thrilling detective murder mystery - it was exciting, intriguing, and just such an enjoyable read. Plus, I thought Hannah was a great character to get to know - her past and present are layered, along with her spiritual journey.  Oh, and did I mention the unexpected twist that made me drop my jaw - wow! Water Grave is most definitely a must-read for fans of mystery - you will fall in deep with this new series! I know that I can't wait to find out what's next for Hannah. 

Make sure to grab a copy ASAP - you won't want to miss out on this exciting new crime thriller! I would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read. 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

My Friday Five...

1. Chatting with an old friend from college. 

2. Church yard sales - I found a small notebook from Eckerds Pharmacy and it reminded me of when I was a kid and we used to shop at that store. 

3. The Sopranos TV show. 

4. BIC ballpoint pens.

5. Chilly weather. 

Wishing you a great weekend! Happy reading!

Three Things...

1. Baking banana bread for my mom and aunt this morning. They are giving up sugar for lent starting next week, so they want to enjoy some sweet treats until then. 

2. Slowly reading Mansfield Park. The print in my paperback copy is tiny - ugh! 

3. I wound up with nearly twenty tote bags of books to donate. How do I have twenty tote bags? LOL!

Wishing you all a lovely Thursday! Happy reading!

Future's Edge by Gareth L. Powell

(Thank you Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 

about book:

From the award-winning author of Embers of War comes a fast-paced and heartfelt adventure of space piracy, deadly alien artifacts and a race to save what is left of humanity, perfect for fans of James S.A. Corey and Becky Chambers

When archaeologist Ursula Morrow accidentally infects herself with an alien parasite, she fears she may have jeopardised her career. However, her concerns become irrelevant when Earth is destroyed, billions die, and suddenly no one needs archaeologists anymore…

Two years later, she’s plucked from a refugee camp on a backwater world and tasked with retrieving the artefact that infected her, as it just might hold the key to humanity’s survival. With time running short, and the planet housing the weapon now situated in hostile territory, she realises she’s going to have to commit an act of desperate piracy if she’s going to achieve her objective before the enemy’s final onslaught.

“Exceptional world-building and galaxy-wide stakes… enough heart to fuel a supernova.” - Cavan Scott, New York Times bestselling author and co-creator of Star Wars: The High Republic

GARETH L. POWELL is the author of 20+ books, including novels, novellas, short fiction collections, and a non-fiction guide for aspiring authors. He has twice won the British Science Fiction Association Award for Best Novel and has become one of the most shortlisted authors in the award’s 50-year history. He has also been a finalist for the Locus Award (twice), the British Fantasy Award, the Seiun Award, and the Canopus Award. You can find him online at garethlpowell.com and @garethlpowell

my thoughts:

Wow! Science fiction with a blend of humor and horror - what more could I ask for? I absolutely LOVED Future's Edge by Gareth L. Powell! What an awesome book!

We have an archaeologist, aliens, adventure, thrills, and hopefulness jam-packed in this exciting story about humanity's survival. How cool does that sound, right? I know I loved every second I spent with this novel - it was just such a fascinating and fun story to get lost in. Basically we are two years out after the world has ended - meaning that humanity was wiped out, with the exception of a few remaining survivors. These survivors have managed to eke out an existence of sorts on other planets that have become refugee camps. Ursula's boyfriend, Jack,  was able to get her to one of these camps, but he didn't go with her. He decided to continue fighting the Cutters. Oh, that's right, I forgot to mention the Cutters - the aliens responsible for attacking Earth and decimating the population. Except, now it seems that the tides may be turning in the humans favor - Jack has come back and he has an idea of a weapon they could use to fight the Cutters and he needs Ursula's help. Say what?! She's just seen him after two years of no contact and now he wants her to go on a dangerous mission with him!?! Well, let the adventure begin! After all, the human population may be tiny, but their hope is unyielding. And, that is all I will share about this thrilling story. You must read it for yourself to find out what happens to Ursula and Jack. Make sure to grab a copy!

And now, I'm off to find more of Gareth L. Powell's books to read. 

Thank you Titan Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Monday Musings...

I read an article the other day by Martha Beck. She was talking about anxiety and creativity. Her theory is that if you are making something, being creative then anxiety will calm down. This idea appealed to me. Especially since anxiety and depression have been imposing on my life even more than normal. So, I thought to myself, why not use The 100 Day Project as a means to test out this theory. I'll be working on three projects, which I'm hoping will help lure all those intrusive thoughts far, far away. Wish me luck!

I've been using old unfinished journals to journal in lately and really enjoying reading my thoughts from 20 years ago. I figured why not use old unfinished art journals to work in for The 100 Day Project. It's fun to flip through them and see what I created ages ago - definitely inspires me to create more. Plus, it's fun to add new creations into these old art journals. Also, these creations are typically magazine cutouts with paint on them or quotes scribbled on top. I want to collage more, sketch and paint, and just have fun in these old books. 

My reading is on fire and I am LOVING it. I was reading so many mystery thrillers lately, that diving into Mansfield Park has been a lot of fun. 

Tracker! I am really enjoying these new episodes so much. I'm rewatching the first season again with my mom - she's a huge fan of the show, too. I told her that they have renewed for a third season - woo hoo!

Decluttering my books was slow-going at first, but after I let go of the guilt and shame (of buying books I never read, or simply downsizing the collection I'd amassed over the years) it's gotten easier to say goodbye to a lot of my books. Plus, I'm realizing that a lot of these books are ones I have no interest in reading anymore, or again. And it's easy to choose the ones I most definitely want to keep (Murakami, Strout, Wodehouse, Vonnegut, Toews) - I can't help but grab those and automatically put them back onto my bookshelves. LOL! At the end of the day, I guess I really do know what I want. 

And now, I'm off to tackle my Monday to-do list. Wishing you a lovely week ahead. Happy reading!